Part 12 (1/2)
”Terrible indeed, sir, when my nephew stoops to lie to me like that A friend--at his club! Do you think me such a baby that I do not know you have been with that abandoned worily ”For your dear, dead father's and mother's sake, sir, I will not be silenced”
”But you will arouse Laura”
”She wants no arousing She is lying ill in bed, sleepless in herout like this”
”Confound you for a silly old worily ”Is a man to live the life of a hermit? If I had been away to a patient till breakfast-time nobody would have said a word Poor little Laury! But how absurd!”
”Absurd, sir!” cried the old lady, as scarlet with indignation
”Then I suppose it was absurd for poor Isabel Lee to have gone home broken-hearted because of your conduct”
”What!” he cried, springing up, with a gli back
”Why, surely you two did not canvass irl was so upset that she--that she--went back--yes, she was stopping here Oh, aunt, your foolish, suspicious ways are disgraceful
What have you done?”
”I done, you wretched boy? It's what have you done? She ith us for a whole week after you had gone, fighting againstaway, or that you had had an accident”
”Here, aunt, are you going to be ill?” he cried, catching at her wrist; but she snatched it away
”Don't touch iven the world not to know that you were so wicked And just when you were about to o away as you did”
”_Go_ away--as I did?” he faltered, gazing at her blankly
”Yes, I knew so when I saw that wretched woman's face
I felt it; but I could not have believed you would be so base A whole fortnight too; and to think that this was to have been your wedding-day!”
He caught her by the shoulders, and she uttered a faint cry and dropped the candlestick, as he stood swaying to and fro, staring at the doorway, through which his sister hesitatingly passed, and caht!” he staone for ever,” said Laura, sadly ”Oh, Fred, how could you?”
”Stop! Don't touch rily ”Don't speak to me Let me try to think”
He threw his head back and shook it violently in his effort to clear it, but the confusion and an to close in onceIt was as if his head were opening and shutting--letting the light in a little and then blotting it out; till he felt his senses reeling--the presentwith the darkness of the past he strove so vainly to grasp