Henry gave her his arm to support her. 'Fear nothing,'
he whispered; 'I shall be with you.'
The Countess proceeded along the westward corridor, and stopped
at the door numbered Thirty-eight. This was the room which had
been inhabited by Baron Rivar in the old days of the palace:
it was situated immediately over the bedchamber in which Agnes had
passed the night. For the last two days the room had been empty.
The absence of luggage in it, when they opened the door, showed that it
had not yet been let.
'You see?' said the Countess, pointing to the carved figure at
the fire-place; 'and you know what to do. Have I deserved that you
should temper justice with mercy?' she went on in lower tones.
'Give me a few hours more to myself. The Baron wants money--
I must get on with my play.'
She smiled vacantly, and imitated the action of writing with her right
hand as she pronounced the last words. The effort of concentrating
her weakened mind on other and less familiar topics than the constant
want of money in the Baron's lifetime, and the vague prospect
of gain from the still unfinished play, had evidently exhausted
her poor reserves of strength.
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