Once before she had been thus puzzled. The relief of her walk
was gone. She gathered some imperfect comfort in the thought that she
might not have been justified in her conclusions regarding a man who was
in so many ways an unexplained personality.
During the next few days the village was in a state of anticipative
pleasure and of effort to find for the rummage-sale articles which were
damaged or useless. At Grey Pine John and Leila Grey were the only
unexcited persons. She was too troubled in divers ways to enjoy the
amusement to be had out of what delighted every one else except John
Penhallow. To please his aunt he made some small and peculiar offerings,
and daily went away to the mills to meet and consult with the Colonel's
former partners. He was out of humour with his world, saw trouble ahead
if he did as he meant to do, and as there was an east wind howling
through the pines, his wounded arm was recording the storm in dull aches
or sharp twinges. He smoked, I fear, too much during these days of
preparation for the rummage-sale, and rode hard; while Leila within the
dismantled house was all day long like the quiet steadying flywheel in
some noisy machinery. What with Billy as the over-excited Colonel's aide
and her aunt aggrieved by a word of critical comment on her husband's
actions, Leila had need of all the qualities required in a household
where, as it seemed to her, it was hard to keep tongue or temper quiet.
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