“I thought—I thought it might be news,” he said wearily. “But no, no, no. There can be no news now.”
“Mr Leslie, miss,” said Liza from the door.
“To see me, Liza? Say that—”
“No, sir. In the drawing-room, sir. ’Tis to see Miss Louise, if she will give him an interview, he said.”
Louise looked wildly at her father.
“Must I see him, father?” she said, with her face now ghastly pale.
He did not answer for some moments, and then slowly said the one word—
“Yes.”
She bent down and kissed him, and then summoning up all her courage, slowly left the room.