"It is not that," said Violet. "He is broken-hearted about
everything. The whole world is vanishing away from him. I wish he
could have made up his mind to marry that German woman with all the
money." It must be understood, however, that Phineas had never spoken
a word to any one as to the offer which the German woman had made to
him.
It was on the morning of the Sunday on which he was to leave London
that he saw Lady Laura. He had asked that it might be so, in order
that he might then have nothing more upon his mind. He found her
quite alone, and he could see by her eyes that she had been weeping.
As he looked at her, remembering that it was not yet six years since
he had first been allowed to enter that room, he could not but
perceive how very much she was altered in appearance. Then she had
been three-and-twenty, and had not looked to be a day older. Now she
might have been taken to be nearly forty, so much had her troubles
preyed upon her spirit, and eaten into the vitality of her youth. "So
you have come to say good-bye," she said, smiling as she rose to meet
him.
"Yes, Lady Laura;--to say good-bye. Not for ever, I hope, but
probably for long."
"No, not for ever. At any rate, we will not think so." Then she
paused; but he was silent, sitting with his hat dangling in his two
hands, and his eyes fixed upon the floor.
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