Then she moved over to the bedside and began to undress.
A few moments later Esther left her. She felt puzzled, perplexed, unhappy. She had no key to the thoughts which were passing in her mistress' mind. Her impression was that Valentine loved Carr, but felt a certain shame at the fact.
The next evening the vicar of St. Jude's called again. He came hurriedly to the door, ran up the stairs without being shown the way, and entered Valentine's presence with a brisk step. Esther leant over the banisters to watch him as he entered the drawing-room. It was half-past nine when he arrived; he had been conducting a prayer meeting and was later than usual.
The drawing-room door was shut on the two, and Esther, who had been sitting with the child, now crept softly downstairs and entered a small bedroom at the back of the drawing-room. This bedroom also looked on the street. It was the room occupied by Lilias when she visited her sister-in-law. Esther closed the door softly behind her. The room was dark. She went up to the window and looked eagerly up and down the gaily-lighted street.
She could distinguish no words, but the soft murmur of voices came to her through the drawing-room wall.
"You are better to-night?" said Carr, in a cheery, confident tone; "although you took it upon yourself to disobey me."
"I could not go to the prayer-meeting. I could not."
"Well, well, you must act as you think best; only I don't think staying at home is the best thing for you."
"Oh, I shan't get over-nervous; and Lilias is coming to me next week."
Carr's eyes brightened.