Mary turned aside her head in order to hide the flush of pleasure which she could not keep down at hearing this proof of his anxiety to see them, and Helena said, "How wonderfully condescending it was of you to take the trouble to seek us out!"
"Nay, I could not well spend a day in Naples and not call upon you, for I had not time to do so in Rome after your ball."
"There is more of your provokingness. You will never allow one to imagine that you pay a compliment."
"Surely the Misses Elton must be surfeited with compliments, and therefore could not care for, or expect any, from a half-hermit like myself."
"Oh! a compliment is always acceptable when one can flatter one's self that it is true, and you, I suppose, would not deign to say anything which was not strictly so."
"Certainly not." He turned to Mary and said somewhat abruptly, "I hear that Mr. Lyne is here. Was it then a groundless on dit that he was going to marry Miss Adair?"
Poor Mary! What a blow this was to all her rising hopes, founded on the fact of his having shown anxiety to find them out. This question revealed to her the true motive of his visit. The revulsion of feeling was too great to allow her to speak at once, and Helena said, "Oh no, but Flora would not——"
"Helena!" interrupted Mary, sharply; "you are treading on my dress," and she laid her hand heavily on her sister's arm. Helena looked astonished, but remained silent, and Mr. Earnscliffe said—
"You were saying, Miss Helena, that Miss Adair 'would not——' Pray finish the sentence."