Ruth could not help noticing that Jemima
always sought to be in her presence while she was at Mr.
Bradshaw's house; either when daily teaching Mary and Elizabeth,
or when she came as an occasional visitor with Mr. and Miss
Benson, or by herself. Up to this time Jemima had used no gentle
skill to conceal the abruptness with which she would leave the
room rather than that Ruth and she should be brought into
contact--rather than that it should fall to her lot to entertain
Ruth during any part of the evening. It was months since Jemima
had left off sitting in the schoolroom, as had been her wont
during the first few years of Ruth's governess-ship. Now, each
morning Miss Bradshaw seated herself at a little round table in
the window, at her work, or at her writing; but, whether she
sewed, or wrote, or read, Ruth felt that she was always
watching--watching. At first Ruth had welcomed all these changes
in habit and behaviour, as giving her a chance, she thought, by
some patient waiting or some opportune show of enduring, constant
love, to regain her lost friend's regard; but by-and-by the icy
chillness, immovable and grey, struck more to her heart than many
sudden words of unkindness could have done. They might be
attributed to the hot impulses of a hasty temper--to the vehement
anger of an accuser; but this measured manner was the conscious
result of some deep-seated feeling; this cold sternness befitted
the calm implacability of some severe judge.
Pages:
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440