y began to cry in a low, dispirited way, no passion in it but
only discouragement and physical overthrow. These were real enough tears
and they hurt Jeff to the last point of nervous irritation.

"Don't," he said, and then stopped while Anne knelt beside her and, in a
rhythmic way, began to rub one of her hands, and the colonel stared into
the fire.

"Perhaps if you went upstairs!" Anne said to her gently. "I could really
rub you if you were in bed and Lydia'll bring up something nice and
hot."

"No, no," moaned Esther. "You're keeping me a prisoner. You must let me
go." Then, as Jeff, walking back and forth, came within range of her
glance, she flashed at him, "You've no right to keep me prisoner."

"No," said Jeff miserably, "maybe not. But I've got to make sure you're
safe. Stay to-night, Esther, and to-morrow, when you're rested, we'll
talk it over."

"To-morrow," she muttered, "it will be too late."

"That's it," said Jeff, understanding that it would be too late for her
to meet Reardon. "That's what I mean it shall be."

Anne got on her feet and held out a hand to her.

"Come," she said. "Let's go upstairs."

Esther shrank all over her body and gave a glance at Jeff. It was a
cruel glance, full of a definite repudiation.

"No, no," she said again, in a voice where fear was intentionally
dominant.

It stung him to a miserable sorrow for her and a hurt pride of his own.

"For God's sake, no!" he said. "You're going to be by yourself, poor
child! Run away with Anne."

So Esther rose unwillingly, and Anne took her up to the spacious chamber
where firelight was dancing on the wall and Lydia had completed all
sorts of hospitable offices. Lydia was there still, shrinking shyly into
the background, as having no means of communication with an Esther to
whom she had been hostile. But Esther turned them both out firmly, if
with courtesy.

"Please go," she said to Anne. "Please let me be."

This seemed to Anne quite natural. She knew she herself, if she were
troubled, could get over it best alone.

"Mayn't I come back?" she asked. "When you're in bed?"

"No," Esther said. "I am so tired I shall sleep. You're very kind. Good
night."

She saw them to the door with determination even, and they went
downstairs and sat in the dining-room in an excited silence, because it
seemed to them Jeff might want to see his father and talk over things.
But Jeff and his father were sitting on opposite sides of the table,