In a
minute or two she went up stairs to discharge these duties. Between
her and Richard there was never much exchange of words.
'How are you feeling, Jane?' Mutimer inquired, taking a seat
opposite her.
'Better--oh, very much better! The cough hasn't been not near so
troublesome these last nights.'
'Mind you don't do too much work. You ought to have put your sewing
aside by now.'
'Oh, this is only a bit of my own. I'm sorry to say there isn't very
much of the other kind to do yet.'
'Comes in slowly, does it?' Richard asked, without appearance of
much interest.
'It'll be better soon, I dare say. People want time, you see, to get
to know of us.'
Richard's eyes wandered.
'Have you finished the port wine yet?' he asked, as if to fill a
gap.
'What an idea! Why, there's four whole bottles left, and one as I've
only had three glasses out of.'
'Emma was dreadfully disappointed when you didn't come as usual,'
she said presently.
Richard nodded.
'Have you got into your house?' she asked timidly.
'It isn't quite ready yet; but I've been seeing about the
furnishing.'
Jane dreamed upon the word. It. was her habit to escape from the
suffering weakness of her own life to joy in the lot which awaited
her sister.
'And Emma will have a room all to herself?'
Jane had read of ladies' boudoirs; it was her triumph to have won a
promise from Richard that Emma should have such a chamber.
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