But the Squire worked irritably, finding fault with a number of
small matters, and often wandering away into the house to see what
Desmond was doing. During these intervals Elizabeth would sit, pen
in hand, staring absently into the dripping garden and the park
beaten by a cold rain. The future began to seem to her big with
events and perplexity.
Then with the evening came the boy's leave-taking; full of affection
towards his father and sister, and markedly chilly in the case of
Elizabeth. When the station taxi had driven off, Elizabeth--with
that cold touch of the boy's fingers still tingling on her
hand--turned from the front door to see Pamela disappearing to the
schoolroom, and the Squire fidgeting with an evening paper which the
taxi had brought him from the station.
Elizabeth suddenly noticed the shaking of the paper, over which only
the crest of white hair showed. Too bad of Pamela to have gone off
without a word to her father! Was it sympathy with the Squire, or
resentment on her own account, that made Elizabeth go up to
him?--though at a respectful distance.
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