"Yes, I have been out with Martin every day. I went to the theatre with him, too, and also had tea with him." Maggie could see Aunt Anne's anger rising higher and higher like water in a tube. Her voice was hard when she spoke again--she pronounced judgment: "We see now that you were right when you said that you had better leave us. You are free to go as soon as you wish. You have, of course, your money, but if you care to stay with us until you have found some work you must now obey our rules. While you remain with us you must not go out unless my sister or I accompany you." Then her voice changed, softening a little. She suddenly raised her hands in a gesture of appeal: "Oh, Maggie, Maggie, turn to God. You have rebelled against Him. You have refused to listen to His voice. The end of that can be only misery. He loves, but He also judges. Even now, within a day, a week, He may come with judgment. Turn to Him, Maggie, not because I tell you but because of the Truth. Pray with me now that He may help you and give you strength." Because she felt that she had indeed treated them badly and must do just now what they wished, she knelt down on the drawing-room carpet. Aunt Anne also knelt down, her figure stiff like iron, her raised hands once again delicate and ghost-like. "O Lord God," she prayed, "this Thy servant comes to Thee and prays that Thou wilt give her strength in her struggle with the Evil One. She has been tempted and is weak, but Thou art strong to save and wilt not despise the least of these Thy children." "Come, O Lord the Father, and take Thy daughter into Thy loving care, and when Thou comest, in all Thy splendour, to redeem the world, I pray that Thou wilt find her waiting for Thee in holiness and meekness of heart." They rose. Maggie's knees were sore with the stiff carpet. The family group watched her from the wall ironically. She saw that in spite of the prayer Aunt Anne had not forgiven her. She stood away from her, and although her voice now was not so hard, it had lost altogether the tender note that it used to have. "Now, Maggie, you must promise us that you will not see Martin Warlock again." Maggie flushed. "No, aunt, I can't promise that." "Then we must treat you as a prisoner whilst you are with us." "If he wants to see me I must see him." They looked at one another. Aunt Anne was like a man just then. "Very well. Until you give us your promise we must see ourselves that you do not disgrace us." There was no more to be said. It was as though a heavy iron door had rolled to. Aunt Anne passed Maggie and left the room. Well, then, there was the situation. As she remained in the empty room she felt relief because now she knew where she was. If only she could keep in touch with Martin then nothing else at all mattered. But that must be, otherwise she felt that she would rush at them all and tread them down and break doors and windows to get at him.