He quietly pushed a chair towards me. I merely leant my hand upon it, and bid him go on.
`Do not be alarmed,' said he: `what I wish to say is nothing in itself, and I will leave you to draw your own inferences from it. You say that Annabella is not yet returned?'
`Yes, yes--go on!' said I, impatiently, for I feared my forced calmness would leave me before the end of his disclosure, whatever it might be.
`And you hear,' continued he, `that Huntingdon is gone out with Grimsby?'
`Well?'
`I heard the latter say to your husband--or the man who calls himself so--'
`Go on, sir!'
He bowed submissively, and continued, `I heard him say,-- "I shall manage it, you'll see! They're gone down by the water; I shall meet them there, and tell him I want a bit of talk with him about some things that we needn't trouble the lady with; and she'll say she can be walking back to the house; and then I shall apologize, you know, and all that, and tip her a wink to take the way of the shrubbery. I'll keep him talking there, about those matters I mentioned, and anything else I can think of, as long as I can, and then bring him round the other way, stopping to look at the trees, the fields, and anything else I can find to discourse of."' Mr. Hargrave paused, and looked at me.
Without a word of comment or further questioning, I rose, and darted from the room and out of the house. The torment of suspense was not to be endured: I would not suspect my husband falsely, on this man's accusation, and I would not trust him unworthily--I must know the truth at once. I flew to the shrubbery. Scarcely had I reached it, when a sound of voices arrested my breathless speed.
`We have lingered too long; he will be back,' said Lady Lowborough's voice.
`Surely not, dearest!' was his reply, `but you can run across the lawn, and get in as quietly as you can: I'll follow in a while.'
My knees trembled under me; my brain swam round: I was ready to faint. She must not see me thus. I shrunk among the bushes, and leant against the trunk of a tree to let her pass.
`Ah, Huntingdon!' said she reproachfully, pausing where I had stood with him the night before-- `it was here you kissed that woman!' She looked back into the leafy shade. Advancing thence, he answered, with a careless laugh--
`Well, dearest, I couldn't help it. You know I must keep straight with her as long as I can. Haven't I seen you kiss your dolt of a husband, scores of times?--and do I ever complain?'
`But tell me, don't you love her stills little?' said she placing her hand on his arm and looking earnestly in his face--for I could see them plainly, the moon shining full upon them from between the branches of the tree that sheltered me.
`Not one bit, by all that's sacred!' he replied, kissing her glowing cheek.
`Good Heavens, I must be gone!' cried she, suddenly breaking from him, and away she flew.
There he stood before me; but I had not strength to confront him now; my tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth,* I was well nigh sinking to the earth, and I almost wondered he did not hear the beating of my heart above the low sighing of the wind, and the fitful rustle of the falling leaves. My senses seemed