Marston may return when she pleases."
"You must write and ask her."
"Of course, Mr. Redmain. It would hardly be suitable that
_you_ should ask her."
"You must write so as to make it possible to accept your offer."
"I am not deceitful, Mr. Redmain."
"You are not. A man must be fair, even to his wife."
"I will show you the letter I write."
"If you please."
She had to show him half a score ere he was satisfied, declaring
he would do it himself, if she could not make a better job of it.
At length one was dispatched, received, and answered: Mary would
not return. She had lost all hope of being of any true service to
Mrs. Redmain, and she knew that, with Tom and Letty, she was
really of use for the present. Mrs. Redmain carried the letter,
with ill-concealed triumph, to her husband; nor did he conceal
his annoyance.
"You must have behaved to her very cruelly," he said. "But you
have done your best now--short of a Christian apology, which it
would be folly to demand of you. I fear we have seen the last of
her."--"And there was I," he said to himself, "for the first time
in my life, actually beginning to fancy I had perhaps thrown salt
upon the tail of that rare bird, an honest woman! The devil has
had quite as much to do with my history as with my character!
Perhaps that will be taken into the account one day."
But Mary lay awake at night, and thought of many things she might
have said and done better when she was with Hesper, and would
gladly have given herself another chance; but she could no longer
flatter herself she would ever be of any real good to her.
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