Then I held her
by the arm while I said:
"It is not necessary now; you are too late."
A look of horror came into her face, and I continued slowly: "I
procured Brandon's release nearly a week ago; I did what you should
have done, and he is now at our rooms in Greenwich."
Mary looked at me a moment, and, turning pale, pressed her hands to
her heart and leaned against the door frame.
After a short silence she said: "Edwin Caskoden--fool! Why could you
not have told me that at first? I thought my brain would burn and my
heart burst."
"I should have told you had you given me time. As to the pain it gave
you"--this was the last charge of my large magazine of indignation--"I
care very little about that. You deserve it. I do not know what
explanation you have to offer, but nothing can excuse you. An
explanation, however good, would have been little comfort to you had
Brandon failed you in Billingsgate that night."
She had fallen into a chair by this time and sat in reverie, staring
at nothing.
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