.
[_Constrainedly._] Well, darling?
MURIEL.
[_In the same way._] Well, Sophy?
SOPHY.
You're here then?
MURIEL.
As you see.
SOPHY.
Any difficulty?
MURIEL.
[_In a hard voice._] No. The Duchess and Mrs. Jack were coming to town
shopping, and Lady Owbridge proposed that she and I should tack
ourselves on to them.
SOPHY.
How have you got rid of 'em?
MURIEL.
Spoken the truth, for once--my head really does throb terribly. They
think I've run in here to sit quietly with you while they--[_Suddenly._]
Oh, be quick, Sophy!
SOPHY.
Quick, dear?
MURIEL.
Why don't you tell me?
SOPHY.
Tell you--?
MURIEL.
About last night--this woman--
SOPHY.
Her Grace?
MURIEL.
Yes, yes.
SOPHY.
Oh, why, I haven't anything to tell, darling.
MURIEL.
Haven't anything to--?
SOPHY.
You see, I couldn't help remembering what you'd called me--mean, and
despicable, and all the rest of it; and the feeling came over me that
you were right, that I had been sneaky. And so, after I'd attended to
her Grace, I--I went straight to bed.
MURIEL.
[_Sitting._] Oh, yes. Then you didn't attempt to--to watch?
SOPHY.
No.
MURIEL.
[_Faintly._] Oh!
SOPHY.
Aren't you glad?
MURIEL.
Glad!
SOPHY.
Why, you were certain that the word or two I'd overheard meant nothing
wrong.
MURIEL.
I said so.
SOPHY.
Said so!
MURIEL.
[_Turning to her with clenched hands._] Yes, but at the same time you
put the dreadful idea into my head, Sophy, and I've not been able to
dismiss it for one moment since.
SOPHY.
[_Under her breath._] Oh!
[_Sitting._
MURIEL.
[_Lifting her veil._] There! you can see what I've been going through.
SOPHY.
[_Looking at her._] I'm so sorry.
MURIEL.
[_Looking at_ SOPHY.] _You_ look rather washed out too. Haven't you
slept, either?
SOPHY.
[_Turning her head away._] Not over well. [_Falteringly._] Then, after
all, it would have been better if I _had_ spied on her?
MURIEL.
Anything--even that--would have been preferable to this uncertainty.
SOPHY.
[_To herself, her jaw falling._] Oh--!
MURIEL.
[_Looking towards the window._] Has _he_ arrived?
SOPHY.
Yes. [MURIEL _rises, then_ SOPHY.
MURIEL.
[_Producing, from her pocket, a jeweller's case and showing it to_
SOPHY.] Do you like this? I've just bought it, over the way, at
Gressier's.
SOPHY.
For Captain Bastling?
MURIEL.
[_With a nod, o
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