Miss Evelina sat alone in her parlour, which was now spotlessly clean.
Araminta had had her supper, her bath, and her clean linen--there was
nothing more to do until morning. The hard work had proved a blessing
to Miss Evelina; her thoughts had been constantly forced away from
herself. She had even learned to love Araminta with the protecting
love which grows out of dependence, and, at the same time, she felt
herself stronger; better fitted, as it were, to cope with her own grief.
Since coming back to her old home, her thought and feeling had been
endlessly and painfully confused. She sat in her low rocker with her
veil thrown back, and endeavoured to analyse herself and her
surroundings, to see, if she might, whither she was being led. She was
most assuredly being led, for she had not come willingly, nor remained
willingly; she had been hurt here as she had not been hurt since the
very first, and yet, if a dead heart can be glad of anything, she was
glad she had come. Upon the far horizon of her future, she dimly saw
change.
She had that particular sort of peace which comes from the knowledge
that the worst is over; that nothing remains. The last drop of
humiliation had been poured from her cup the day she met Anthony Dexter
on the road and had been splashed with mud from his wheels as he drove
by. It was inconceivable that there should be more.
Dusk came and the west gleamed faintly. The afterglow merged into the
first night and at star-break, Venus blazed superbly on high, sending
out rays mystically prismatic, as from some enchanted lamp. "Our
star," Anthony Dexter had been wont to call it, as they watched for it
in the scented dusk. For him, perhaps, it had been indeed the
love-star, but she had followed it, with breaking heart, into the
quicksands.
To shut out the sight of it, Miss Evelina closed the blinds and lighted
a candle, then sat down again, to think.
There was a dull, uncertain rap at the door. Doctor Ralph,
possibly--he had sometimes come in the evening,--or else Miss Hitty,
with some delicacy for Araminta's breakfast.
Drawing down her veil, she went to the door and opened it, thinking, as
she did so, that lives were often wrecked or altered by the opening or
closing of a door.
Anthony Dexter brushed past her and strode into the parlour. Through
her veil, she would scarcely have recognised him--he was so changed.
Upon the instant, there was a transformation in herself. The
suffering, broken-hearted woman was strangely pushed aside--she could
come again, but she must step aside now. In her place arose a veiled
vengeance, emotionless, keen, watchful; furtively searching for the
place to strike.
"Evelina," began the man, without preliminary, "I have come back. I
have come to tell you that I am a coward--a shirk."
Miss Evelina laughed quietly in a way that stung him. "Yes?" she said,
politely. "I knew that. You need not have troubled to come and tell
me."