“How submissively yet hopelessly she speaks of her love for Sir Charles.”
“Yes, poor fellow, this trouble has been a severe blow to him, also,” said her husband.
“I think I shall drive over to Lady Randal’s to-day; and, Adrian, do you think there would be any harm in my showing him both these letters?” the young wife asked, with a wistful look in her dark eyes.
“What a forgiving little—or great heart you have, my darling,” he said, as he read her thought.
“‘Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,’” Brownie repeated with great earnestness.
Her husband stooped and kissed her.
“Do as you like, my own; I believe wherever you go you always carry light and joy with you,” he said, almost reverently.
Accordingly, while Lord Dunforth took his guests to visit several points of interest which he could best explain to them, Adrian drove his wife over to call on Lady Ruxley, who, since she had lost her charming companion, had taken a deep interest in her crippled nephew, and now resided all the time with the family.
Brownie’s visits were always like gleams of sunshine to her, for Lady Randal, since the developments which had resulted in such mortification to her, and in the destruction of so many hopes, had been very melancholy, and kept her own room nearly all the time, seldom seeing visitors, and scarcely ever going abroad.
Her sons were both very kind to her, and exerted themselves to cheer and comfort her, but her spirit had been crushed, and she could not rally from the blow.