'
She had suffered him to go; the kisses made her powerless, reminding
her of a long-past dream. A moment after she rushed to the house
door, but only to see him turning the corner of the street Then she
flew to the bedroom. Jack was ill of a cold--she was nursing him in
bed. But now she dressed him hurriedly, as if there were scarcely
time to get to Westminster by the appointed hour. All was ready
before eleven o'clock, but it was now raining, and she durst not
wait with the child in the open air for longer than was necessary.
But all at once the fear possessed her lest the police might come to
the house and she be detained. Ignorant of the law, and convinced
from her husband's words that the stranger in rags had some sinister
aim, she no sooner conceived the dread than she bundled into a
hand-bag such few articles as it would hold and led the child
hastily from the house. They walked to a tramway-line and had soon
reached Westminster Bridge. But it was not half-past eleven, and the
rain descended heavily. She sought a small eating-house not far from
the Abbey, and by paying for some coffee and bread-and-butter, which
neither she nor Jack could touch, obtained leave to sit in shelter
till one o'clock.
At five minutes to the hour she rose and hurried to the north end of
the bridge, and stood there, aside from the traffic, shielding
little Jack as much as she could with her umbrella, careless that
her own clothing was getting wet through.
Pages:
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754