Bear with me for the little time I have still to
live. But if you find living under the same roof with me unendurable,
all the greater reason for you to seize the opportunity of releasing
yourself as quickly as possible."
Henrietta was too much used to these choleric outbursts to think of
replying to them.
"Pray, put your hand beneath my pillow. You will find a packet of papers
there. Take them out and look at them."
Henrietta did with stolid indifference what the old man bade her and
drew forth from this peculiar repository--which served as a sort of lair
for snuff-boxes, pill-boxes and odd bits of pastry--a large bundle of
manuscripts which she recognized at the first glance. The apprehended
papers, which during her illness had prevented her from sleeping, which
had made it impossible for her to get well, were now in the possession
of him from whom she had been most anxious to conceal them. The criminal
stood face to face with the witness whose damning evidence was to
condemn her. There was no escape, no defence.
"My little maid," said the old man, exultantly stuffing his eagle nose
full of that infernal heating material which goes by the name of snuff,
"don't be angry with me for directing your attention to this scribble. I
don't want to make any use of it. I know quite enough of it already,
but be so good as to listen to me!"
Henrietta absolutely could not look away from her grandfather's
blood-shot eyes; it seemed to her as if those eyes must gradually bore
through to her very heart.
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