She would go in and see Harriet, who would give her
something to eat. She cared little now for letting it be known that
she had left her employment; with the step which she had at last
taken, her position was quite changed; she had only kept silence
lest Waymark should come to know. Harriet was at first surprised to
see her then seemed glad.
"I've only a minute ago sent a note, asking you to be sure to come
round to-night. I wanted you to help me with this new hat; you have
such good taste in trimming."
Ida would have been astonished at another time; for Harriet to be
paying compliments was indeed something novel. There was a flush on
the latter's usually sallow face; she did not sit down, and kept
moving aimlessly about.
"Give me your hat and jacket," she said, "and let me take them into
the other room."
She took them away, and returned. Ida was not looking at her;
otherwise she must surely have noticed that weird pallor which had
all at once succeeded to the unhealthy flush, and the unwonted
gleaming of her eyes. Of what passed during those next two hours Ida
had afterwards no recollection. They ate together, and they talked,
Ida as if in a dream, Harriet preoccupied in a way quite out of her
habit.
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