Wilfred had come home and had raced up the stairs.
"Did you get him?" Avice cried.
"No--he was out. So I left a message that he was to come home at once,
'cause something was wrong."
"That'll bring him," said Avice with satisfaction. "Now, look here,
Wilf--I believe Bob may come. You go and be near the front door, to
block Eliza, if he does. Answer any ring."
"What'll I say if he comes?"
"Say she's gone out to meet him--if he thinks that, he'll hurry back to
wherever they were to meet. Don't give him a chance to get in. Hurry!"
"Right," said Wilfred, obeying. He sat down in a hall chair, and took
up a paper, with an eye wary for Eliza. Half an hour passed tediously,
while upstairs Cecilia begged and bribed in vain. Then he sprang to his
feet as a ring came.
Bob was at the door; and suddenly Wilfred realized that he had always
been afraid of Bob. He quailed inwardly, for never had he seen his
half-brother look as he did now--with a kind of still, terrible anger in
his eyes.
"Where's Cecilia?"
"Gone out," said the boy.
"Where?"
"Gone to meet you."
"Did she tell you so?"
"Yes, of course--how'd I know if she didn't?"
"Then that's a lie, for she wouldn't tell you. Let me in."
"I tell you, she's gone out," said Wilfred, whose only spark of
remaining courage was due to the fact that he had prudently kept the
door on the chain.
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