It seemed to her that life was useless--worse than useless, odious and unendurable--without it.
But even while she was thinking this, with a cold blank misery in her heart, she had to invent some excuse for this unseemly visit.
"I have waited so anxiously for you to call," she said at last, in a nervous hesitating way, "and I began to fear that you must be ill, and I wished to consult you about the management of my affairs.

My lawyers worry me so with questions which I don't know how to answer, and I have so few friends in the world whom I can trust except you; so at last I screwed up my courage to call upon you." "I am deeply honoured by your confidence, Mrs.Branston," John Saltram answered, looking at her gravely with those weary haggard eyes, with the air of a man who brings his thoughts back to common life from some far-away region with an effort.

"If my advice or assistance can be of any use to you, they are completely at your service.

What is this business about which your solicitor bothers you ?" "I'll explain that to you directly," Adela answered, taking some letters from her pocket-book.

"How good you are! I knew that you would help me; but tell me first why you have never been to Cavendish-square in all this long time.