Lady Bassett dropped three sovereigns into the bath, and said, "Ten
times, twenty times that, if you are kind to him. Tell him it is his
cousin's doing, but his wife watches over him."
"All right," said the girl. "Come again when the doctor is here."
All this passed, in swift whispers, a few yards from Mr. Salter, and he
now came forward and offered his arm to conduct Lady Bassett to the
carriage.
But the wretched, heart-broken wife forgot her art of pleasing. She
shrank from him with a faint cry of aversion, and got into her carriage
unaided. Mary Wells followed her.
Mr. Salter was unwilling to receive this rebuff. He followed, and said,
"The clothes shall be given, with any message you may think fit to
intrust to me."
Lady Bassett turned away sharply from him, and said to Mary Wells,
"Tell him to drive home. Home! I have none now. Its light is torn from
me."
The carriage drove away as she uttered these piteous words.
She cried at intervals all the way home; and could hardly drag herself
upstairs to bed.
Mr. Angelo called next day with bad news. Not a magistrate would move a
finger against Mr. Bassett: he had the law on his side. Sir Charles was
evidently insane; it was quite proper he should be put in security
before he did some mischief to himself or Lady Bassett.
Pages:
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254