But she had no food, and no money.
She looked hard at her ring, and profited a little by contact with the
sturdy good sense of Vizard.
She said to herself, "Men understand one another. I believe father would
be angry with me for not."
Then she looked tenderly and wistfully at the ring, and kissed it, and
murmured, "Not to-night." You see she hoped she might have a letter in
the morning, and so respite her ring.
Then she made light of it, and said to herself, "No matter; 'qui dort,
dine.' "
But as it was early for bed, and she could not be long idle, sipping no
knowledge, she took up the last good German work that she had bought when
she had money, and proceeded to read. She had no candle, but she had a
lucifer-match or two, and an old newspaper. With this she made long
spills, and lighted one, and read two pages by that paper torch, and
lighted another before it was out, and then another, and so on in
succession, fighting for knowledge against poverty, as she had fought for
it against perfidy.
While she was thus absorbed, a carriage drew up at the door. She took no
notice of that; but presently there was a rustling of silk on the stairs,
and two voices, and then a tap at the door.
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