"If you please," said Lady Bassett, bending toward her, with eyes full
of gratitude and tenderness.
Then the other woman took her by the shoulders, and plunged her great
gray orbs into Bella's.
They kissed each other.
At that contact the stranger seemed to change her character all in a
moment. She strained Bella to her bosom and kissed her passionately,
and sobbed out, wildly, "O God! you are good to sinners. This is the
happiest hour of my life--it is a forerunner. Bless you, sweet dove of
innocence! You will be none the worse, and I am all the better--Ah!
Sir Charles. Not one word about me to him."
And with these words, uttered with sudden energy, she spurred her great
horse, leaped the ditch, and burst through the dead hedge into the
wood, and winded out of sight among the trees.
Sir Charles came up astonished. "Why, who was that?"
Bella's eyes began to rove, as I have before described; but she replied
pretty promptly, "The brave lady herself; she brought me the anonymous
letter for your defense."
"Why, how came she to know about it?"
"She did not tell me that. She was in a great hurry. Her fiance was
waiting for her."
"Was it necessary to kiss her in the hunting-field?" said Sir Charles,
with something very like a frown.
"I'd kiss the whole field, grooms and all, if they did you a great
service, as that dear lady has," said Bella.
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