No, she should not spend and waste her youth in the vain attempt to mend
this house of tragedy!--it was not to be tolerated--not to be thought
of. She would suffer, but she would get over it; and Oliver would
probably die. Sooner or later she would begin life afresh, if only he
was able to stand between her and the madness in her heart.
But as he sat there, looking at Lady Lucy, he realized that it might
have been better for his powers and efficacy as a counsellor if he, too,
had held aloof from this house of pain.
CHAPTER XXIV
It was about ten o'clock at night. Lankester, who had arrived from
London an hour before, had said good-night to Lady Lucy and Sir James,
and had slipped into Marsham's room. Marsham had barred his door that
evening against both his mother and Sir James. But Lankester was
not excluded.
Off and on and in the intervals of his parliamentary work he had been
staying at Tallyn for some days. A letter from Lady Lucy, in reply to an
inquiry, had brought him down. Oliver had received him with few
words--indeed, with an evident distaste for words; but at the end of the
first day's visit had asked him abruptly, peremptorily even, to
come again.
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