Not half understanding the situation, but looking woefully bewildered, she dropped a farewell courtesy at the door.
'Will ye cut?' barked Dudley, in a tone that made her jump; and suddenly, without looking about, he strode after her from the room.
'Maud, how shall I recover this? The vulgar villain—the fool! What an abyss were we approaching! and for me the last hope gone—and for me utter, utter, irretrievable ruin.'
He was passing his fingers tremulously back and forward along the top of the mantelpiece, like a man in search of something, and continued so, looking along it, feebly and vacantly, although there was nothing there.
'I wish, uncle—you do not know how much I wish—I could be of any use to you. Maybe I can?'
He turned, and looked at me sharply.
'Maybe you can,' he echoed slowly. 'Yes, maybe you can,' he repeated more briskly. 'Let us—let us see—let us think—that d—— fellow!—my head!'
'You're not well, uncle?'
'Oh! yes, very well. We'll talk in the evening—I'll send for you.'
I found Wyat in the next room, and told her to hasten, as I thought he was ill. I hope it was not very selfish, but such had grown to be my horror of seeing him in one of his strange seizures, that I hastened from the room precipitately—partly to escape the risk of being asked to remain.