She saw from his smile that there was something at the back of the playful request, and for a moment hesitated, but reading in his countenance that he wished her at least to make the attempt, she put it in her mouth.
She was gagged.

She could neither open nor shut her mouth a hair's breadth, could neither laugh, cry out, nor make any noise beyond an ugly one she would not make twice.

The tears came into her eyes, for her position was ludicrous, and she imagined that his lordship was making game of her.

A girl less serious or more merry would have been moved only to laughter.
But lord Herbert hastened to relieve her.

On the application of a tiny key, fixed with a joint in a finger-ring, the little steel bolts it had thrown out in every direction returned within the plum, and he drew it from her mouth.
'You little fool!' he said, with indescribable sweetness, for he saw the tears in her eyes; 'did you think I would hurt you ?' 'No, my lord; but I did fear you were going to make game of me.