She rang the bell and ordered the necessary ingredients for the mixture,
in Noel Vanstone's name. The servants, with the small ingenious malice
of their race, brought up the materials one by one, and kept her waiting
for each of them as long as possible. She had got the saucepan, and the
spoon, and the tumbler, and the nutmeg-grater, and the wine--but not
the egg, the sugar, or the spices--when she heard him above, walking
backward and forward noisily in his room; exciting hi mself on the old
subject again, beyond all doubt.
She went upstairs once more; but he was too quick for her--he heard her
outside the door; and when she opened it, she found him in his chair,
with his back cunningly turned toward her. Knowing him too well to
attempt any remonstrance, she merely announced the speedy arrival of the
warm drink and turned to leave the room. On her way out, she noticed a
table in a corner, with an inkstand and a paper-case on it, and tried,
without attracting his attention, to take the writing materials away.
He was too quick for her again. He asked, angrily, if she doubted his
promise. She put the writing materials back on the table, for fear of
offending him, and left the room.
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