"What fault?"
"Ah, there again I am lost in perplexity; faults I have enough, Heaven
knows; but what particular one is strong enough to estrange my husband I
do not know, I cannot guess."
"Has he never accused you?"
"Never, mamma."
"Nor quarreled with you?"
"Never!"
"Nor complained of you at all?"
"No, mamma! The first intimation that I had of his displeasure was given
me the night of my arrival, when he betrayed some annoyance at my coming
upon him suddenly without having previously written. I gave him what I
supposed to be sufficient reasons for my act--the same reasons that I
afterwards gave you."
"They were perfectly satisfactory. And even if they had not been so, it
was no just cause for his behavior. Did he find fault with any part of
your conduct previous to your arrival?"
"No, mamma; certainly not. I have told you so before."
"And this is true?"
"As true as Heaven, mamma."
"Then it is easy to fix upon the cause of his bad conduct. That girl. It
is a good thing she is dead," hissed the elder lady between her teeth.
She spoke in a tone too low to reach the ears of Berenice, who sat with
her weeping face buried in her handkerchief.
There was silence for a little while between the ladies. Berenice was
the first to break it, by asking: "Mamma, can you imagine where he is?"
"No, my love! And if I do not feel so anxious about him as you feel, it
is because I know him better than you do. And I know that it is some
unjustifiable caprice that is keeping him from his home. When he comes
to his senses he will return. In the meanwhile, we must not, by any show
of anxiety, give the servants or the neighbors any cause to gossip of
his disappearance. And I must not have my plans upset by his whims. I
have already delayed my departure for Washington longer than I like; and
my daughters have missed the great ball of the season. I am not willing
to remain here any longer at all. And I think, also, that we shall be
more likely to meet Herman by going to town than by staying here.
Washington is the great center of attraction at this season of the year.
Everyone goes there. I have a pleasant furnished house on Lafayette
Square. It has been quite ready for our reception for the last
fortnight. Some of our servants have already gone up. So, my love, I
have fixed our departure for Saturday morning, if you think you can be
ready by that time. If not, I can wait a day or two."