Indeed, sometimes, when the door by which she used to enter was opened by any chance, Molly caught herself looking round as if she expected to see the tall, languid figure in the elegant draperies of rich silk and soft lace, which Mrs Hamley was wont to wear of an evening.This evening, it struck her, as a new thought of pain, that into that room she would come no more.She had fixed to give her father's message at this very point of time; but something in her throat choked her, and she hardly knew how to govern her voice.The squire got up and went to the broad fire-place, to strike into the middle of the great log, and split it up into blazing, sparkling pieces.His back was towards her.Molly began, 'When papa was here to-day, he bade me tell you he had written to Mr Roger Hamley to say that - that he thought he had better come home; and he enclosed a letter to Mr Osborne Hamley to say the same thing.' The squire put down the poker, but he still kept his back to Molly.'He sent for Osborne and Roger?' he asked, at length.Molly answered, 'Yes.' Then there was a dead silence, which Molly thought would never end.The squire had placed his two hands on the high chimney-piece, and stood leaning over the fire.'Roger would have been down from Cambridge on the 18th,' said he.'And he has sent for Osborne, too! Did he know,' - he continued, turning round to Molly, with something of the fierceness she had anticipated in voice and look.In another moment he had dropped his voice.'It is right, quite right.I understand.It has come at length.Come! come! Osborne has brought it on, though,' with a fresh access of anger in his tones.'She might have'
(some word Molly could not hear - she thought it sounded like 'lingered')'but for that.I cannot forgive him; I cannot.' And then he suddenly left the room.While Molly sate there still, very sad in her sympathy with all, he put his head in again, - 'Go to her, my dear; I cannot - not just yet.But I will soon.Just this bit; and after that I won't lose a moment.You are a good girl.God bless you!' It is not to be supposed that Molly had remained all this time at the Hall without interruption.Once or twice her father had brought her a summons home.Molly thought she could perceive that he had brought it unwillingly;in fact, it was Mrs Gibson that had sent for her, almost, as it were, to preserve a 'right of way' through her actions.'You shall come back to-morrow, or the next day,' her father had said.