Read "The Reverberator" by Henry James online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Her absence had not been long and when she re-entered the familiar salon at the hotel she found her father and sister sitting there together as if they had timed her by their watches, a prey, both of them, to curiosity and suspense. Mr. Dosson however gave no sign of impatience; he only looked at her in silence through the smoke of his cigar -- he profaned the red satin splendour with perpetual fumes -- as she burst into the room. An irruption she made of her desired reappearance; she rushed to one of the tables, flinging down her muff and gloves, while Delia, who had sprung up as she came in, caught her closely and glared into her face with a "Francie Dosson, what HAVE you been through? " Francie said nothing at first, only shutting her eyes and letting her sister do what she would with her. "She has been crying, poppa -- she HAS," Delia almost shouted, pulling her down upon a sofa and fairly shaking her as she continued. "Will you please tell? I've been perfectly wild!
Yes you have, you dreadful -- ! " the elder girl insisted, kissing her on the eyes. They opened at this compassionate pressure and Francie rested their troubled light on her father, who had now risen to his feet and stood with his back to the fire.