Adela did not go to bed. She suffered from the closeness of the evening and sat by her open windows, trying to read a chapter in the New Testament. About eleven o’clock she had a great desire to walk upon the garden grass for a few minutes before undressing; perhaps it might help her to the sleep she so longed for yet feared she would not obtain. The desire became so strong that she yielded to it, passed quietly downstairs, and out into the still night. She directed her steps to her favourite remote corner. There was but little moonlight, and scarcely a star was visible. When she neared the laburnums behind which she often sat or walked, her ear caught the sound of voices. They came nearer, on the other side of the trees. The first word which she heard distinctly bound her to the spot and forced her to listen.
‘No, I shan’t put it off.’ It was Alice speaking. ‘I know what comes of that kind of thing. I am old enough to be my own mistress.’
‘You are not twenty-one,’ replied Richard in an annoyed voice. ‘I shall do everything I can to put it off till you are of age. Rodman is a good enough fellow in his place; but it isn’t hard to see why he’s talked you over in this way.’
‘He hasn’t talked me over!’ cried Alice, passionately. ‘I needn’t have listened if I hadn’t liked.’
‘You’re a foolish girl, and you want someone to look after you. If you’ll only wait you can make a good marriage. This would be a bad one, in every sense.’
‘I shall marry him.’
‘And I shall prevent it. It’s for your own sake, Alice.’
‘If you try to prevent it—I’ll tell Adela everything about Emma I I’ll tell her the whole plain truth, and I’ll prove it to her. So hinder me if you dare!’
Alice hastened away.