Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

THE EROWN BOX. 187
Harry could perceive her tears to flow under her veil ;
but she vouchsafed no explanation. At the door of the
house in Queen Square, both alighted ; and the cabman
lowered the box, which Harry, glad to display his
strength, received upon his shoulders.
' Let the man take it,' she whispered. ' Let the man
take it.'
' I will do no such thing,' said Harry cheerfully ; and
having paid the fare, he followed Teresa through the
door which she had opened with her key. The landlady
and maid were gone upon their morning errands ; the
house was empty and still ; and as the rattling of the
cab died away down Gloucester Street, and Harry con-
tinued to ascend the stair with his burthen, he heard
close against his shoulders the same faint and muffled
ticking as before. The lady, still preceding him, opened
the door of her room, and helped him to lower the box
tenderly in the corner by the window.
' And now,' said Harry, ' what is wrong ? '
' You will not go away ? ' she cried, with a sudden
break in her voice and beating her hands together in the
very agony of impatience. ' O Harry, Harry, go away '
O go, and leave me to the fate that I deserve ! '
' The fate ? ' repeated Harry. ' What is this 1 '
' 1^0 fate,' she resumed. ' I do not know what I am
saying. But I wish to be alone. You may come back
this evening, Harry ; come again when you like ;
but leave me now, only leave me now ! ' And then sud-
denly, ' I have an errand,' she exclaimed ; ' you cannot
refuse me that ! '
' No,' replied Harry, ' you have no errand. You are
in grief or clanger. Lift your veil and tell me what it is.'
' Then,' she said, with a sudden composure, ' you
leave but one course open to me.' And raising the veil,
she showed him a countenance from which every trace
of colour had fled, eyes marred with weeping, and a brow
on which resolve had conquered fear. ' Harry,' slie
began, ' I am not what I seem.'
' You have told me that before,' said Harry, ' several
times.'