"You mustn't! I know she don't she isn't well something has happened to trouble her"
"What?"
"I don't know."
"And is that what has troubled you, too?" said Hugh, his countenance changing as he gained more light on the subject; "what is it, dear Fleda?"
"I don't know," repeated Fleda, bursting into tears. Hugh was quiet enough now, and sat down beside her, subdued and still, without even desiring to ask a question. Fleda's tears flowed violently for a minute, then she checked them for his sake, and they sat motionless, without speaking to one another, looking into the fire, and letting it die out before them into embers and ashes, neither stirring to put a hand to it. As the fire died, the moonlight streamed in : how very dismal the room looked!
"What do you think about having tea?" said Barby, opening the door of the kitchen.
Neither felt it possible to answer her.
"Mr. Rossitur aint come home, is he?"
"No," said Fleda, shuddering.
"So I thought, and so I told Seth Plumfield, just now he was asking for him. My stars! ha'n't you no fire here? what did you let it go out for?"