"Or?" repeated Sylvia icily.

"Or take the obvious course of providing yourself with a home
elsewhere," said Mrs. Ingleton.

Sylvia put up a quick hand to her throat. She was breathing very
quickly. "You wish to force me to marry that horrible Preston
man?" she said.

"By no means, my dear," smiled Mrs. Ingleton. "But you might do a
good deal worse. I tell you frankly, you will be very much
underdog as long as you elect to remain in this establishment. Oh
yes!" She suddenly rose to her full majestic height, dwarfing the
girl before her with conscious triumph. "I may have some trouble
with you, but conquer you I will. Your father will not interfere
between us. You have seen that for yourself. In fact, he has just
told me that he leaves the management of you entirely to me. He
has given me an absolutely free hand--very wisely. If I choose to
lock you in your room for the rest of the day he will not
interfere. And as I am quite capable of doing so, I warn you to be
very careful."

Sylvia stood as if turned to stone. She was white to the lips, but
she confronted her step-mother wholly without fear.

"Do you really think I would submit to that?" she said. "I am not
a child, I assure you, whatever I may appear to you. You will
certainly never manage me by that sort of means."