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The sad news reached Jerome in his cell at Bethlehem, who expressed his sorrow in forceful language: "My voice sticks in my throat; and as I dictate, sobs choke my utterance. The city which has taken the whole world is itself taken." Rude barbarians invaded the sanctity of Marcella's retreat.
He allowed himself to be mollified, and she stood there over the fire, chatting with him for some time, a friendly natural note in her voice which was rare and, insensibly, soothed him like an opiate. She chatted about Marcella's trousseau gowns, detailing her own contrivances for economy; about the probable day of the wedding, the latest gossip of the election, and so on.
For she had suddenly caught sight of a cab in the distance driving smartly up. As it approached, Naseby and Lady Madeleine were plainly to be seen inside it. The latter jumped out almost at Marcella's feet, looking more scared than ever as she saw the bandage and the black scarf twisted round the white face.
On the steps stood Aldous Raeburn, his horse held behind him by a boy. She went and opened the door. "I will come," she said at once. "There I see Mrs. Mullins crossing the common. Now I can leave her." Aldous, taking off his hat, closed the door behind him and stood with his hand on Marcella's arm, looking at the huddled woman on the settle, at the pale children.
In truth, this woman of nearly seventy old in years, but wholly young in temperament was altogether under Marcella's spell more at ease with her already than with most of her own children, finding in her satisfaction for a hundred instincts, suppressed or starved by her own environment, fascinated by the girl's friendship, and eagerly grateful for her visits.
Now it was let out to professional people in lodgings or unfurnished rooms. Edward Hallin and his sister occupied the top floor. Miss Hallin, a pleasant-looking, plain woman of about thirty-five, came at once in answer to Marcella's knock, and greeted her affectionately. Edward Hallin sprang up from a table at the further end of the room. "You are so late!
They had many glamorous nights on the roof, nights that recalled the enchantment of those hours under the Aurora, nights of severe mental reservation on Marcella's part, all unsuspected by Louis. He confessed to her that his ideas were getting modified; a great confession for so crusted a conservative as he.
That she had been able thus to break down the barriers of Marcella's stateliness filled her all through, in her passion as in her yielding, with a kind of exultation.
She was the white shadow of her former self; but her fragility had always seemed to Marcella more indomitable than anybody else's strength. Sobs began to rise in Marcella's throat. "And now," she said, in half-coherent despair, "do you know what you are doing? You are cutting yourself off from me refusing to have any real bond to me just when I want it most.
"Won't anybody find him? won't anybody help me?" She dropped a hand upon Marcella's arm, clutching it, her wild eyes seeking her companion's. But at the same moment, with the very extremity of her own emotion, a cloud of impotence fell upon Marcella.
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