Her uncle's danger
touched her nearly, and while she stood before her open trunk, looking
about her vaguely for what she should put into it, the tears
suddenly rose to her eyes. It was perhaps for this reason that when
Ralph came back at two o'clock to take her to the station she was
not yet ready. He found Miss Stackpole, however, in the
sitting-room, where she had just risen from her luncheon, and this
lady immediately expressed her regret at his father's illness.
"He's a grand old man," she said; "he's faithful to the last. If
it's really to be the last- pardon my alluding to it, but you must
often have thought of the possibility- I'm sorry that I shall not be
at Gardencourt."
"You'll amuse yourself much more in Bedfordshire."
"I shall be sorry to amuse myself at such a time," said Henrietta
with much propriety. But she immediately added: "I should like so to
commemorate the closing scene."
"My father may live a long time," said Ralph simply. Then, adverting
to topics more cheerful, he interrogated Miss Stackpole as to her
own future.
Now that Ralph was in trouble she addressed him in a tone of
larger allowance and told him that she was much indebted to him for
having made her acquainted with Mr.
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