But Margaret, who watched her intently through the day, saw a change come
over her cheer. Her face grew pale and troubled. Now and then her eyes
were fixed on vacancy; and again she would look at Margaret with a
woebegone expression of countenance; but presently, as if recollecting
herself, would smile and look cheerful for a moment. Margaret saw that the
conflict was coming on, if not already begun—that at least its
shadow was upon her; and thinking that if she could have a talk with Hugh
about what he had been doing, it would comfort her a little, and divert
her thoughts from herself, even if no farther or more pleasantly than to
the count, she let Harry know Hugh’s address, as given in the letter to
her father. She was certain that, if Harry succeeded in finding him,
nothing more was necessary to insure his being brought to Mrs. Elton’s. As
we have seen, Harry had traced him to Buccleuch Terrace.
Hugh re-entered the house in the same mind in which he had gone out;
namely, that after Mrs. Appleditch’s behaviour to him before his pupils,
he could not remain their tutor any longer, however great his need might
be of the pittance he received for his services.
But although Mrs. Appleditch’s first feeling had been jealousy of Hugh’s
acquaintance with “carriage-people,” the toadyism which is so essential an
element of such jealousy, had by this time revived; and when Hugh was
proceeding to finish the lesson he had begun, intending it to be his last,
she said:
“Why didn’t you ask your friend into the drawing-room, Mr. Sutherland?”
“Good gracious! The drawing-room!” thought Hugh—but answered: “He
will fetch me when the lesson is over.”
“I am sure, sir, any friends of yours that like to call upon you here,
will be very welcome. It will be more agreeable to you to receive them
here, of course; for your accommodation at poor Miss Talbot’s is hardly
suitable for such visitors.”
“I am sorry to say, however,” answered Hugh, “that after the way you have
spoken to me to-day, in the presence of my pupils, I cannot continue my
relation to them any longer.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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