And as she prayed, the wish arose that George had been, more like him.

He would not then have deserted her, she sobbed, while again her lips breathed a prayer for Irving Stanley, thoughts of whom even then made her once broken heart beat as she had never expected it to beat again.
So absorbed was Adah that she did not hear the returning footsteps as Irving came across the hall.

He had remembered some directions he would give her, and at the risk of being left, had come back a moment.

She did not hear the turning of the knob, the opening of the door, or know that he for whom she prayed was standing so near to her that he heard distinctly what she said, kneeling there by the chair where he had sat, her fair head bent down and her face concealed from view.
"God in heaven bless and keep the noble Irving Stanley." * * * * * In the office below, Dr.Richards, who had purposely stopped for the day in Albany, smoked his expensive cigars, ordered oysters and wine sent to his room--the very one adjoining Adah's--made two or three calls, wrote an explanatory note to 'Lina--feeling half tempted to leave out the "Dear," with which he felt constrained to preface it--thought again of Lily--poor Lily, as he always called her--thought once of the strange woman and the little boy, in whom Irving Stanley had been so interested, wondered where they were going, and who it was the boy looked a little like--thought somehow of Anna in connection with that boy; and then, late in the afternoon, sauntered down to the Boston depot, and took his seat in the car, which, at about ten o'clock that night would deposit him at Snowdon.

There were no "squalling brats" to disturb him, for Adah, unconscious of his proximity, was in the rear car--pale, weary, and nervous with the dread which her near approach to Terrace Hill inspired.