Grace felt that she must say something more. She was perfectly conscious of his state, and if she had been capable of fear she would have been frightened by the magnitude of his silent anger.
“I have known that this would come,” she said, softly. “I know Constance better than you can. A very long time ago, I told her that at the last minute she would refuse you. She is very unhappy. She begged me to say all this as gently as possible. She made me promise to tell you that she felt towards you just as she had always felt, that she hoped to see you very often, that she felt towards you as a sister——”
“This is too much!” exclaimed George in low and angry tones. Then forgetting himself altogether, he rose from his seat quickly and went towards the door.
Grace was on her feet as quickly as he.
“Stop!” she cried in a voice not loud, but of which the tone somehow imposed upon the angry man.
He turned suddenly and faced her as though he were at bay, but she met his look calmly and her eyes did not fall before his.
“You shall not go away like this,” she said.
“Pardon me,” he answered. “I think it is the best thing I can do.” There was something almost like a laugh in the bitterness of his tone.
“I think not,” replied Grace with much dignity.
“Can you have anything more to say to me, Miss Fearing? You, of all people? Are you not satisfied?”