And she put on the lemon-coloured frock, though Anthony was
not there to see it, from a feeling that since he approved of her, she
must be careful of her appearance for the future, to do justice to his
opinion. Madame Gobelli appeared to be in a worse temper than usual that
evening. She stumped in to the dining-room and took her seat at table
without vouchsafing a word to Harriet, although she had not seen
her since luncheon time. She found fault with everything that Miss
Wynward did, and telling her that she grew stupider and stupider each
day, ordered her to attend her upstairs after dinner, as she had some
friends coming and needed her assistance. The ex-governess did not
answer at first, and the Baroness sharply demanded if she had heard her
speak. “Yes! my lady,” she replied, slowly, “but I trust that you will excuse
my attendance, as I have made an engagement for this evening!”

Madame Gobelli boiled over with rage. “Engagement! What do you mean by making an engagement without asking my
leave first? You can’t keep it! I want you to ’elp me in something and
you’ll ’ave to come!”

“You must forgive me,” repeated Miss Wynward, firmly, “but I cannot do
as you wish!”

Harriet opened her eyes in amazement. Miss Wynward refusing a request
from Madame Gobelli. What would happen next? The Baroness grew scarlet in the face. She positively trembled with
rage. “’Old your tongue!” she screamed. “You’ll do as I say, or you leave my
’ouse.”

“Then I will leave your house!” replied Miss Wynward. Madame Gobelli was thunderstruck! Where was this insolent menial, who
had actually dared to defy her, going? What friends had she? What
home to go to? She had received no salary from her for years past, but
had accepted board and lodging and cast-off clothes in return for her
services. How could she face the world without money? “You go at your peril,” she exclaimed, hoarse with rage, “you know what
will ’appen to you if you try to resist me! I ’ave those that will ’elp
me to be revenged on my enemies! You know that those I ’ate, _die_! And
when I ’ave my knife in a body, I turn it! You ’ad better be careful,
and think twice about what you’re going to do.”

“Your ladyship cannot frighten me any longer,” replied Miss Wynward,
calmly, “I thank God and my friends that I have got over that! Nor do I
believe any more in your boasted powers of revenge! If they are really
yours, you should be ashamed to use them.”

“Gustave!” shrieked the Baroness, “get up and put this woman from the
door. She don’t stop in the Red ’Ouse another hour! Let ’er pack up ’er
trumpery and go! Do you ’ear me, Gustave? Turn ’er out of the room!”

“Mein tear! mein tear! a little patience! Miss Wynward will go quietly! But the law, mein tear, the law! We must be careful!”

“Damn the law!” exclaimed the Baroness. “’Ere, where’s that devil
Bobby? Why ain’t ’e at dinner? What’s the good of my ’aving a ’usband
and a son if neither of ’em will do my bidding!”

Then everyone looked round and discovered that Bobby was not at the
table. “Where’s Bobby?” demanded the Baroness of the servant in waiting. “Don’t know, I’m sure,” replied the domestic, who like most of Madame
Gobelli’s dependents, talked as familiarly with her as though they had
been on an equality. “The last time I saw ’im was at luncheon.”

“I will go and look for him,” said Miss Wynward quietly, as she rose
from table. “No! you don’t!” exclaimed the Baroness insolently, “you don’t touch my
child nor my ’usband again whilst you remain under this roof. I won’t
’ave them polluted by your fingers. ’Ere, Sarah, you go upstairs and
see if Bobby’s in ’is room. It’ll be the worse for ’im if ’e isn’t.”

Sarah took her way upstairs, in obedience to her employer’s behest, and
the next minute a couple of shrieks, loud and terrified, proceeded from
the upper story. They were in Sarah’s voice, and they startled everyone
at the dinner table. “Oh! what is that?” exclaimed Harriet, as her face grew white with fear. “Something is wrong!” said Miss Wynward, as she hastily left the room. The Baroness said nothing, until Miss Wynward’s voice was heard calling
out over the banisters,

“Baron! will you come here, please, at once!”

Then she said,

“Gustave! ’elp me up,” and steadying herself by means of her stick, she
proceeded to the upper story, accompanied by her husband and Harriet
Brandt. They were met on the landing by Miss Wynward, who addressed
herself exclusively to the Baron. “Will you send for a doctor at once,” she said eagerly, “Bobby is very
ill, very ill indeed!”

“What is the matter?” enquired the stolid German. “It’s all rubbish!” exclaimed Madame Gobelli, forcing her way past the
ex-governess, “’ow can ’e be ill when ’e was running about all the
morning? ’Ere, Bobby,” she continued, addressing the prostrate figure
of her son which was lying face downward on the bed, “get up at once
and don’t let’s ’ave any of your nonsense, or I’ll give you such a
taste of my stick as you’ve never ’ad before! Get up, I say, at once
now!”

She had laid hold of her son’s arm, and was about to drag him down upon
the floor, when Miss Wynward interposed with a face of horror. “Leave him alone!” she cried, indignantly. “Woman! cannot you see what
is the matter? Your son has left you! He is _dead_!”

The Baroness was about to retort that it was a lie and she didn’t
believe it, when a sudden trembling overtook her, which she was
powerless to resist. Her whole face shook as if every muscle had lost
control, and her cumbersome frame followed suit. She did not cry,
nor call out, but stood where the news had reached her, immovable,
except for that awful shaking, which made her sway from head to foot. The Baron on hearing the intelligence turned round to go downstairs
and dispatch William, who was employed in the stables, in search of
a medical man. Miss Wynward took the lifeless body in her arms and
tenderly turned it over, kissing the pallid face as she did so--when
Harriet Brandt, full of mournful curiosity, advanced to have a look
at her dead playmate. Her appearance, till then unnoticed, seemed to
wake the paralysed energies of the Baroness into life. She pushed the
girl from the bed with a violence that sent her reeling against the
mantelshelf, whilst she exclaimed furiously,

“Out of my sight! Don’t you dare to touch ’im! This is all _your_
doing, you poisonous, wicked creature!”

Harriet stared at her hostess in amazement! Had she suddenly gone mad
with grief? “What do you mean, Madame?” she cried. “What I say! I ought to ’ave known better than to let you enter an
’ouse of mine! I was a fool not to ’ave left you be’ind me at Heyst, to
practise your devilish arts on your army captains and foreign grocers,
instead of letting you come within touch of my innocent child!”

“You are mad!” cried Harriet. “What have I done?