I suspected it,
all along. You have got the Herncastle blood in you, my young lady! I
suspected it all along."
"A very unworthy suspicion," remarked Mr. Bruff. "I am astonished that
you have the courage to acknowledge it."
Before Mr. Ablewhite could find words to answer in, Rachel spoke in a
tone of the most exasperating contempt.
"Surely," she said to the lawyer, "this is beneath notice. If he can
think in THAT way, let us leave him to think as he pleases."
From scarlet, Mr. Ablewhite was now becoming purple. He gasped for
breath; he looked backwards and forwards from Rachel to Mr. Bruff in
such a frenzy of rage with both of them that he didn't know which to
attack first. His wife, who had sat impenetrably fanning herself up to
this time, began to be alarmed, and attempted, quite uselessly, to quiet
him. I had, throughout this distressing interview, felt more than one
inward call to interfere with a few earnest words, and had controlled
myself under a dread of the possible results, very unworthy of a
Christian Englishwoman who looks, not to what is meanly prudent, but to
what is morally right. At the point at which matters had now arrived,
I rose superior to all considerations of mere expediency.
Pages:
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506