Page:The Fruit of the Tree (Wharton 1907).djvu/374

Rh them than the external harmony which had prevailed during Amherst’s stay at Lynbrook.

The subtle emanation of her distrust may have been felt by Mrs. Ansell; for the latter presently continued, with a certain nobleness: “I am the more concerned because I believe I must hold myself, in a small degree, responsible for Bessy’s marriage—and, as Justine looked at her in surprise, she added: “I thought she could never be happy unless her affections were satisﬁed—and even now I believe so.”

“I believe so too,” Justine said, surprised into assent by the simplicity of Mrs. Ansell’s declaration.

“Well, then—since we are agreed in our diagnosis,” the older woman went on, smiling, “what remedy do you suggest? Or rather, how can we administer it?”

“What remedy?” Justine hesitated.

“Oh, I believe we are agreed on that too. Mr. Amherst must be brought back—but how to bring him?” She paused, and then added, with a singular effect of appealing frankness: “I ask you, because I believe you to be the only one of Bessy’s friends who is in the least in her husband’s conﬁdence.”

Justine’s embarrassment increased. Would it not be disloyal both to Bessy and Amherst to acknowledge to a third person a fact of which Bessy herself was unaware? Yet to betray embarrassment under Mrs. Ansell’s eyes was to risk giving it a dangerous signiﬁcance. [ 358 ]