“Stanton,” she murmured, stretching out her hand to take his shrinking one.
“Do not touch me,” he said hoarsely.
She turned her back on him and faced the other people present. There was no mistaking the joy and triumph of her glance.
“Come,” exclaimed Camperdown, “she will manage him. Let us all get out of this,” and he began to hurry the other spectators from the room.
However, impetuous as he was, he found himself suddenly brought to a standstill by the entrance of Mammy Juniper, who swept upon him like a whirlwind, candlestick in hand, her black eyes almost starting from her night-capped head, her padded dressing gown flying back from her excited figure. “Praise the Lord! Rejoice greatly! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, salvation has come to the house. The iniquity of Ephraim is discovered that he may repent.... How great is the goodness of the Lord! How great is his beauty! Corn shall make the young men cheerful and new wine the maids. The prisoners of hope are released. I took unto me two staves, the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bands, and fed the flock——”
“And we’ll hear the rest of your rhapsody in the hall,” said Camperdown seizing the old woman kindly but forcibly by the shoulders. “You’re very eloquent but slightly discomposing. Come now, give us a stave about the poor Assyrians. Some of them are out of bondage too, now that your worthy master is laid low,” and he politely invited Mammy Juniper to the back hall, where he listened for a few minutes to her trumpetings, and then went home without addressing another word to the other members of the excited family.
The fascinated Joe could not make up his mind to leave the window even when Armour and Vivienne were left alone. In intense interest he listened to Vivienne’s caressing accents as she addressed the unhappy, agitated man before her.
“So you wish me to go away?” she said.
“Yes,” he muttered, “I do. Go now while I have the strength to say it. I am a ruined man.”
“Dearer to me in your ruin than in your prosperity,” she murmured; “will you, can you drive me from you?”