Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/156

 a light as of comprehension, flashed into his eyes, and his face reddened deeply.

"Good-bye, Miss Verney," he said. And as if on a sudden thought, he held out his hand. "If I come back here it will be only for the inquest. Otherwise I may be gone a long time. Will you shake hands?"

Impulsively, she put both hers behind her, twisting the small, cold fingers together. Then, turning her shoulder to him, she covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

Without another word, Sir Ian went out, and shut the door behind him. He had forgotten all about his hostess, and would have left the house without seeing her, if she had not caught sight of him, passing the half-open door of the study where she sat with her husband. Instantly she pounced upon him, with the beaming smile which was intended to "cheer him up."

"Well?" she said. "I hope you had a satisfactory little chat with that poor dear child?"

"She is very proud," Sir Ian answered evasively. "I'm afraid none of the ideas I had are of any use. I must think of something else. She's in rather a hard position, just now."

"I wish we had a larger house," sighed Mrs. Haynes.

"It's large enough for that poor, pretty little creature to find shelter as long as she likes" the vicar began; but his wife hastily cut him short.

"My dear, you don't understand," she exclaimed.