Nearly all the rest of the day and evening she spent in writing that
which we shall read in time--only in the late afternoon she went out for
a little while in her canoe. Another thing Beatrice did also: she called
at the lodging of her assistant, the head school teacher, and told
her it was possible that she would not be in her place on the Tuesday
(Monday was, as it chanced, a holiday). If anybody inquired as to her
absence, perhaps she would kindly tell them that Miss Granger had an
appointment to keep, and had taken a morning's holiday in order to do
so. She should, however, be back that afternoon. The teacher assented
without suspicion, remarking that if Beatrice could not take a morning's
holiday, she was sure she did not know who could.
Next morning they breakfasted very early, because Mr. Granger and
Elizabeth had to catch the train. Beatrice sat through the meal in
silence, her calm eyes looking straight before her, and the others,
gazing on them, and at the lovely inscrutable face, felt an indefinable
fear creep into their hearts. What did this woman mean to do? That was
the question they asked of themselves, though not of each other.
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