In a hushed twilight she
lay, her eyes swathed, moaning feebly that her early dissolution at
the hands of ingratitude was imminent. Thus she established a
deadlock which was likely to continue indefinitely. The mere
mention of the subject nearest Carroll's heart brought the feeble
complaint:
"Do you want to kill me?"
The only scrap of victory to be snatched from this stricken field
was the fact that Carroll insisted on going to meet her lover every
afternoon. The invalid demanded every moment of her time, either
for personal attendance or in fulfilment of numerous and exacting
church duties. An attempt, however, to encroach thus on the
afternoon hours met a stone wall of resolution on Carroll's part.
This was the situation Orde gathered from his talk with Gerald.
Though he fretted under the tyranny exacted, he could see nothing
which could relieve the situation save his own withdrawal. He had
already long over-stayed his visit; important affairs connected with
his work demanded his attention, he had the comfort of Carroll's
love assured; and the lapse of time alone could be depended on to
change Mrs. Bishop's attitude, a consummation on which Carroll
seemed set. Although Orde felt all the lively dissatisfaction
natural to a newly accepted lover who had gained slight opportunity
for favours, for confidences, even for the making of plans,
nevertheless he could see for the present nothing else to do.
Pages:
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246