But there was a great deal to be done before I could leave home for a
lengthy absence, and a week was occupied in arranging my business
affairs, and planning for the comfort and pleasure of my grandmother
while I should be away. Walkirk engaged the stenographer, and was the
greatest possible help to me in every way, but notwithstanding his
efforts to relieve me of work that was a busier week for me than any
week in my whole life. This was an advantage to me, for it kept me from
thinking too much of the reason for my hurried journey.
At last the day arrived on which the steamer was to sail, and the
generally cool Walkirk actually grew nervous in his efforts to get me
ready to start by the early morning train for the city. In these efforts
I did not assist him in the least. In fact had he not been with me I
think that I should not have tried to leave home in time to catch the
steamer. The more I thought of catching the steamer, the less I cared to
do so; the more I thought of leaving home, the less I cared to do so. It
was not that I was going away from Sylvia that made me thus reluctant to
start. It was because I was going away without taking leave of
her,--without a word or even a sign from her. I ground my teeth as I
thought of how I had lost the only chance I had had of bidding her
farewell, and of assuring her that, no matter what happened, I would be
constant to her and to the principles in which we had both come to
believe.
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