'I hope it isn't because he thinks your father may be wanting to
take you away?'
'Oh, it can't be that! Oh, he knows I wouldn't leave him! Mr.
Kirkwood, you don't think my father will give us any trouble?'
She revealed an anxiety which delicacy of feeling had hitherto
prevented her expressing. Sidney at once spoke reassuringly, though
he had in fact no little suspicion of Joseph Snowdon's tactics.
'It's my grandfather that I ought to think most of,' pursued Jane
earnestly. 'I can't feel to my father as I do to _him_. What should
I have been now if--'
Something caused her to leave the speech unfinished, and for a few
moments there was silence. From the ground exhaled a sweet fresh
odour, soothing to the senses, and at times a breath of air brought
subtler perfume from the alleys of the garden. In the branches above
them rustled a bird's wing. At a distance on the country road
sounded the trotting of a horse.
'I feel ashamed and angry with myself,' said Sidney, in a tone of
emotion, 'when I think now of t hose times. I might have done
something, Jane. I had no right to know what you were suffering and
just go by as if it didn't matter!'
'Oh, but you didn't!' came eagerly from the girl's lips.
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