And this was the keenest stimulus of all.
What was his intention, and what his object?
To draw back was to find out neither; and to say the truth, even if she had not been friendless and forlorn, Rachel would have been very sorry to draw back now.
The raw air in her face had greatly revived her; the sights and lights of the town were still new and dear to her; she had come back to the world with a vengeance, to a world of incident and interest, with an adventure ready waiting to take her out of her past self! But it was only her companion's silence which enabled Rachel to realize her strange fortune at this stage, and she had to put her question point-blank before she obtained any answer at all.
"If you insist upon hearing all the little details to-night," said Steele, with a good-humored shrug, "well, I suppose you must hear them; but I hope you will not insist.

I have had to make provisions which you may very possibly resent, but I thought it would be time enough for us to quarrel about them in the morning.

To-night you need rest and sustenance, but no excitement; of that God knows you have had enough! No one will come near you but the maid of whom I spoke; no questions will be put to you; everything is arranged.

But to-morrow, if you feel equal to it, you shall hear all about me, and form your own cool judgment of my behavior towards you.

Meanwhile won't you trust me--implicitly--until then ?" "I do," said Rachel, "and I will--until to-morrow." "Then there are one or two things that I can promise you," said Steel, with the heartiness of a man who has gained his point.