“What makes you think you did wrong?”
“Well, miss, he didn’t say anything, but he looked upset.”
“Do you mean that he looked angry?”
The servant shook her head. “Not exactly angry—puzzled and put out.”
“Did he leave any message?”
“He said he would call later, if you would be so good as to receive him.”
In half an hour more, Alban and Emily were together again. The light fell full on her face as she rose to receive him.
“Oh, how you have suffered!”
The words escaped him before he could restrain himself. He looked at her with the tender sympathy, so precious to women, which she had not seen in the face of any human creature since the loss of her aunt. Even the good doctor’s efforts to console her had been efforts of professional routine—the inevitable result of his life-long familiarity with sorrow and death. While Alban’s eyes rested on her, Emily felt her tears rising. In the fear that he might misinterpret her reception of him, she made an effort to speak with some appearance of composure.
“I lead a lonely life,” she said; “and I can well understand that my face shows it. You are one of my very few friends, Mr. Morris”—the tears rose again; it discouraged her to see him standing irresolute, with his hat in his hand, fearful of intruding on her. “Indeed, indeed, you are welcome,” she said, very earnestly.