“About me?” whispered Annie, breathlessly.
“Yes; he told me he loved you with all his soul, and he meant to win you back to him if he had to wait ten years. And I believe him.”
“George,” said she, in a low, uncertain voice, raising her eyes to his, after a pause, “he has done it already. But—but he won’t give me a chance of telling him so. He won’t let me know where he is, and—and indeed he doesn’t care for me as much as you think; for, if he did, he couldn’t make appointments with—with other women,” sobbed she, with her head in her hands.
“Are you sure that he does, Annie?” asked her brother-in-law, earnestly.
“Quite sure. I—I overheard it,” quavered she.
“Don’t be so certain about it yet, my poor child! If ever a man was in solemn earnest, Harry was when he spoke to me about you, and he is far too pig-headed to change like that in a few weeks. He swore to me that you were the only woman in the world for him, and he should never look at another again. Trust me, don’t make up your mind that he is faithless to you yet. His keeping away from you means something more than that, or I’m much mistaken in him.”
Annie allowed herself to be somewhat comforted by these words, and she promised George, who of course managed to allow himself as many—if not more—of the small comforts of life as he had done before his ruin, to accompany him to Ascot in ten days’ time, to play good angel to him and raise his spirits.
But in the meantime she had another visit from Stephen, who looked more haggard than ever; and, as he hinted to her that Harry was again in want of money, and as some dressmaking expenses had used up all she had in hand until she received her next weekly salary, she fastened up a bracelet, her best pair of ear-rings, and a diamond brooch which George had given her into a little packet, which she put into Stephen’s hands, saying:
“I have been spending a lot of money upon myself this week, so I can’t spare any just now. There are a few trinkets here which I never wear, and I can spare them better than money. Would you mind selling them for me and giving the money to Harry?”
“Your jewelry! No, I can’t take that!” said Stephen, thrusting the packet hastily back and opening the door.