Quietly
she arose, and noiselessly left the room, when the dominie returned to
his watching and administration of stimulants. When she came down
stairs, outwardly calm but looking as if she had seen a ghost,
everybody, who was in the secret of past days, knew, and respected her
silence. Even Mr. Douglas, who had thought to improve his distant
cousinship, read there the vanity of all his hopes, and bestowed a
double share of attention upon Miss Graves, charming in her genuine
sorrow over her considerate employer. Nobody cared to go to church, but
the good Squire pointed out that few could be of any service at home,
and that, if ever they had need of the comforts of religion, it was at
such a time. So Mr. Perrowne and Mr. Errol each received a quota of
grief-stricken worshippers from Bridesdale, and, at the close of their
respective services, mingled heartfelt expressions of sorrow with
theirs. The clergymen declined to intrude upon the saddened household,
until they could be of some service, so the worshippers returned as they
went.
Mr. Bangs and the doctor were the lights of the dinner table, their
professional acquaintance with all sorts of trouble hindering them from
being overcome by anything of the kind.
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