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Chapter 21
”Thenitcameovermethat,inspiteofFlora’spresumablesequestrationfromtheinstantofherreturnfromthepool,itmightalreadybetoolate.“Doyoumean,”Ianxiouslyasked,“thattheyhavemet?”
Atthisshequiteflushed.“Ah,miss,I’mnotsuchafoolasthat!IfI’vebeenobligedtoleaveherthreeorfourtimes,ithasbeeneachtimewithoneofthemaids,andatpresent,thoughshe’salone,she’slockedinsafe.Andyet—andyet!”Thereweretoomanythings.
“Andyetwhat?”
“Well,areyousosureofthelittlegentleman?”
“I’mnotsureofanythingbutyou.ButIhave,sincelastevening,anewhope.Ithinkhewantstogivemeanopening.Idobelievethat—poorlittleexquisitewretch!—hewantstospeak.Lastevening,inthefirelightandthesilence,hesatwithmefortwohoursasifitwerejustcoming.”
Mrs.Groselookedhard,throughthewindow,atthegray,gatheringday.“Anddiditcome?”
“No,thoughIwaitedandwaited,Iconfessitdidn’t,anditwaswithoutabreachofthesilenceorsomuchasafaintallusiontohissister’sconditionandabsencethatweatlastkissedforgoodnight.Allthesame,”Icontinued,“Ican’t,ifheruncleseesher,consenttohisseeingherbrotherwithoutmyhavinggiventheboy—andmostofallbecausethingshavegotsobad—alittlemoretime.”
MyfriendappearedonthisgroundmorereluctantthanIcouldquiteunderstand.“Whatdoyoumeanbymoretime?”
“Well,adayortwo—reallytobringitout.
