Chapter Twelve.
Responsibility.
The stir and the running up and down stairs caused by Katharine’s illness at length attracted Emberance’s attention, and she came out of the drawing-room to see what was the matter just as Mrs Kingsworth came down stairs.
“Kate has not been quite well,” she said. “I have been talking to her on very painful subjects, and she has been greatly upset.”
“May I go to her?” said Emberance eagerly.
“Oh, yes; she may be more willing to express her own view of the matter to you than to me. But she showed real feeling.”
Emberance ran up stairs into her cousin’s room. Kate was lying on her back, with her hands twisted together and pressed against her forehead. She was sobbing and overcome with a passion of misery quite beyond her control.
“Oh, Katie, my darling, what is it? Don’t cry so terribly. Tell me what it all means,” cried Emberance, with warm kisses.
Kate threw her arms round her, and buried her face in her neck, till the violent agitation subsided a little, and Kate murmured, “Oh, Emmy, is it true about the drowning? Have you known it—always?”