'No—no. Give it me. Rather than that I will read.'
'It must be read,' said Jane, surrendering the fragment.
Then falteringly Mrs. Jose read, '"In this Winefred fully concurs."'
'Concurs!—she agrees!' cried Jane Marley, and again flung herself on the floor and writhed like a bruised worm.
Mrs. Jose knelt by her, stroked her hair, wiped the tears from her eyes, patted her—uttering kind words; but it was long before she could assuage the paroxysms of grief and despair.
When Mrs. Marley was slightly more composed, raising herself on her hands that rested on the floor, and glaring like a wild beast at her consoler, she said hoarsely, 'Hearken to me!—on the night when every door was shut against me, then I would have thrown myself over the cliffs with Winefred in my arms. I would to God I had done as I purposed. Cursed be he who prevented me, cursed whether in heaven above or in hell beneath, for he is dead. But for him we should have been together now, together inseparable, for ever—in one deep sea, in one eternity. But now——'
She cast herself again with her face to the floor, and rocked from side to side in irrepressible grief.
'Jane,' said Mrs. Jose, 'you are in no condition to be left alone. Come with me to Bindon.'
'I will not.'
'Then I shall come here and stay the night with you. Compose yourself. I shall run home and fetch such things as I may require, and be with you in a jiffy.'