Give me a sign that you attend to me.'
She slightly and constrainedly moves her hand.
'Not a word of this to any one, or it will bring down the blow, as
certainly as night follows day. Another sign that you attend to
me.'
She moves her hand once more.
'I love you, love you, love you! If you were to cast me off now -
but you will not - you would never be rid of me. No one should
come between us. I would pursue you to the death.'
The handmaid coming out to open the gate for him, he quietly pulls
off his hat as a parting salute, and goes away with no greater show
of agitation than is visible in the effigy of Mr. Sapsea's father
opposite. Rosa faints in going up-stairs, and is carefully carried
to her room and laid down on her bed. A thunderstorm is coming on,
the maids say, and the hot and stifling air has overset the pretty
dear: no wonder; they have felt their own knees all of a tremble
all day long.
CHAPTER XX - A FLIGHT
ROSA no sooner came to herself than the whole of the late interview
was before her. It even seemed as if it had pursued her into her
insensibility, and she had not had a moment's unconsciousness of
it. What to do, she was at a frightened loss to know: the only
one clear thought in her mind was, that she must fly from this
terrible man.
But where could she take refuge, and how could she go? She had
never breathed her dread of him to any one but Helena. If she went
to Helena, and told her what had passed, that very act might bring
down the irreparable mischief that he threatened he had the power,
and that she knew he had the will, to do.
Pages:
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293