She had heard of the occurrence--as who, indeed, had
not--and the first expression of her face as her eyes met those of
Ralph, though with a smile, had in it something of rebuke for not having
taken the counsel which she had given him on his departure from the
place of prayer. With a gentleness strictly in character, he conversed
with her for some time on indifferent topics--surprised at every uttered
word from her lips--so musical, so true to the modest weaknesses of her
own, yet so full of the wisdom and energy which are the more legitimate
characteristics of the other sex. At length she brought him back to the
subject of the recent strife.
"You must go from this place, Mr. Colleton--you are not safe in this
house--in this country. You can now travel without inconvenience from
your late injuries, which do not appear to affect you; and the sooner
you are gone the better for your safety. There are those here"--and she
looked around with a studious caution as she spoke, while her voice sunk
into a whisper--"who only wait the hour and the opportunity to"--and
here her voice faltered as if she felt the imagined prospect--"to put
you to a merciless death.
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