As noiselessly as a little gray mouse she opened the study door and crept in . The room was dark with twilight . Her father was sitting at his desk . His back was towards her -- his head was in his hands . He was talking to himself -- broken , anguished words -- but Una heard -- heard and understood , with the sudden illumination that comes to sensitive , unmothered children . As silently as she had come in she slipped out and closed the door . John Meredith went on talking out his pain in what he deemed his undisturbed solitude . CHAPTER XXXIV . UNA VISITS THE HILL Una went upstairs . Carl and Faith were already on their way through the early moonlight to Rainbow Valley , having heard therefrom the elfin lilt of Jerry 's jews-harp and having guessed that the Blythes were there and fun afoot . Una had no wish to go . She sought her own room first where she sat down on her bed and had a little cry . She did not want anybody to come in her dear mother 's place . She did not want a stepmother who would hate her and make her father hate her . But father was so desperately unhappy -- and if she could do any anything to make him happier she MUST do it . There was only one thing she could do -- and she had known the moment she had left the study that she must do it . But it was a very hard thing to do . After Una cried her heart out she wiped her eyes and went to the spare room . It was dark and rather musty , for the blind had not been drawn up nor the window opened for a long time . Aunt Martha was no fresh-air fiend .
But as nobody ever thought of shutting a door XXXXX the manse this did not matter so much , save when some unfortunate minister came to stay all night and was compelled to breathe the spare room atmosphere .
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