'Do you mean that you will tell him?'
'I suppose so—somebody must do it; but I would rather cut off my right hand than do it.'
'Shall you tell him to-night?'
'No, certainly not to-night.'
'To-morrow?'
'Yes, to-morrow or the next day; but I must speak to Mr. O'Brien and Dr. Ross first.'
Then she left him without saying another word; but it went to his heart to see her cowering over the fire in her old miserable attitude.
'Mrs. Blake,' he said, following her, 'if you think better of this, will you write to me? Two or three words will be enough: "I will tell him myself" just that——' but she made no reply. 'I shall wait in the hope that I may receive such a note; a few hours' delay will not matter, and perhaps a little consideration may induce you to be brave. Remember, there is no wrong-doing except that of heinous and deadly sin that we may not strive to set right. It needs courage to confess to a fellow-creature, but love should give you this courage.'
But still she did not move or speak, and he was forced to leave her. He found Biddy hovering about the dark passage, and he guessed at once that she had been a listener. A moment's consideration induced him to take the old woman by the shoulder and draw her into an empty room close by.
She looked somewhat scared at his action. She had a candle in her hand, and he could see how furtively her wild, hawk-like eyes glanced at him.