Whereas now--"
"Whereas now?" she repeated.
"I remain your friend, which I would rather be than your unloved
husband," he said very gently.
Ethne made no rejoinder. The decision had been taken out of her hands.
"You sent Harry away this afternoon," said Durrance. "You said good-bye
to him twice."
At the "twice" Ethne raised her head, but before she could speak
Durrance explained:--
"Once in the church, again upon your violin," and he took up the
instrument from the chair on which she had laid it. "It has been a very
good friend, your violin," he said. "A good friend to me, to us all. You
will understand that, Ethne, very soon. I stood at the window while you
played it. I had never heard anything in my life half so sad as your
farewell to Harry Feversham, and yet it was nobly sad. It was true
music, it did not complain." He laid the violin down upon the chair
again.
"I am going to send a messenger to Rathmullen. Harry cannot cross Lough
Swilly to-night. The messenger will bring him back to-morrow."
It had been a day of many emotions and surprises for Ethne. As Durrance
bent down towards her, he became aware that she was crying silently. For
once tears had their way with her.
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