The disappointment
occasioned by his non-arrival was manifested
in the convalescent by inquietude, which was at
first mingled with peevishness, and afterwards
with doubt and fear. When two or three days
had passed without message or letter of any kind,
Gray himself became anxious, both on his own
account and the poor lady's, lest the stranger should
have actually entertained the idea of deserting this
defenceless and probably injured woman. He
longed to have some communication with her,
which might enable him to judge what enquiries
could be made, or what else was most fitting to be
done. But so imperfect was the poor young woman's
knowledge of the French language, and perhaps
so unwilling she herself to throw any light on
her situation, that every attempt of this kind proved
abortive. When Gray asked questions concerning
any subject which appeared to approach to explanation,
he observed she usually answered him by
shaking her head, in token of not understanding
what he said; at other times by silence and with
tears, and sometimes referring him to _Monsieur_.
For _Monsieur's_ arrival, then, Gray began to become
very impatient, as that which alone could put
an end to a disagreeable species of mystery, which
the good company of the borough began now to
make the principal subject of their gossip; some
blaming Gray for bringing foreign _landloupers_* into
* Strollers.
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