The incoming figure stopped. “Do the letters say that?” Bella asked, awestruck.
“No, Louis says so.”
“Well, I think it was very heartless of him.”
“No, it wasn’t. I made him. It would have been infinitely worse to be always waiting.”
“To be always waiting is perhaps the worst,” said Bella, with lowered eyes.
“Yes, worst of all.”
Bella roused herself and came nearer to her friend. “But for Mr. Mar—why, it’s impossible—don’t you believe it, dear. It’s absurd to think—”
“He’ll never come back. You’ll see he’ll never come back, unless—”
“Unless?”
“Unless”—Hildegarde cleared her tear-veiled voice—“unless some one goes and brings him home.”