But as the next hour wore slowly on, her long tried courage utterly broke down, and she bowed her head upon the table and wept bitterly.
The clock was striking eleven, when two sounds from opposite ways struck her ear. One was the galloping of a horse’s feet coming to the house. The other was the running of her servants up the back stairs.
Drusilla hastily wiped her eyes as Pina entered the room.
“Your master has come. Send Leo around to the stable to take his horse, and do you bring up the supper-tray,” she said.
And the girl left the room to obey orders; but before going down stairs she went and unlocked the front door, and set it slightly ajar, that her master might enter at once when he should reach the house.
Drusilla meanwhile tried to still the spasmodic sobs that were yet heaving her bosom, and to force back the tears that were yet wetting her eyes, and to put on a pleasant face to meet her beloved. But it is not so easy all at once to suppress nervous excitement.
So when Alexander hurried through the hall door, locking it as he passed, and hurried into the drawing-room to see her, she was still sobbing and weeping.
He stopped short in surprise and some anger.
“Why, Drusa! why, what is all this row about?”
“Oh, Alick, Alick!” she gasped, her nerves being all unstrung, “I did not think you would have stayed away from me to-night! I have been waiting for you so long, as I have waited for you so often! oh, so often!”