"Oh, Miss Carr," I cried at last, as I broke the painful silence, "what
have I done?"
She did not answer for some moments. Then, leading me to the couch, she
threw off her opera-cloak, and sat looking at me for a few moments
before passing her hand across my forehead to brush aside the hair, and
kissing me on the brow.
"What have you done, Antony? Shown me that I was not mistaken in you
when I thought you all that was honest and true."
I could not speak; only sat gazing at her face as she fought hard to
conquer her agitation.
"Ring the bell, Antony," she said at last. "You must bear with me
to-night, and not be disappointed. Do not let James enter the room, but
meet him on the landing, and say that I shall not want the carriage."
I hastened to obey her, and then I returned, to stand before her,
anxious and sick at heart; but she pointed to the seat at her side.
"Antony," she said, after some time had elapsed, "why did you not tell
me this--this piteous story at once? Was I not worthy of your
confidence?"
"Yes, yes," I said; "but how could I tell you? I dared not."
"Dared not?"
"I felt that it would be so cowardly and mean to tell tales of Mr
Lister, and I hoped that you might find out yourself that he was not so
good a man as you thought."
She drew a long, deep breath.
"But you might have caused me the deepest misery, Antony," she said.
"But what could I do?" I cried passionately. "I wanted to tell you,
and then I felt that I could not; and I talked to Mr Hallett about it,
and he said, too, that I could not speak."
"You must tell me now, Antony," she said, as she turned away her face.
"Tell me all."
I drew a breath full of relief, and proceeded to tell her all, referring
to Linny's first adventure and Revitts' injuries, and going on to all I
knew of Linny's elopement, to the end.
"But, Antony," she exclaimed, as I finished, and she now turned her face
towards mine, "can this be true? Is it certain that it was Mr Lister?"
"Yes," I said; "certain. His letters to poor Linny show all that; and
she talks about him in her delirium, poor girl!"
"I cannot believe it of him," she said; "and yet--How long is it since
your friend was hurt?"