It might be a minute or more, perhaps, in my estimation it was an age, that we remained thus. Suddenly Sibella opened the door and entered a little way, in a light and cheerful manner; but seeing the state we were in, she hesitated, turned an enquiring look upon me, and then made a graceful bend to Mr. Valmont.
'How now, Sibella?' said he, 'who bid you come hither?'
'I came, Sir——' she replied, in a sweet but irresolute accent, and then she again looked at me.
'I say, by what authority do you come, since you have not mine?'
While Mr. Valmont sternly asked that question, she kept her eyes fixed on my pale perplexed countenance.
'Ah, Sir,' said she anxiously, 'don't you love Clement now?'
Mr. Valmont made no reply for two or three seconds. I dared not look up to see whether he was more, or less angry.
'Tell me, child,' said he presently, to Sibella, 'what has that boy said to you, since he returned so affectionately, so dutifully, so speedily, to Valmont castle?'
Sibella paused: 'Tell me no falsehoods,' said he still more sternly.
'Falsehoods!' she repeated in a forcible tone, the colour mounting higher in her cheeks, 'Sir, I have nothing to do with falsehoods. I paused, because I thought I could not readily collect the matter of our conversations into the compass of one answer. I might, indeed have done it, for they have been uniform. We have talked, Sir, of our unchanging truth. Of times past, and times to come. Of the world, of its pleasures, and its virtues. Of——'