"
I heard her breath catch, and turning away, she began to flutter
the pages of the book upon the table.
"And you were always so clever at guessing, weren't you?" she said
after a moment, keeping her face averted.
"At least it has saved your explaining the situation, and you should
be thankful for that."
The book slipped suddenly to the ground and lay, all unheeded, and
she began to laugh in a strange, high key. Wondering, I took a
step toward her; but as I did so she fled from me, running toward
the house, never stopping or slackening speed, until I had lost
sight of her altogether.
Thus the whole miserable business had befallen, dazing me by its
very suddenness like a "bolt from the blue." I had returned to the
'Three Jolly Anglers,' determined to follow the advice of the
Duchess and return to London by the next train. Yet, after passing
a sleepless night, here I was sitting in my old place beneath the
alders pretending to fish.
The river was laughing among the reeds just as merrily as ever, bees
hummed and butterflies wheeled and hovered - life and the world were
very fair.
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