Rosalind sat huddled up in a corner of the cab;
Maggie kept the window open and looked out. The clear moonlight shone
on her white face and glistened on her dress. Rosalind kept glancing
at her. The guilty girl's terror of the silent figure by her side grew
greater each moment.
The girls reached Heath Hall and Maggie again touched Rosalind on her
arm.
"Come to my room," she said; "I want to say something to you."
Without waiting for a reply she went on herself in front. Rosalind
followed abjectly; she was shaking in every limb.
The moment Maggie closed her room door Rosalind flung her cloak off
her shoulders, and, falling on her knees, caught the hem of Maggie's
dress and covered her face with it.
"Don't, Rosalind; get up," said Miss Oliphant in a tone of disgust.
"Oh, Maggie, Maggie, do be merciful! Do forgive me! Don't send me to
prison, Maggie-- don't!"
"Get off your knees at once, or I don't know what I shall do," replied
Maggie.
Rosalind sprang to her feet; she crouched up against the door; her
eyes were wide open. Maggie came and, faced her.
"Oh, don't!" said Miss Merton with a little shriek, "don't look at me
like that!" She put up her hand to her neck and began to unfasten her
coral necklace. She took it off, slipped her bracelets from her arms,
took her earrings out and removed her pins.
Pages:
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305