Page:In the days of the comet.djvu/151

 until I had revenge. I stood staring at those rounded upstanding letters, not trusting myself to speak or move. At last I stole a glance at Stuart.

He held the envelope in his hand, and stared down at the postmark between his horny thumbnails.

"You can't even tell where she is," he said, turning the thing round in a hopeless manner, and then desisting. "It's hard on us, Willie. Here she is; she hadn't anything to complain of; a sort of pet for all of us. Not even made to do her share of the 'ousework. And she goes off and leaves us like a bird that's learnt to fly. Can't trust us, that's what takes me. Puts 'erself-- But there! What's to happen to her?"

"What's to happen to him?"

He shook his head to show that the problem was beyond him.

"You'll go after her," I said in an even voice; "you'll make him marry her?"

"Where am I to go?" he asked helplessly, and held out the envelope with a gesture; "and what would I do? Even if I knew-- How could I leave the gardens?"

"Great God!" I cried, "not leave these gardens! It's your Honour, man! If she was my daughter--if she was my daughter--I'd tear