She did not at all relish
entering it, but, as she had a large money-interest in the
business; she ought at least, she said to herself, to pay the
place a visit. When she went in, Turnbull did not at first
recognize her, and, taking her for a customer, blossomed into
repulsive suavity. The change that came over his countenance,
when he knew her, was a shadow of such mingled and conflicting
shades that she felt there was something peculiar in it which she
must attempt to analyze. It remained hardly a moment to encounter
question, but was almost immediately replaced with a politeness
evidently false. Then, first, she began to be aware of
distrusting the man.
Asking a few questions about the business, to which he gave
answers most satisfactory, she kept casting her eyes about the
shop, unable to account for the impression the look of it made
upon her. Either her eyes had formed for themselves another
scale, and could no more rightly judge between past and present,
or the aspect of the place was different, and not so
satisfactory. Was there less in it? she asked herself--or was it
only not so well kept as when she left it? She could not tell.
Neither could she understand the profound but distant
consideration with which Mr. Turnbull endeavored to behave to
her, treating her like a stranger to whom he must, against his
inclination, manifest all possible respect, while he did not
invite her even to call at _the villa.
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