Reginald remained, not knowing exactly what to do.
"My dear," said Lady Bassett, "Reginald has come to bid us good-by. He
is going to visit Mr. Rolfe, and take his advice, if you have no
objection."
"None whatever; and I hope he will treat it with more respect than he
does mine."
Reginald shrugged his shoulders, and was going out, when Lady Bassett
said, "Won't you kiss me, Reginald, as you are going away?"
He came to her: she kissed him, and whispered in his ear, "Be true to
me, as I will be to you."
Then he left her, and she felt like a dead thing, with exhaustion. She
lay on the sofa, and Sir Charles sat beside her, and made her drink a
glass of wine.
She lay very still that afternoon; but at night she slept: a load was
off her mind for the present.
Next day she was so much better she came down to dinner.
What she now hoped was, that entire separation, coupled with the memory
of the boy's misdeeds, would cure Sir Charles entirely of his affection
for Reginald; and so that, after about twenty years more of conjugal
fidelity, she might find courage to reveal to her husband the fault of
her youth at a time when all its good results remained to help excuse
it, and all its bad results had vanished.
Such was the plan this extraordinary woman conceived, and its success
so far had a wonderful effect on her health.
Pages:
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543