"
Caius turned as he knelt upon the grass, and, holding the emerald moss
and saxifrage plants in his hand, looked up at her. "He went away two
years ago," he said, repeating defiantly what he believed he had heard.
"He went away six year ago," corrected she; "but it's two years now
since aught was heard of him, and his ship went down, sir, coming back
from Afriky--that we know; but word came that the crew were saved, but
never a word from him, nor a word of him, since."
"Did she"--his throat would hardly frame the words--a nervous spasm
impeded them; yet he could not but ask--"did she care for him?"
"Oh well, sir, as to that, he was a beautiful-looking man, and she but a
child; but when she came to herself she wrote and asked him never to
come back; she told me so; and he never did."
"Well, that at least was civil of him." Caius spoke in full earnest.
"No, sir; he's not civil; he's a beast of a man. There's no sort of low
trick that he hasn't done, only it can't be proved against him; for he's
the sort of beast that is a snake; he only married madame for the money
he'll get with her. It was when _she_ learned that that she wrote to him
not to come back; but he never sent an honest word to say whether he'd
stay away or not. She knows what he is, sir, for folks that he'd cheated
and lied to come to her to complain. Young as she is, there's white
threads in her hair, just to think that he might come back at any time.
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