She inclined
her head as if he had put the question in words.
"Yes," she said. "I shall die. You remember my mother? I shall follow
her--"
He uttered a low, hoarse cry, and caught her hands and held them; then
he flung them from him, and standing with his back to her, said,
thickly, as if every word were forced from him:
"You shall have your way! You always have had, like your mother before
you--you always will. But mark my words: you'll live to curse the hour
you forced me to do this!"
She drew a long breath--it was almost a sigh--of relief, and she laid
her hands on his arms and kissed him on the forehead.
"I'll risk that," she said, with a tremulous laugh.
There was a silence for a moment, then she said, calmly:
"You will play your part carefully, father? You will let Sir Stephen
think that Stafford desires it: you will be careful?"
He turned upon her with an oath.
"You'd best leave it to me," he said, savagely. "I'll try and save you
from shame all I can. For God's sake go and leave me alone!"
CHAPTER XXI.
While Stafford was dressing for dinner that night, and wondering
whether even if he should get an opportunity of speaking to his father,
it would be wise to tell him of Ida, Howard knocked at the door.
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