When
they were shown in Lady Ushant stood just within the drawing-room
door and muttered a few words as she gave her hand to each. "How is
he?" asked Arabella, throwing up her veil boldly, as soon as the
door was closed. Lady Ushant only shook her head. "I knew it would
be so. It is always so with anything I care for."
"She is so distressed, Lady Ushant," said the mother, "that she
hardly knows what she does." Arabella shook her head. "It is so,
Lady Ushant"
"Am I to go to him now?" said Arabella. Then the old lady explained
the doctor's orders, and offered to take them to their rooms.
"Perhaps I might say a word to you alone? I will stay here if you
will go with mamma." And she did stay till Lady Ushant came down to
her. "Do you mean to say it is certain," she asked,--certain that
he must--die?"
"No;--I do not say that"
"It is possible that he may recover?"
"Certainly it is possible. What is not possible with God?"
"Ah;--that means that he will die." Then she sat herself down and
almost unconsciously took off her bonnet and laid it aside. Lady
Ushant, then looking into her face for the first time, was at a
loss to understand what she had heard of her beauty. Could it be
the same girl of whom Mrs. Hopkins had spoken and of whose
brilliant beauty Reginald had repeated what he had heard? She was
haggard, almost old, with black lines round her eyes.
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