Robinson opened the door for Molly almost before the carriage had fairly drawn¹ up at the Hall, and told her that the squire² had been very anxious for her return, and had more than once sent him to an upstairs window, from which a glimpse of the hill-road between Hollingford and Hamley could be perceived, to know if the carriage was not yet in sight. Molly went into the drawing-room. The squire was standing³ in the middle of the floor, awaiting her; in fact, longing⁴ to go out and meet her, but restrained by a feeling of solemn etiquette⁵, which prevented his moving about as usual in that house of mourning. He held a paper in his hands, which were trembling with excitement and emotion; and four or five open letters were strewed⁶ on a table near him.

‘It’s all true,’ he began; ‘she’s his wife, and he’s her husband — was her husband — that’s the word for it — was! Poor lad! poor lad! it’s cost him a deal. Pray God, it was not my fault. Read this, my dear. It’s a certificate. It’s all regular — Osborne Hamley to Marie–Aimee Scherer — parish-church and all, and witnessed. Oh, dear!’ He sate⁷ down in the nearest chair and groaned⁸. Molly took a seat by him, and read the legal paper, the perusal⁹ of which was not needed to convince her of the fact of the marriage. She held it in her hand after she had finished reading it, waiting for the squire’s next coherent words; for he kept talking to himself in broken sentences. ‘Ay, ay! that comes o’ temper, and crabbedness. She was the only one as could — and I’ve been worse since she was gone. Worse! worse! and see what it has come to. He was afraid of me — ay — afraid. That’s the truth of it — afraid. And it made him keep all to himself, and care killed him. They may call it heart-disease — O my lad, my lad, I know better now; but it’s too late — that’s the sting of it — too late, too late!’ He covered his face, and moved himself

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