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Gissing, George, 1857-1903

"The Unclassed"

"
She hung upon his arm, trembling violently; and during the drive to
Paddington, she lay back with her eyes closed, holding Waymark's
hands in her own, which burned with fever. On alighting, they found
that Mrs. Enderby had indeed returned; the servant told them so, and
at the same time whispered something to Maud. They went up into the
drawing-room, and there found Mrs. Enderby lying upon the couch. She
could not understand when she was spoken to, but nodded her head and
looked at them with large, woebegone, wandering eyes. Every effort
to rouse her was vain.
It was a dreadful night.
The early dawn was in the sky when Waymark reached Beaufort Street.
With no thought of sleep, he sat down at once and wrote to Mr.
Woodstock, relating what had happened. "So, you see," he concluded,
"with the end of July has come the decision of my fate, as we agreed
it should. If I had seen you to-morrow, as I proposed, I know not
what folly I might have been guilty of. Tell Ida everything at once;
I shall never see her again. But do you, if you can, he my friend
still. I need your help in this horrible situation. Meet me--will
you?--at the office to-morrow night, say at eight o'clock.


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