The Babington objections certainly made their way in Cambridge and out at Chesterton further than any others, and for a time did give a hope to Mrs. Bolton and Mrs. Nicholas,—­and made Robert Bolton shrug his shoulders uneasily when he heard all the details of the engagement in the linen-closet.  But there came at one moment a rumour, which did not count for much among the Boltons, but which disturbed Caldigate himself more than any of the other causes adduced for breaking off his intended marriage.  Word came that he had been very intimate with a certain woman on his way out to Melbourne;—­a woman supposed to be a foreigner and an actress; and the name of Cettini was whispered.  He did not know whence the rumour came;—­but on one morning Robert Bolton, half-laughing, but still with a tone of voice that was half-earnest, taxed him with having as many loves as Lothario.  ‘Who is Cettini?’ asked Robert Bolton.

‘Cettini?’ said Caldigate, with a struggle to prevent a blush.

‘Did you travel with such a woman?’

’Yes;—­at least, if that was her name.  I did not hear it till afterwards.  A very agreeable woman she was.’

‘They say that you promised to marry her when on board.’

’Then they lie.  But that is a matter of course.  There are so many lies going about that I almost feel myself to be famous.’

‘You did not see her after the journey?’

’Yes, I did.  I saw her act at Sydney; and very well she acted.  Have you anything else to ask?’ Robert Bolton said that he had nothing else to ask,—­and seemed, at the moment, to turn his half-serious mood into one that was altogether jocular.  But the mention of the name had been a wound; and when an anonymous letter a few days afterwards reached Hester herself he was really unhappy.  Hester made nothing of the letter—­did not even show it to her mother.  At that time a day had been fixed for their marriage; and she already regarded her lover as nearer to her than either father or mother.  The letter purported to be from some one who had travelled with her lover and this woman on board ship, and declared that everybody on board the ship had thought that Caldigate meant to marry the woman,—­who then, so said the letter, called herself Mrs. Smith.  Hester showed the letter to Caldigate, and then Caldigate told his story.  There had been such a woman, who had been much ill-treated because of her poverty.  He had certainly taken the woman’s part.  She had been clever and, as he had thought, well-behaved.  And, no doubt, there had been a certain amount of friendship.  He had seen her again in Sydney, where he had found her exercising her profession as an actress.  That had been all.  ‘I cannot imagine, dear,’ he said, ’that you should be jealous of any woman; but certainly not of such a one as she.’  ’Nor can I imagine,’ said Hester, stoutly, ’that I could possibly be jealous of any woman.’  And then there was nothing more said about the woman Smith-Cettini.