Mr. and Miss Benson were at Mr. Farquhar's, gone to see
Leonard, and poor old Sally had been having a hearty cry over the
kitchen fire before answering the door-knock. Her heart was
tenderly inclined, just then, towards any one who had the aspect
of suffering: so, although her master was out, and she was
usually chary of admitting strangers, she proposed to Mr. Donne
(for it was he), that he should come in and await Mr. Benson's
return in the study. He was glad enough to avail himself of her
offer; for he was feeble and nervous, and come on a piece of
business which he exceedingly disliked, and about which he felt
very awkward. The fire was nearly, if not quite, out; nor did
Sally's vigorous blows do much good, although she left the room
with an assurance that it would soon burn up. He leant against
the chimney-piece, thinking over events, and with a sensation of
discomfort, both external and internal, growing and gathering
upon him. He almost wondered whether the proposal he meant to
make with regard to Leonard could not be better arranged by
letter than by an interview. He became very shivery, and
impatient of the state of indecision to which his bodily weakness
had reduced him. Sally opened the door and came in. "Would you
like to walk upstairs, sir?" asked she in a trembling voice, for
she had learnt who the visitor was from the driver of the fly,
who had run up to the house to inquire what was detaining the
gentleman that he had brought from the Queen's Hotel; and,
knowing that Ruth had caught the fatal fever from her attendance
on Mr.
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