As Dorothea entered the library, Mr. Casaubon turned round from the table where he had been placing some books, and said—
“I was waiting for your appearance, my dear. I had hoped to set to work at once this morning, but I find myself under some indisposition, probably from too much excitement yesterday. I am going now to take a turn in the shrubbery, since the air is milder.”
“I am glad to hear that,” said Dorothea. “Your mind, I feared, was too active last night.”
“I would fain have it set at rest on the point I last spoke of, Dorothea. You can now, I hope, give me an answer.”
“May I come out to you in the garden presently?” said Dorothea, winning a little breathing space in that way.
“I shall be in the Yew-tree Walk for the next half-hour,” said Mr. Casaubon, and then he left her.
Dorothea, feeling very weary, rang and asked Tantripp to bring her some wraps. She had been sitting still for a few minutes, but not in any renewal of the former conflict: she simply felt that she was going to say “Yes” to her own doom: she was too weak, too full of dread at the thought of inflicting a keen-edged blow on her husband, to do anything but submit completely. She sat still and let Tantripp put on her bonnet and shawl, a passivity which was unusual with her, for she liked to wait on herself.
“God bless you, madam!” said Tantripp, with an irrepressible movement of love towards the beautiful, gentle creature for whom she felt unable to do anything more, now that she had finished tying the bonnet.
This was too much for Dorothea’s highly-strung feeling, and she burst into tears, sobbing against Tantripp’s arm. But soon she checked herself, dried her eyes, and went out at the glass door into the shrubbery.