Did she desire to give
him his dismissal on a definite, well-understood basis? To take
advantage of her sex and further humiliate him? To tell him what she
thought of him in coolly considered, cold-measured terms? Or was she
penitently striving to make amends for the unmerited harshness she had
dealt him? There was neither contrition nor anger in the note, no
clew, nothing save a formally worded desire to see him.
So it was in a rather unsettled and curious frame of mind that he
walked in upon her as the last hour of the morning drew to a close. He
was neither on his dignity nor off, his attitude being strictly
non-committal against the moment she should disclose hers. But without
beating about the bush, in that way of hers which he had come already
to admire, she at once showed her colors and came frankly forward to
him. The first glimpse of her face told him, the first feel of her
hand, before she had said a word, told him that all was well.
"I am glad you have come," she began. "I could not be at peace with
myself until I had seen you and told you how sorry I am for yesterday,
and how deeply ashamed I--"
"There, there. It's not so bad as all that." They were still
standing, and he took a step nearer to her. "I assure you I can
appreciate your side of it; and though, looking at it theoretically, it
was the highest conduct, demanding the fullest meed of praise, still,
in all frankness, there is much to--to--"
"Yes.
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