A small leaden box lay under the tile, which she opened,
and, taking from it a little white powder, which she folded in a scrap of
paper, replaced the box and the tile over it.
Whether Dick had by any means got a knowledge of this proceeding, or
whether he only suspected some unmentionable design on her part, there is
no sufficient means of determining. At any rate, when they met, an hour
or two after these occurrences, he could not help noticing how easily she
seemed to have got over her excitement. She was very pleasant with
him,--too pleasant, Dick thought. It was not Elsie's way to come out of
a fit of anger so easily as that. She had contrived some way of letting
off her spite; that was certain. Dick was pretty cunning, as old Sophy
had said, and, whether or not he had any means of knowing Elsie's private
intentions, watched her closely, and was on his guard against accidents.
For the first time, he took certain precautions with reference to his
diet, such as were quite alien to his common habits. On coming to the
dinner-table, that day, he complained of headache, took but little food,
and refused the cup of coffee which Elsie offered him, saying that it did
not agree with him when he had these attacks.
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