He was
absent all day and he gave no account of himself on his return. He said
he was deadly tired, and he went to bed early. When he had left the room
Miss Garland drew near to Rowland.
"I wish to ask you a question," she said. "What happened to Roderick
yesterday at Engelberg?"
"You have discovered that something happened?" Rowland answered.
"I am sure of it. Was it something painful?"
"I don't know how, at the present moment, he judges it. He met the
Princess Casamassima."
"Thank you!" said Miss Garland, simply, and turned away.
The conversation had been brief, but, like many small things, it
furnished Rowland with food for reflection. When one is looking for
symptoms one easily finds them. This was the first time Mary Garland had
asked Rowland a question which it was in Roderick's power to answer,
the first time she had frankly betrayed Roderick's reticence. Rowland
ventured to think it marked an era.
The next morning was sultry, and the air, usually so fresh at those
altitudes, was oppressively heavy. Rowland lounged on the grass a while,
near Singleton, who was at work under his white umbrella, within view of
the house; and then in quest of coolness he wandered away to the rocky
ridge whence you looked across at the Jungfrau.
Pages:
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607