She stopped, as if to give careful consideration to what she had to say; clasping and unclasping her hands as if labouring under a nervous strain.
“I did have some idea what was the sort of thing you wanted, and of the risk I should have to run. I own it. I thought I should have a better chance of succeeding than Hugh would have; somehow he doesn’t seem to be made for
that sort of thing. Really I was sorry, though I did not like to say so, when you gave him the chance of going also. I was afraid that something would happen to him; and it did; then I was done for.”
“How do you mean you were done for?”
For the first time she turned and looked at Mr. Stewart an expression on her face which transfigured her.
“Isn’t it plain? If anything happened to Hugh what was I to gain? I wanted to be
