Captain Lenox shut the album, and put it aside. Then he and Mother talked about all sorts of things for half-an-hour. I do think he must be a really and truly good man,—if only one could be quite sure that he has treated Miss Conway rightly. But that is the puzzle!
August 18. Tuesday.—A letter from Maggie to-day. She says they find that Lady Denham and Sir Keith have taken rooms in a farm-house, quite near Beckdale House.
Then that must be where Captain Lenox is going!
Does Captain Lenox know? And does Miss Con know? And would either of them care?
Maggie doesn't write a word about Captain Lenox. She only speaks of the Denhams: and she seems to be in such a state of excitement about Sir Keith and his mother going. How odd Maggie is!
Miss Pursey said last week to me that everybody in Glynde expected Sir Keith to marry Nellie some day. And she seemed to think that he only had to ask Nellie, and Nellie would be sure to say "Yes." That vexed me; and besides I don't believe there is the least chance of such a thing.
Of course if it were for Nellie's happiness, I should be very glad,—only not for my own sake. For if she had a husband, I could not write to her comfortably about everything, as I do now. I should always fancy him peeping over her shoulder at my letters while she read them. Still I would not be so selfish as to think of that: only I don't believe Nellie admires Sir Keith particularly.
Mother says we must be very careful not to make mischief about Captain Lenox going to Yorkshire. So we do not mean to whisper one word about it to anybody, least of all to any of the Romillys.
Part of Maggie's letter is filled up with particulars of a new story she has in hand. She says she has "written to two well-known authoresses," asking them how she is to get it into print.
I don't quite see what the authoresses are to do. If the story is worth printing, some publisher would be almost sure to take it: and if not, the authoresses can't make it so. But perhaps they might give her some useful hints.