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and began to talk so sociably that before I quite knehat I was

doing, I was in the middle of my story I wonder no I did it,

but I was excited, and he listened so patiently, questioned so

quietly, that I did not realize, for several hours afterward, what a

blaze I must have kindled in his heart and ho I heard was not, as I expected, that he

and his wife had quarrelled, or that he was going to challenge

Frederic for having belied him, but that poor Dorrance was very ill

with some affection of the brain It was not until a year

later--just after his death--that people began to talk about the

strange carryings-on at Ridgeley; how Mr and Mrs Aylett occupied

separate apartether, or

spoke to one another, even at table, unless there were visitors

present Nobody could ieue She must be a

wretched wo fast under

it, in spite of her pride and skill in concealht not to

pity her when I remember hoicked she has been; but there is a

look in her eye when she is not laughing or talking that gives me

the heart-ache"