She came across to
him and bent over him.
"Louis, what's going to happen to-morrow?" she asked presently.
"Gorse-grubbing. We've to get it all cleared now without delay."
"You know what I mean, dear. Can't you--won't you try not to go to
Klondyke at all? Louis, it would be so splendid if we could save all the
money for a few months and go home to England so that your mother can
see Andrew. Wouldn't it?"
He sighed.
"Shall I ask Mr. Twist to keep the money, and not give us any for six
months? That would be a good plan. We are always so happy except on pay
days, and you are so wretched after you've been to Klondyke."
He agreed absolutely, with such alacrity that she was a little doubtful
of him. Next morning when she went over to the Homestead at eight
o'clock she learned that he had come to Mr. Twist with a tale about
wanting the money for a visit to the store, and had gone off at six
o'clock. It was three days before he came back, dirty and haggard and
despairing almost to the verge of suicide.
During those three days Marcella deliberately left her work; she went to
the Homestead in the mornings, and fired some gorse in the afternoons;
dense clouds of smoke rose into the windless air. For the rest she made
Kraill talk, listening to him with an air of sitting at his feet. She
felt more despairing than ever.
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