“He was quite unable to see any good or kind intent in this paper. He proved its correctness, and then wrote Mr. Denning a very contemptible letter.”
“Which was characteristic enough. What did he say?”
“That the amende honorable was too late; that he supposed Dora wished to have the divorce proceedings stopped and be reinstated as his wife, but he desired the whole Denning family to understand that was now impossible; he was ‘fervently, feverishly awaiting his freedom, which he expected at any hour.’ He said it was ‘sickening to remember the weariness of body and soul Dora had given him about a non-existing child, and though this could never be atoned for, he did think he ought to be refunded the money Dora’s contemptible revenge had cost him.”’
“How could he? How could he?”
“Of course Mr. Denning sent him a check, a pretty large one, I dare say. And I suppose he has his freedom by this time, unless he has married again.”
“He will never marry again.”
“Indeed, that is the strange part of the story. It was because he wanted to marry again that he was ‘fervently, feverishly awaiting his freedom.’”
“I can hardly believe it, Ethel. What does Dora say?”
“I have the news from Lucy. She says when Mostyn was ignored by everyone in the neighborhood, one woman stood up for him almost passionately. Do you remember Miss Sadler?”
“That remarkable governess of the Surreys? Why, Ethel, she is the very ugliest woman I ever saw.”