“You should not breathe such thoughts to me, dear Alick. But—I shall draw the curtains before the windows every evening in future.”
“I think it would be just as well you should do so. The light shining through their crimson folds will be enough to guide me home at night,” he said, as he arose and lighted the bedroom candles.
She set the guard up before the grate, and put out the lamps.
They left the drawing-room and went up stairs together; but when they reached their chamber door, he put one of the candles in her hand, saying kindly:
“Good night, my dear child. I hope you will have a good sleep.”
And before she could answer, he opened the door of an opposite chamber, passed in and locked it behind him, leaving her standing still in astonishment.
This was the first time, while at home, that he had ever slept out of their mutual room. She could not imagine why he should do so now. If he had not spoken so kindly to her, she might have supposed he was angry with her. But his good night had been even unusually gentle and tender; it had seemed almost plaintive and deprecating. But then he had not only passed their chamber and gone into another room, but he had locked the door behind him, thus securing himself against possible intrusion. Whose intrusion? she asked herself—hers, his wife’s? Well, she was his wife, she thought; but dearly as she loved him, scarcely living, except by his side, she would never intrude upon his chosen solitude.
She stood there in perplexed and painful thought, inquiring and wondering why he left her and locked her out. Perhaps, after all, she said to herself, he was still a little angry with her, for having cried so much that evening. She must find out. She could not go to rest, she would never be able to sleep without knowing whether he was really displeased with her, and reconciling him to herself. She would not intrude upon him, she thought, no, never! But she would rap at his door and ask if she had offended him, and if so, she would do all that she could to atone for such offence. For she must make friends with him before she left the spot, or—die!
So she went and rapped at his door and then waited.
She heard him moving about the room, but he made no response.