Tell us, and let us
comfort and protect you if we can."
But for a time speech was impossible, and the poor girl wept with a
despairing vehemence sad to see, till their gentle efforts soothed her;
and, sitting by Pauline, she told her trouble, looking oftenest at
Manuel, who stood before them, as if sure of redress from him.
"When I left here an hour or more ago I found my rooms still empty, and,
though I had not seen my husband since morning, I knew he would be
displeased to find me waiting, so I cried myself to sleep and dreamed of
the happy time when he was kind, till the sound of voices woke me. I
heard Gilbert say, 'Babie is with your wife, her maid tells me;
therefore we are alone here. What is this mysterious affair, Laroche?'
That tempted me to listen, and then, Manuel, I learned all the shame and
misery you so generously tried to spare me. How can I ever repay you,
ever love and honor you enough for such care of one so helpless and
forlorn as I?"
"I am repaid already. Let that pass, and tell what brings you here with
such an air of fright and fear?"
"When you were gone he came straight to the inner room in search of
something, saw me, and knew I must have heard all he had concealed from
me so carefully. If you have ever seen him when that fierce temper of
his grows ungovernable, you can guess what I endured.
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