You did not know what you did about the
will, and as to this book, I know you meant to put it back again."
"I did-—I did, mother-—if Barbara had not hidden the desk," cried
Janet. And as her mother kissed her, she laid her head on her
shoulder, and wept and sobbed in an hysterical manner, such as
Caroline had never seen in her before. Of course she was tired out
by the long journey, and the subsequent agitation; and Caroline
soothed and caressed her, with the sole effect of making her cry more
piteously; but she would not hear of her mother staying to undress
and put her to bed, gathered herself up again as soon as she could,
and when another kiss had been exchanged at her bedroom door,
Caroline heard it locked after her.
Very little did Caroline sleep that night. If she lost consciousness
at all, it was only to know that something strange and wonderful was
hanging over her. Sometimes she had a sense that her trust and
mission as a rich woman had been ill-fulfilled, and therefore the
opportunity was to be taken away; but more often there was a strange
sense of relief from what she was unfit for. She remembered that
strange dream of her children turning into statues of gold, and the
Magnum Bonum disenchanting them, and a fancy came over her that this
might yet be realised, a fancy to whose lulling effect she was
indebted for the sleep she enjoyed in the morning, which made her
unusually late, but prevented her from looking as haggard as Janet
did, with eyelids swollen, as if she had cried a good deal longer
last night.
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