you.
You do not know us. I warn----"

"Save your warnings, Miss Cairns. I am not in the least interested in
them," interrupted Marjorie with dry contempt. "You might be able to
make a child of nine years believe you. I doubt even that. I have heard
of this foolishness. Malicious as it is intended to be, it is too
trivial to be deceiving. You will kindly unlock the front door and let
me go."

A subdued chorus of derisive laughter, mingled with hisses arose from
the "stern avengers." One of the tallest stepped out from the circle,
which they had gradually been forming about Marjorie, and bowed low
before the Scarlet Mask.

"I recommend, your highness, that the prisoner be taught at once proper
respect for the high tribunal of the Scarlet Mask." The request was made
in a voice that aspired to bass depths. It fell short enough of them for
Marjorie to identify it as feminine, although she did not know to whom
it belonged. She had had so slight an acquaintance with the Sans from
the beginning.

"The prisoner will be taught proper respect immediately," vindictively
assured the Scarlet Mask. Up went a scarlet-draped arm in an imperious
gesture to a domino directly behind Marjorie.

Like a flash, Marjorie whirled about to guard herself. It was precisely
what the Scarlet Mask wished her to do. In the instant she turned the
figure nearest the leader whisked something white from the voluminous
folds of her domino. Marjorie felt herself being enveloped from head to
waist in what seemed to be the heavy open meshes of a veil. It was, in
reality, a large piece of fish net. She struggled furiously to free
herself from it. While she struggled with two of the figures who were
attempting to hold her, a third was busy securing the net in a hard knot
at her back. As Marjorie was wearing a fur coat and cap, her attire was
sufficiently bulky to prevent the net from being drawn very close. She
had taken off her mask the moment she had left the campus behind her, so
she could at least breathe without difficulty.

Not content with the indignity they had trickily put upon her, two of
the dominoes caught her by the shoulders and began forcing her toward a
corner of the room. The others followed, closing in upon the trio, so
that the silent, but still wrathfully-struggling prisoner would have no
chance to make a sudden dash for the door when released.

The Scarlet Mask, now at the edge of the crowd which hemmed Marjorie in,
elbowed a rough