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At last, more disappointed than he cared to own, he said, 'Mrs. Harnham, my darling is so flurried that she doesn't know what she is doing or saying. I see that after this event a little quietude will be necessary before she gives tongue to that tender philosophy which she used to treat me to in her letters.
I assure you that she has been quite safe. 'In that case I'll leave her in your hands, said Mrs. Harnham, turning to retrace her steps. But this for the moment it was not so easy to do. Something had attracted the crowd to a spot in their rear, and the wine-merchant's wife, caught by its sway, found herself pressed against Anna's acquaintance without power to move away.
'Now you'll do it for me, won't you, dear mistress? said Anna eagerly. 'And you'll do it as well as ever you can, please? Because I couldn't bear him to think I am not able to do it myself. I should sink into the earth with shame if he knew that! From some words in the letter Mrs. Harnham was led to ask questions, and the answers she received confirmed her suspicions.
Not content with holding the hand, he playfully slipped two of his fingers inside her glove, against her palm. Thus matters continued till the pressure lessened; but several minutes passed before the crowd thinned sufficiently to allow Mrs. Harnham to withdraw. 'How did they get to know each other, I wonder? she mused as she retreated. 'Anna is really very forward and he very wicked and nice.
His reasoning prevailed, and Mrs. Harnham threw herself with mournful zeal into the preparations for Anna's departure.
Mrs. Harnham was the only friend she had in the world, and being without children had wished to have her near her in preference to anybody else, though she had only lately come; allowed her to do almost as she liked, and to have a holiday whenever she asked for it. The husband of this kind young lady was a rich wine-merchant of the town, but Mrs. Harnham did not care much about him.
'But you must concentrate your attention on writing your name as I write it here. Soon Raye wrote about the wedding. Having decided to make the best of what he feared was a piece of romantic folly, he had acquired more zest for the grand experiment. He wished the ceremony to be in London, for greater privacy. Edith Harnham would have preferred it at Melchester; Anna was passive.
Edith Harnham was generous enough to be very far from inclined to cast Anna adrift at this conjuncture. No true woman ever is so inclined from her own personal point of view, however prompt she may be in taking such steps to safeguard those dear to her.
The luxury of writing to him what would be known to no consciousness but his was great, and she had indulged herself therein. Why was it a luxury? Edith Harnham led a lonely life.
'O yes, of course! replied Anna, looking at the letter, forcedly tittering, and blushing still more. Her look of embarrassment did not leave her with the postman's departure. She opened the envelope, kissed its contents, put away the letter in her pocket, and remained musing till her eyes filled with tears. A few minutes later she carried up a cup of tea to Mrs. Harnham in her bed-chamber.
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