Поворот гвинта
Chapter 18
Where,allthistime,wasFlora?WhenIputthequestiontoMiles,heplayedonaminutebeforeansweringandthencouldonlysay:“Why,mydear,howdoIknow?”—breakingmoreoverintoahappylaughwhich,immediatelyafter,asifitwereavocalaccompaniment,heprolongedintoincoherent,extravagantsong.
Iwentstraighttomyroom,buthissisterwasnotthere;then,beforegoingdownstairs,Ilookedintoseveralothers.AsshewasnowhereaboutshewouldsurelybewithMrs.Grose,whom,inthecomfortofthattheory,Iaccordinglyproceededinquestof.IfoundherwhereIhadfoundhertheeveningbefore,butshemetmyquickchallengewithblank,scaredignorance.Shehadonlysupposedthat,aftertherepast,Ihadcarriedoffboththechildren;astowhichshewasquiteinherright,foritwastheveryfirsttimeIhadallowedthelittlegirloutofmysightwithoutsomespecialprovision.Ofcoursenowindeedshemightbewiththemaids,sothattheimmediatethingwastolookforherwithoutanairofalarm.Thiswepromptlyarrangedbetweenus;butwhen,tenminuteslaterandinpursuanceofourarrangement,wemetinthehall,itwasonlytoreportoneithersidethatafterguardedinquirieswehadaltogetherfailedtotraceher.Foraminutethere,apartfromobservation,weexchangedmutealarms,andIcouldfeelwithwhathighinterestmyfriendreturnedmeallthoseIhadfromthefirstgivenher.
“She’llbeabove,”shepresentlysaid—“inoneoftheroomsyouhaven’tsearched.”
“No;she’satadistance.”Ihadmadeupmymind.
