“Of course I know nothing about it,” said
the lady to whom the appeal was thus made. “But
a young gentleman should keep himself to himself till
the time comes for him to speak out,—begging
your pardon all the same, Mr Cradell.”
“I don’t see what a married woman should
want with any one after her but her own husband,”
said Amelia.
“And perhaps not always that,” said John
Eames.
It was about an hour after this when the front-door
bell was rung, and a scream from Jemima announced
to them all that some critical moment had arrived.
Amelia, jumping up, opened the door, and then the
rustle of a woman’s dress was heard on the lower
stairs. “Oh, laws, ma’am, you have
given us sich a turn,” said Jemima. “We
all thought you was run away.”
“It’s Mrs Lupex,” said Amelia.
And in two minutes more that ill-used lady was in
the room.
“Well, my dears,” said she, gaily, “I
hope nobody has waited dinner.”
“No; we didn’t wait dinner,” said
Mrs Roper, very gravely.
“And where’s my Orson? Didn’t
he dine at home? Mr Cradell, will you oblige
me by taking my shawl? But perhaps you had better
not. People are so censorious; ain’t they,
Miss Spruce? Mr Eames shall do it; and everybody
knows that that will be quite safe. Won’t
it, Miss Amelia?”
“Quite, I should think,” said Amelia.
And Mrs Lupex knew that she was not to look for an
ally in that quarter on the present occasion.
Eames got up to take the shawl, and Mrs Lupex went
on.
“And didn’t Orson dine at home? Perhaps
they kept him down at the theatre. But I’ve
been thinking all day what fun it would be when he
thought his bird was flown.”
“He did dine at home,” said Mrs Roper;
“and he didn’t seem to like it. There
wasn’t much fun, I can assure you.”
“Ah, wasn’t there, though? I believe
that man would like to have me tied to his button-hole.
I came across a few friends,—lady friends,
Mr Cradell, though two of them had their husbands;
so we made a party, and just went down to Hampton
Court. So my gentleman has gone again, has he?
That’s what I get for gadding about myself, isn’t
it, Miss Spruce?”
Mrs Roper, as she went to bed that night, made up
her mind that, whatever might be the cost and trouble
of doing so, she would lose no further time in getting
rid of her married guests.
Lily’s Bedside
Lily Dale’s constitution was good, and her recovery
was retarded by no relapse or lingering debility;
but, nevertheless, she was forced to keep her bed
for many days after the fever had left her. During
all this period Dr Crofts came every day. It was
in vain that Mrs Dale begged him not to do so; telling
him in simple words that she felt herself bound not
to accept from him all this continuation of his unremunerated
labours now that the absolute necessity for them was
over. He answered her only by little jokes, or
