Adele Rossignol sat down upon the floor, took the girl's feet upon her lap, and quietly wrenched off her shoes.
"The light," cried Wethermill in an agonised voice, and Helena Vauquier flew across the room and turned it off.
All three stood holding their breath, straining their ears in the dark room.

On the hard gravel of the drive outside footsteps became faintly audible, and grew louder and came near.

Adele whispered to Vauquier: "Has the girl a lover ?" And Helene Vauquier, even at that moment, laughed quietly.
All Celia's heart and youth rose in revolt against her extremity.

If she could only free her lips! The footsteps came round the corner of the house, they sounded on the drive outside the very window of this room.

One cry, and she would be saved.