There was suppressed anxiety and
agitation in every line of his face. The dry, sharp cough, which
teases him at most times, seemed to be troubling him more
incessantly than ever. He sat down opposite to us at the table,
and Laura remained by me. I looked attentively at them both, and
he was the palest of the two.
He said a few unimportant words, with a visible effort to preserve
his customary ease of manner. But his voice was not to be
steadied, and the restless uneasiness in his eyes was not to be
concealed. He must have felt this himself, for he stopped in the
middle of a sentence, and gave up even the attempt to hide his
embarrassment any longer.
There was just one moment of dead silence before Laura addressed
him.
"I wish to speak to you, Sir Percival," she said, "on a subject
that is very important to us both. My sister is here, because her
presence helps me and gives me confidence. She has not suggested
one word of what I am going to say--I speak from my own thoughts,
not from hers. I am sure you will be kind enough to understand
that before I go any farther?"
Sir Percival bowed. She had proceeded thus far, with perfect
outward tranquillity and perfect propriety of manner.
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