'Please send for Mr. Haze at once,' returned Paula, with graceful firmness. 'I said I would be just to a wronged man before I was generous to you--and I will. That lad Dare--to take a practical view of it--has attempted to defraud me of one hundred pounds sterling, and he shall suffer. I won't tell you what he has done besides, for though it is worse, it is less tangible. When he is handcuffed and sent off to jail I'll proceed with my dressing. Will you ring the bell?'
'Had you not better consider?' began De Stancy.
'Consider!' said Paula, with indignation. 'I have considered. Will you kindly ring, Sir William, and get Thomas to ride at once to Mr. Haze? Or must I rise from this chair and do it myself?'
'You are very hasty and abrupt this morning, I think,' he faltered.
Paula rose determinedly from the chair. 'Since you won't do it, I must,' she said.
'No, dearest!--Let me beg you not to!'
'Sir William De Stancy!'
She moved towards the bell-pull; but he stepped before and intercepted her.
'You must not ring the bell for that purpose,' he said with husky deliberateness, looking into the depths of her face.
'It wants two hours to the time when you might have a right to express such a command as that,' she said haughtily.
'I certainly have not the honour to be your husband yet,' he sadly replied, 'but surely you can listen? There exist reasons against giving this boy in charge which I could easily get you to admit by explanation; but I would rather, without explanation, have you take my word, when I say that by doing so you are striking a blow against both yourself and me.'
Paula, however, had rung the bell.
'You are jealous of somebody or something perhaps!' she said, in tones which showed how fatally all this was telling against the intention of that day. 'I will not be a party to baseness, if it is to save all my fortune!'
The bell was answered quickly. But De Stancy, though plainly in great misery, did not give up his point. Meeting the servant at the door before he could enter the room he said. 'It is nothing; you can go again.'
Paula looked at the unhappy baronet in amazement; then turning to the servant, who stood with the door in his hand, said, 'Tell Thomas to saddle the chestnut, and--'
'It's all a mistake,' insisted De Stancy. 'Leave the room, James!'