She broke off in her sentence. Rochester stood quite still, as though passionately anxious to understand the meaning of that interrupted thought.
“It is about Mary,” he said.
“Yes?” Pauline whispered. “Go on. Go on, please.”
“It is something quite unexpected,” Rochester said slowly—“something which I can assure you that her conduct has never at any time in any way suggested.”
“She wants to leave you?” Pauline asked, breathlessly.
“On the contrary,” Rochester said, “she wants what she has never asked for or expected—something, in fact, which was not in our marriage bond. She has been going to this man Father Cresswell’s meetings. She is talking about our duty, about making the best of one another.”
Pauline was amazed. Certainly no thought of this kind had ever entered into her head.
“Do you mean,” she said, “that Mary wants to give up her silly little flirtations, and turn serious?”
“That is exactly what she says,” Rochester answered. “I don’t believe she has the least idea that what she proposes comes so near to tragedy.”
“What have you answered?” Pauline asked.