She forgot
Zachariah, Caillaud, and Pauline. When they arrived she returned the
cloak and thanked him. She dared not ask him upstairs and he made no
offer to stay.
"Please say nothing to my husband; promise you will not. He would be
in such a way if he thought I had been out; but I could not help it."
"Oh, certainly not, Mrs. Coleman, if you wish it; though I am sure he
wouldn't, he couldn't be angry with you."
She lingered as he took the coat.
"Come inside and put it on, Major Maitland; why, it is you who are
dripping now. You will not wear that over your sopped clothes.
Cannot I lend you something? Won't you have something hot to drink?"
"No, thank you. I think not; it is not so bad as all that."
He shook hands with her and had gone.
She went upstairs into her dark room. The fire was out. She lighted
no candle, but sat down just as she was, put her head on the table,
and sobbed as if her heart would break. She was very seldom overcome
by emotion of this kind, and used to be proud that she had never once
in her life fainted, and was not given to hysterics. Checked at last
by a deadly shivering which came over her, she took off her wet
garments, threw them over a chair, and crept into bed, revolving in
her mind the explanation which she could give to her husband.
Pages:
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176