So she was really driving this poor
child, whom she would so easily have loved had it been allowed her,
out of her home! No doubt Pamela had seized on the pretext of her
'row' with her father to carry out her threat to Elizabeth of
'running away,' and before Elizabeth's return to Mannering, so that
neither the Squire nor any one else should guess at the real reason.
But how could Elizabeth acquiesce?
Yet if she revealed the story of Pamela's attack upon her to the
Squire, what would happen? Only a widening of the breach between him
and his daughter. Elizabeth, of course, might depart, but Pamela
would be none the more likely to return to face her father's wrath.
And again for the hundredth time Elizabeth said to herself, in
mingled pain and exasperation--'What _did_ she mean?--and what have
I ever done that she should behave so?'
Then she raised her eyes. Something impelled her--as it were a
strong telepathic influence. The Squire was gazing at her. His
expression was extraordinarily animated. It seemed to her that words
were already on his lips, and that at all costs she must stop them
there.
Pages:
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355