Sheldon entered, took upon
herself to answer it.
"I think he is very anxious," she said in a half whisper.
"What brought him here just now? He did not know we were coming home."
Mrs. Woolper answered this question.
"He came for something for Miss Charlotte, sir; some books as she'd had
from the library. They'd not been sent back; and he came to see about
their being sent."
"What books?" murmured Charlotte. But a pressure from Mrs. Woolper's hand
prevented her saying more.
"I never encountered any one with so little self-command," said Mr.
Sheldon. "If he is going to rush in and out of my house in that manner, I
must really put a stop to his visits altogether. I cannot suffer that
kind of thing. For Charlotte's welfare quiet is indispensable; and if Mr.
Hawkehurst's presence is to bring noise and excitement, Mr. Hawkehurst
must not cross this threshold."
He spoke with suppressed anger; with such evident effort to restrain his
anger, that it would have seemed as if his indignation against Valentine
was no common wrath.
Charlotte caught his last words.
"Dear papa," she pleaded in her faint voice, "pray do not be angry with
Valentine; he is so anxious about me."
"I am not angry with him; but while you are ill, I will have quiet--at
any price."
"Then I'm sure you should not have brought Charlotte home," exclaimed
Georgy, in tones of wailing and lamentation; "for of all the miseries in
life, there is nothing worse than coming home in the very midst of a
general cleaning.
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