The household was
considerably upset by the occurrences of the morning; old Mr. Portman
was the only person about the place who appeared to be in ignorance of
impending peril and disaster. He went out for his drive at two, but
was not accompanied by his daughter, a defection which surprised and
irritated him not a little.
Christine was herself again in a little while. She stayed in her room,
attended by the entertaining Miss Noakes, who struggled manfully, so
to speak, in her efforts to shatter the depression that surrounded the
young girl like a blank wall.
Downstairs Mary Braddock listened to David's earnest eager plea for an
immediate marriage. Now that Braddock had promised to leave at once
for the far West, never to return, it seemed to David that all of
their problems were solved. She had told him that her husband was to
depart by the midnight train, and that it was her intention to go with
him to the depot. David begged her to take him along with her, but she
was firm in her determination to go alone. Braddock had made it a
condition, and she could not break faith with him.
Shortly after the noon hour she drove up town to the bank.
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