And she did come. When the news were first told to Lady Ushant by
the sick man himself, that Lady proposed that she should at once go
back to Cheltenham. But when she was asked whether her animosity to
Mrs. Morton was so great that she could not consent to remain under
the same roof, she at once declared that she had no animosity
whatsoever. The idea of animosity running over nearly half a
century was horrible to her; and therefore, though she did in her
heart of hearts dread the other old woman, she consented to stay.
"And what shall Reginald do?" she asked. John Morton had thought
about this too, and expressed a wish that Reginald should come
regularly,--as he had come during the last week or two.
It was just a week from the day on which the Trefoils had gone that
Mrs. Morton was driven up to the door in Mr. Runciman's fly. This
was at four in the afternoon, and had the old woman looked out of
the fly window she might have seen Reginald making his way by the
little path to the bridge which led back to Dillsborough. It was at
this hour that he went daily, and he had not now thought it worth
his while to remain to welcome Mrs. Morton. And she might also have
seen, had she looked out, that with him was walking a young woman.
She would not have known Mary Masters; but had she seen them both,
and had she known the young woman, she would have declared in her
pride that they were fit associates.
Pages:
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584