And further, "you
never knew what women wouldn't tell one another," even mistress and
maid, maid and mistress. Yes, he preferred that she should leave. He
admired her and regretted the hardship on the old woman--and that was
an end of it! What could he do to ease her? The only thing to do would
be to tell her privately that so far as he was concerned she might
stay. But he had no intention of doing aught so foolish. It was
strange, but he was entirely unconscious of any obligation to her for
the immense service she had rendered him. His conclusion was that some
people have to be martyrs. And in this he was deeply right.
Rachel, misreading his expression, thought that he did not wish to be
bothered with household details. She recalled some gratuitous advice
half humorously offered to her by a middle-aged lady at her reception,
"Never talk servants to your men." She had thought, at the time, "I
shall talk everything with _my_ husband." But she considered that
she was wiser now.
"By the way," she said in a new tone, "there's a post-card for you.
I've read it. Couldn't help."
Louis read the post-card. He paled, and Rachel noticed his pallor. The
fact was that in his mind he had simply shelved, and shelved again,
the threat of James Horrocleave.
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