To go herself, or to
write a letter, she felt to be almost equally out of the
question. It occurred to her then to send Nancy.
There had been a time when Nancy would have rejoiced greatly at
this extraordinary opportunity to see something of the House of
Mystery and its master. But to-day her heart was too heavy to,
rejoice at anything. She scarcely even looked about her at all,
indeed, during the few minutes, she waited for Mr. John Pendleton
to appear.
"I'm Nancy, sir," she said respectfully, in response to the
surprised questioning of his eyes, when he came into the room.
"Miss Harrington sent me to tell you about--Miss Pollyanna."
"Well?"
In spite of the curt terseness of the word, Nancy quite
understood the anxiety that lay behind that short "well?"
"It ain't well, Mr. Pendleton," she choked.
"You don't mean--" He paused, and she bowed her head miserably.
"Yes, sir. He says--she can't walk again--never."
For a moment there was absolute silence in the room; then the man
spoke, in a voice shaken with emotion.
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