Barbara wondered if their terrible visitor had come from the boat lying there quietly on the moonlit waters.
Just then the buzz of excited voices was borne to her ears. She heard the Countess Sophia's clear tones, then an excited little scream, mingled with the deep voice of Madame de Villiers raised in angry expostulation.
Still gripping her shoe horn Bab raced down the stairs, and parted the portières that hung between the drawing room and hall.
What she saw was like the tableau from a melodrama. Crowded close to the piano stood the Countess Sophia, while directly in front of her stood Madame de Villiers, thoroughly enraged and brandishing her gold-headed cane at two men who seemed about to seize the young countess. Clustered in a frightened group at one side of the room stood Miss Stuart, Mollie and Grace. Ruth was nowhere to be seen.
One of the men made a sudden stealthy move toward the countess.
"Stand back," commanded Madame de Villiers.
Just then Ruth's clear tones were heard outside the villa. "They're in that room! Oh, hurry please!"
There was a sound of running feet and into the room darted two young men clad in white yachting clothes, and wearing officers' caps.
"We're just in time," called one of the newcomers. "This is something in our line of sport. Stand aside, girls. We'll soon have these fellows on the run."
With this he grasped one of the men by the collar and dragging him to the open hall door, picked him up and threw him off the veranda onto the drive where he landed with a thud. A moment later his companion had disposed of the other offender in like manner.
"Watch them, Joe," ordered the taller of the two yachtsmen. "If they try to enter the house again, call me. I guess we can give them all they're looking for. I'm going inside to see if there are any more rascals who need attention."
"Oh you brave boys!" exclaimed Madame de Villiers as the young man entered the drawing-room where the women were huddled together talking excitedly.
"I think the credit belongs to the young woman who had the presence of mind to go for help," smiled the youth, bowing to Ruth.
"I had to do something!" exclaimed Ruth. "I saw your boat early in the evening, and when those two men came in here and began threatening the countess I felt that the only thing to do was to see if some one on the yacht would help us."