She was as usual dressed in black, and to Mr. Quest, who loved
her, and who knew that he was about to bid farewell to the sight of
her, she looked more beautiful now than ever she had before. A book
lay open on her knee, and he noticed, not without surprise, that it
was a Bible. But she was not reading it; her dimpled chin rested on
her hand, her violent eyes were fixed on vacancy, and even from where
he was he thought that he could see the tears in them.
She had heard nothing; he was sure of that from the expression of her
face; she was thinking of her own sorrows, not of his shame.
Yes, he would go in.
CHAPTER XXXVI
HOW THE GAME ENDED
Mr. Quest entered the house by a side door, and having taken off his
hat and coat went into the drawing-room. He had still half an hour to
spare before starting to catch the train.
"Well," said Belle, looking up. "Why are you looking so pale?"
"I have had a trying day," he answered. "What have you been doing?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Reading the Bible, I see."
"How do you know that?" she asked, colouring a little, for she had
thrown a newspaper over the book when she heard him coming in. "Yes, I
have been reading the Bible. Don't you know that when everything else
in life has failed them women generally take to religion?"
"Or drink," he put in, with a touch of his old bitterness.
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