| Chapter: XVII., XVIII., XIX., XX., XXI., XXII., XXIII., XXIV., XXV., XXVI., XXVII., XXVIII., XXIX., XXX., XXXI., XXXII. |
A HOUSE
DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF
BYMRS OLIPHANT
IN THREE VOLUMES
VOL. II.
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
MDCCCLXXXVI
A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF.
CHAPTER XVII.
“Yes, I hope you will come and see me often. Oh yes, I shall miss mysister; but then I shall have all the more of papa. Good night. Goodnight, Captain Gaunt. No; I don’t sketch; that was Frances. I don’t knowthe country either. It was my sister who knew it. I am quite ignorantand useless. Good night.”
Waring, who was on the loggia, heard this in the clear tones of his onlyremaining companion. He heard her come in afterwards with a step moredistinct than that of Frances, as her voice carried farther. He said tohimself that everything was more distinct about this{2} girl, and he wasglad that she was coming, glad of some relief from the depression whichovercame him against his will. She came across one room after another,and out upon the loggia, throwing herself down listlessly in the usurpedchair. It did not occur to him that she was unaware of his presence, andhe was surprised that she said nothing. But after a minute or two, therecould be no doubt why it was that Constance did not speak. There was noloud outburst of emotion, but a low suppressed sound, which it wasimpossible to mistake. She said, after a moment, to herself, “What afool I am!” But even this reflection did not stem the tide. A sensationof utter solitude had seized upon her. She was abandoned, amongstrangers; and though she had so much experience of the world, it wasnot of this world that Constance had any knowledge. Had she been leftalone among a new tribe of people unknown to her, she would not havebeen afraid! Court or camp would have had no alarms for her; but thesolitude, broken only by the occasional appearance of these rusticcompanions; the{3} simple young soldier, who was going to bestow his heartupon her, an entirely undesired gift; the anxious mother, who was aboutto mount guard over her at a distance; the polite old beau in thebackground. Was it possible that the existence she knew had altogetherreceded from Constance, and left her with such companions alone? She wasnot thinking of her father, neither of himself nor of his possiblepresence, which was of little importance to her. After a while she satupright and passe