“No. I swear I don’t. But, Nell, my darling, I begin to tremble for you all the same.”
The young man’s voice shook. Nell gazed into his face in an agony of horror.
“If I knew anything, I would tell it, whatever happened,” she cried, suddenly. “It is not fair that I should have to suffer like this!”
Now this speech was perplexing to her listener, but she would give no explanation of it. She only told him that she wanted time to think, to consider. And on the following morning, soon after breakfast, she called the nurse out of the room to ask if she could go in and say good-by to Mr. King.
Clifford stared at her in astonishment. She had on her hat and cloak, and was evidently ready for a journey.
“Didn’t you know that I was going to London yesterday, to my aunt’s?” she asked. “They stopped me, to give evidence at the inquest. So I am going to-day, instead.”
“But—” began Clifford, and hesitated.
“You think it looks bad for me to go away?” said she impatiently. “Well, people must think what they like. If the police want me, I dare say they will be able to find me out,” she added bitterly.
Clifford was shocked.
“Don’t, child, don’t speak like that,” cried he. “I only thought you would be too much interested in this business to go away until they had found out the truth.”