Part 49 (2/2)

”Where?”

She looked at me and said not a word

At another time I spoke of China, and hinted that perhaps she too knew so about the East The moment that I said this I repented The poor creature was shaken from head to foot with a sudden convulsion of fear This convulsion was so terrible that it seeh another would be death I tried to soothe her, but she looked fearfully attime after

At another time I asked her directly whether her husband was alive She looked at me with deep sadness and shook her head I do not knohat position she holds here She is not housekeeper; none of the servants pay any attention to her whatever There is an ies the rest I noticed that the man who showed me to her room when I first came treats her differently fro in one of the halls There was deep respect in his manner

What he does I have not yet found out He has always shown great respect to ine He has the same timidity of manner which marks Mrs Compton His name is Philips

I once asked Mrs Compton who Philips was, and what he did She answered quickly that he was a kind of clerk to Mr Potts, and helped hi?” I continued

”Yes, a considerable time,” she said--but I saw that the subject distressed her, so I changed it

For more than three h utter despair, I longed to go out The noble grounds were there, high hills from which the wide sea was visible--that sea which shall be associated with hiscame over me to look upon its wide expanse, and feed my soul with old and dear memories

There it would lie, the same sea from which he so often saved me, over which we sailed till he laid down his noble life at ain

I used to ascend a hill which was half a rounds, and pass whole days there unmolested No one took the trouble to notice what I did, at least I thought so till afterward There for o I would sit and look fixedly upon the blue water, and ination would carry me far away to the South, to that island on the African shore, where he once reclined in my arms, before the day when I learned that my touch was pollution to him--to that island where I afterward knelt by hi back to life, when if I h for one day Ah me, how often I have wet his feet with ed to be able to wipe them with my hair, but dared not He lay unconscious He never knew the anguish ofThe air around was filled with the echo of his voice; I could shuthim before me His face was always visible to my soul

One day the idea came into my head to extend et a wider vieent to the gate

The porter cao out,” said he, rudely

”Why not?”

”Oh, theh, I think”

”He never said so to me,” I replied, mildly

”That's no odds; he said so to me, and he told me if you ht just as well give up at once”

”Watched!” said I, wonderingly

”Yes--for fear you'd get skittish, and try and do so foolish Old Potts is bound to keep you under his thumb”

I turned away I did not careelse to think that he would take the trouble to watch me Whether he did or not was of little consequence If I could only be where I had the sea beforeback to the Hall, I saw John sitting on the piazza

A huge bull-dog which he used to take with hi at his feet Just before I reached the steps a Malay servant cae as John I knew him to be a Malay when I first saw him, and concluded that ht but very lithe andwhite teeth He never looked atto be aware ofout when John called out to him,