"
"And you were anxious to do so."
"Most anxious; my mind is prophetic only of mischief to him if
we remain."
"Mine too. Otherwise I should not have come up today." "You
have seen him I hope?" said Sybil.
"I have; I have been hours with him."
"I am glad. At this conference he talked of?"
"Yes; at this headstrong council; and I have seen him since;
alone. Whatever hap to him, my conscience is assoiled."
"You terrify me, Stephen," said Sybil rising from her seat.
"What can happen to him? What would he do, what would you
resist? Tell me--tell me, dear friend."
"Oh! yes," said Morley, pale and with a slight yet bitter
smile. "Oh! yes; dear friend!"
"I said dear friend for so I deemed you." said Sybil; "and so
we have ever found you. Why do you stare at me so strangely,
Stephen?"
"So you deem me, and so you have ever found me," said Morley
in a slow and measured tone, repeating her words. "Well; what
more would you have? What more should any of us want?" he
asked abruptly.
"I want no more," said Sybil innocently.
"I warrant me, you do not. Well, well, nothing matters. And
so," he added in his ordinary tone, "you are waiting for your
father?"
"Whom you have not long since seen," said Sybil, "and whom you
expected to find here?"
"No;" said Morley, shaking his head with the same bitter
smile; "no, no.
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