And this brought her to the point--which was, that she was sorry to say, on arriving, the poor child was nearly wild with a headache from fatigue and had gone to bed, and she had promised not to disturb her.
The undisguised amusement, mingled with relief, that had overspread Barker's face during this lively recital might have pricked the conscience of Mrs.Horncastle, but for some reason I fear it did not.
But it emboldened her to go on.

"I said I promised her that I would see she wasn't disturbed; but, of course, now that YOU, her HUSBAND, have come, if"-- "Not for worlds," interrupted Barker earnestly.

"I know poor Kitty's headaches, and I never disturb her, poor child, except when I'm thoughtless." And here one of the most thoughtful men in the world in his sensitive consideration of others beamed at her with such frank and wonderful eyes that the arch hypocrite before him with difficulty suppressed a hysterical desire to laugh, and felt the conscious blood flush her to the root of her hair.

"You know," he went on, with a sigh, half of relief and half of reminiscence, "that I often think I'm a great bother to a clear-headed, sensible girl like Kitty.

She knows people so much better than I do.