There was a weight upon her heart which made it a
great effort even to move, to speak; but she hoped to find strength
when the time came.
"You are quite sure that he has gone, Denzil--gone for good?"
"I am perfectly sure of it. You needn't have another moment's fear."
He tried to believe it. By this time, if he had kept his promise,
Northway was in London. But what faith was to be put in such a man's
declarations? It might be that the secret was already known to other
people; between now and polling-day there might come the crowning
catastrophe. Yet the man's interest seemed to impose silence upon
him, and for Lilian's sake it was necessary to affect absolute
confidence.
They went to the dinner, and the evening passed without accident.
Lilian was universally admired; pallor heightened her beauty, and
the assurance of outlived danger which Denzil had succeeded in
imparting gave to her conversation a life and glow that excited
interest in all who spoke with her.
"Mr. Quarrier," said the hostess, playfully, in an aside, "if you
were defeated at Polterham, I don't think you ought to care much.
You have already been elected by such a charming constituency!"
But there followed a night of sleeplessness. If exhaustion pressed
down her eyelids for a moment, some image of dread flashed upon her
brain and caused her to start up with a cry.
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