When she knocked at his door
late in the evening he was regularly not in his room. It was known
in the house how much he was worried; he was horribly nervous about
his ordeal. It was to begin on the 23rd of June, and his father was
as worried as himself. The wedding had been arranged in relation to
this; they wished poor Godfrey's fate settled first, though they felt
the nuptials would be darkened if it shouldn't be settled right.
Ten days after that performance of her private undertaking Adela
began to sniff, as it were, a difference in the general air; but as
yet she was afraid to exult. It wasn't in truth a difference for the
better, so that there might be still a great tension. Her father,
since the announcement of his intended marriage, had been visibly
pleased with himself, but that pleasure now appeared to have
undergone a check. She had the impression known to the passengers on
a great steamer when, in the middle of the night, they feel the
engines stop. As this impression may easily sharpen to the sense
that something serious has happened, so the girl asked herself what
had actually occurred. She had expected something serious; but it
was as if she couldn't keep still in her cabin--she wanted to go up
and see. On the 20th, just before breakfast, her maid brought her a
message from her brother. Mr. Godfrey would be obliged if she would
speak to him in his room. She went straight up to him, dreading to
find him ill, broken down on the eve of his formidable week.
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