“Yes. The doctor has so frightened her that I could not induce her to stay and pack. I shall join her in Paris,” she explained quite calmly. “There is no help for it. We must part.”
“But surely,” I said in desperation, “you will not leave me thus? You will return to England sometimes.”
“I really don’t know,” she answered in a strained, hoarse voice.
“At least you will give me hope that some day you will be my wife, Eva,” I said, tenderly grasping her hand, which seemed limp and trembling. “You know how fondly I love you, how—”
I started quickly and turned, puzzled at the unusual sound of voices, without finishing the sentence. One voice I recognised speaking in deep tones to Mrs Joad, and dropping the hand I held I rushed out, closing the door behind me.
As I did so, I came face to face with Boyd, accompanied by two plain-clothes officers.
“We’ve followed her here,” he explained. “She means to get away abroad, therefore we must now execute the warrant. I regret it, for your sake.”
A loud piercing shriek from within told me that she had overheard those fateful words.
“No,” I cried. “By Heaven! you shan’t arrest her!” and I resolutely barred his passage to the inner room. “As I love her you shall never enter there! She shall never be taken as a common criminal!”