"No," she answered loudly.
"You are laboring under some horrible mistake! Some one has been telling you something--let me speak to you, child!"
She came a step nearer.
"I cannot," she said.
"I must entreat you to open the door. Even a criminal is heard before he is condemned."
"No," she declared, and went to the window, where she remained.
"Confound your--obstinacy," sounded in her ears.
"There was a crash and a splitting of wood and the door
was burst open."
Then a crash, a splitting of wood--the door was burst open and Frank Linden stood on the threshold.