Had she chanced to look into them ?--I asked.

Yes--and they had not interested her.

Would she allow me to read a few passages of the deepest interest, which had probably escaped her eye?
No, not now--she had other things to think of.

She gave these answers, with her attention apparently absorbed in folding and refolding the frilling on her nightgown.

It was plainly necessary to rouse her by some reference to those worldly interests which she still had at heart.
"Do you know, love," I said, "I had an odd fancy, yesterday, about Mr.
Bruff?
I thought, when I saw you after your walk with him, that he had been telling you some bad news." Her fingers dropped from the frilling of her nightgown, and her fierce black eyes flashed at me.
"Quite the contrary!" she said.