Wilkins.
"A what?" asked Mrs. Arbuthnot, incredulous of her hearing.
"All this coming away and leaving him in that dreary place while
I rollick in heaven. He had planned to take me to Italy for Easter
himself. Did I tell you?"
"No," said Mrs. Arbuthnot; and indeed she had discouraged talk
about husbands. Whenever Lotty had begun to blurt out things she had
swiftly changed the conversation. One husband led to another, in
conversation as well as in life, she felt, and she could not, she would
not, talk of Frederick. Beyond the bare fact that he was there, he had
not been mentioned. Mellersh had had to be mentioned, because of his
obstructiveness, but she had carefully kept him from overflowing
outside the limits of necessity.
"Well, he did," said Mrs. Wilkins. "He had never done such a
thing in his life before, and I was horrified. Fancy--just as I had
planned to come to it myself."
She paused on the path and looked up at Rose.
"Yes," said Rose, trying to think of something else to talk
about.
"Now you see why I say I've been a mean dog. He had planned a
holiday in Italy with me, and I had planned a holiday in Italy leaving
him at home. I think," she went on, her eyes fixed on Rose's face,
"Mellersh has every reason to be both angry and hurt.
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