Volume Ii Part 69 (2/2)
And a long-drawn breath half told how much she had cared for it, and what a burden was gone.
”You look very little like breasting hards.h.i.+ps,” said Mr.
Carleton, bending on her so exactly the look of affectionate care that she had often had from him when she was a child, that Fleda was very near overcome again.
”Oh, you know,” she said, speaking by dint of great force upon herself ? ”you know the will is everything, and mine is very good.”
But he looked extremely unconvinced and unsatisfied.
”I am so comforted to see you sitting there, Sir,” Fleda went on gratefully, ”that I am sure I can bear patiently all the rest.”
His eye turned away, and she did not know what to make of his gravity. But a moment after, he looked again, and spoke with his usual manner.
”That business you entrusted to me,” he said, in a lower tone, ? ”I believe you will have no more trouble with it.”
”So I thought! ? so I gathered, the other night,” said Fleda, her heart and her face suddenly full of many things.
”The note was given up ? I saw it burned.”
Fleda's two hands clasped each other mutely.
”And will he be silent?”
”I think he will choose to be so, for his own sake.”
The only sake that would avail in that quarter, Fleda knew.
How had Mr. Carleton ever managed it?
”And Charlton?” she said, after a few minutes' cheerful musing.
”I had the pleasure of Captain Rossitur's company to breakfast the next morning, and I am happy to report that there is no danger of any trouble arising there.”
”How shall I ever thank you, Sir!” said Fleda, with trembling lips.
His smile was so peculiar, she almost thought he was going to tell her. But just then, Mrs. Renney having accomplished the desirable temperature of her feet, came back to warm her ears, and placed herself on the next seat ? happily not the one behind, but the one before them, where her eyes were thrown away; and the lines of Mr. Carleton's mouth came back to their usual quiet expression.
”You were in particular haste to reach home?” he asked.
Fleda said no, not in the abstract; it made no difference whether to-day or to-morrow.
”You had heard no ill news of your cousin?”
”Not at all, but it is difficult to find an opportunity of making the journey, and I thought I ought to come yesterday.”
He was silent again; and the baffled seekers after ways and means, who had gone out to try arguments upon the storm, began to come pouring back into the car. And bringing with them not only their loud and coa.r.s.e voices, with every shade of disagreeableness, aggravated by ill-humour, but also an average amount of snow upon their hats and shoulders, the place was soon full of a reeking atmosphere of great-coats.
Fleda was trying to put up her window, but Mr. Carleton gently stopped her, and began bargaining with a neighbouring fellow- traveller for the opening of his.
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