She by no means despaired of his cure, for experience had taught her, that although love's passionate fever takes several forms, there are very few of them incurable. Had she not passed safely through the ordeal herself, without one scar to bear witness of the old wounds?
She left Captain Bulstrode staring moodily out of the window, and went away to plan the saving of this poor shipwrecked soul.
She ran in the first place to tell Mr. John Mellish of her discovery, as it was her custom to carry to him every scrap of intelligence great and small.
"My dearest old Jack," she said—it was another of her customs to address him by every species of exaggeratedly endearing appellation; it may be that she did this for the quieting of her own conscience, being well aware that she tyrannized over him—"my darling boy, I have made a discovery."
"About the filly?"
"About Talbot Bulstrode."
John's blue eyes twinkled maliciously. He was evidently half prepared for what was coming.
"What is it, Lolly?"
Lolly was a corruption of Aurora, devised by John Mellish.
"Why, I'm really afraid, my precious darling, that he hasn't quite got over——"