“How is it that we haven't sat down to breakfast? I'm quite hungry.”
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Agnes sat down to the breakfast-table as if nothing had occurred, and Clare helped her to some fish, and put a portion on her own plate, and actually ate it with some appearance of appetite. Agnes tried to follow her example, but utterly failed. She could eat nothing. She thought she would be able, however, to drink her coffee, so she filled the cups, and, as usual, placed one before Clare. But Clare shook her head, saying:
“I don't like coffee to-day. I somehow feel that I cannot have anything to-day that I have had on other days. I cannot touch coffee.”
“Then I will take it away, and get you”—
There was a little crash. Clare had let her knife and fork fall upon her plate.
“Those were the words,” she cried. “'Take her away—take her away!' And I fancied that he spoke them—he—Claude—shuddering all the time and shrinking away from me.” Then she turned suddenly to Agnes, saying:
“Tell me the truth—surely I may as well know it sooner as later. Did he say those words when I entered the room?”