And then in its turn the delirium had ended. From that time forward,
Ethel went out more constantly than ever. When she was in the house,
she started and grew red or pale at every unexpected step. Now, at
any hour, there might come a summons for her to go to the invalid's
room. She went over in detail every possible reply she could make to
every possible word which Weldon might say. She held herself ready
for any emergency. But the days dragged away, and no emergency had
come.
And then, as it had chanced, she had been away from home, when
Weldon had finally left the house. It had been the fulfilment of an
old promise which had taken her to spend two days with a friend in
Newlands. She had had no notion that the time for Weldon's going
away was at hand. Neither, on the other hand, had Weldon any idea
that Ethel was absent from home. He had merely taken advantage of
the first day when the doctor had ceased to oppose his removal. It
had been to him a cruel disappointment that Mrs. Dent had stood
alone on the steps to watch his departure.
That was three weeks before. Ethel had supposed that Weldon would
sail for home at once. He had supposed so, too, until all at once he
had found it impossible to turn his back upon Cape Town and all it
held.
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