Don't interrupt me! I have thought of this, as I have thought of every
thing else. The confession I shall make will be the truth in a few
hours, if it's not the truth now. My letters will say I am privately
married, and called away unexpectedly to join my husband. There will be
a scandal in the house, I know. But there will be no excuse for sending
after me, when I am under my husband's protection. So far as you are
personally concerned there are no discoveries to fear--and nothing which
it is not perfectly safe and perfectly easy to do. Wait here an hour
after I have gone to save appearances; and then follow me."
"Follow you?" interposed Geoffrey. "Where?" She drew her chair nearer to
him, and whispered the next words in his ear.
"To a lonely little mountain inn--four miles from this."
"An inn!"
"Why not?"
"An inn is a public place."
A movement of natural impatience escaped her--but she controlled
herself, and went on as quietly as before:
"The place I mean is the loneliest place in the neighborhood. You have
no prying eyes to dread there. I have picked it out expressly for that
reason. It's away from the railway; it's away from the high-road: it's
kept by a decent, respectable Scotchwoman--"
"Decent, respectable Scotchwomen who keep inns," interposed Geoffrey,
"don't cotton to young ladies who are traveling alone.
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