"You're not going to desert us already?" said Hyde; still, as she felt,
mocking her with his smile. "It will be dark, indeed, when Hope is
withdrawn."
He went to the door, but paused with his hand upon it. She looked at him
with the wild shrinking of a trapped creature in her eyes.
"Never mind," he laughed softly; "I am very tenacious. Even now--you
will scarcely believe it--I still have--Hope!"
He opened the door with the words, and, as she passed through in
unbroken silence, her face as white as marble, there was something in
his words, something of self-assured power, almost of menace, that
struck upon her like a breath of evil. She would have stayed and defied
him had she dared. But somehow, inexplicably, she was afraid.
VII
THE SCRAPE
Very late that night there came a low knock at Hope's door. She was
lying awake, and she instantly started up on her elbow.
"Who is it?" she called.
The door opened softly, and Ronnie answered her.
"I thought you would like to say good-night, Hope," he said.
"Oh, come in, dear!" Hope sat up eagerly. She had not expected this
attention from Ronnie. "I'm wide awake.
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