"Lo! she comes, 'with high looks like the King of Assyria,'" Ethan quoted.
Mrs. Gano levelled an unmistakably cold stare at the culprits.
"Emmeline tells me you were not in church."
"No; we were late," said Ethan. When Val had run up-stairs to take off her things: "You must forgive me this once," he added, speaking low, "for I'm going away to-morrow."
He had no word alone with his cousin till the next morning. Nothing further had been said about his going, but his trunk was packed and the carriage ordered. He found Val sitting alone in the parlor, in a corner of the sofa by the window.
"What are you doing here?" he said, shutting the door.
"Just thinking."
"Don't do that, such a bad habit."
"Oh, I'm just trying to get accustomed to realizing there are people who believe"—she spread out her hands and let them fall—"this is all."
"Don't bother about such people," he said, sitting down.