To think of Margaret, with all her great love of purity and peace, exposed to so horrible a thing, was something absolutely terrible to her; so perfectly appalling that she started up, feeling as though every moment was a cruel wrong to the girl she had learned to love so dearly. She went to her brother's room; he was sitting up, and she sat down beside him in a flutter of spirits that made her incoherent.
"You have had a visitor," he began, with a laugh in which there was not much mirth.
"Only Mrs. Wymans," she answered, with indifference.
"If she could hear you! She is a person of great consequence in her own estimation."
"I wonder why she called," his sister said, absently, doubtful as to her capability of putting the question without causing any excitement.
"I'll tell you," he answered; "there is a great deal of curiosity about Drayton just now; before this attack of mine I was driven wild by all manner of questions about him. He is a great fool to make a mystery of his address; there is no reason he should do so; he answers no letters, he leaves every one to conjecture things, and in this beautiful world if a thing is not fully understood, the worst interpretation and not the best is the accepted one."
"Then you think there is no reason for his shutting himself up?"
"There can be no reason. Margaret is not likely to give him cause for jealousy, and the man is in the possession of all his senses."
"Always, and at all times?" and Mrs. Dorriman leaned forward, breathing quickly and watching his face very anxiously.
"Anne," said Mr. Sandford, and this name from him was an especial sign of kindness towards her, "has any one told you anything? Depend upon it it is only gossip."
"It may be gossip, I trust it may be untrue; but why is Margaret, so to speak, shut up? She cannot go out even for a walk beyond the grounds; Jean says she has not been to see Grace for ever so long, and there must be some reason for his never answering any letter."
"I never heard this before. What do you mean about Margaret? I think you are speaking great nonsense."
"Jean says that the poor thing never gets out. At first she went out and he went with her--followed her like a shadow--now he does not go himself, and she is kept a perfect prisoner. No one is allowed to go near the house. I assure you, brother, I have been longing for you to be well to speak about it."