betraying Mrs. Barker's secret to him, though she had made this scene
in his interest. She had wished to save Mrs. Barker from a compromising
situation, even if there was a certain vindictiveness in her exposing
her to herself. Yet she knew it was quite possible now, if Mrs. Barker
had immediate access to her husband, that she would convince him of her
perfect innocence. Nevertheless, she had still great confidence in Van
Loo's fear of scandal and his utter unmanliness. She knew he was not
in love with Mrs. Barker, and this puzzled her when she considered the
evident risk he was running now. Her face, however, betrayed nothing.
She drew back from Mrs. Barker, and, with an indifferent and graceful
gesture towards the door, said, as she leaned against the mantel, "Go,
then, and see this much-abused gentleman, and then go together with him
and make peace with your husband--even on those terms. If I have saved
you from the consequences of your folly I shall be willing to bear even
HIS blame."
"Whatever I do," said Mrs. Barker, rising hotly, "I shall not stay here
any longer to be insulted." She flounced out of the room and swept down
the staircase into the office. Here she found an overworked clerk, and
with crimson cheeks and flashing eyes wanted to know why in her own
father's hotel she had found her own sitting-room engaged, and had been
obliged to wait half an hour before she could be shown into a decent
apartment to remove her hat and cloak in; and how it was that even
the gentleman who had kindly escorted her had evidently been unable
to procure her any assistance. She said this in a somewhat high voice,
which might have reached the ears of that gentleman had he been in the
vicinity. But he was not, and she was forced to meet the somewhat dazed
apologies of the clerk alone, and to accompany the chambermaid to a room
only a few paces distant from the one she had quitted. Here she hastily
removed her outer duster and hat, washed her hands, and consulted her
excited face in the mirror, with the door ajar and an ear sensitively
|