"Cannot cousins be lovers, Fanny?"
Here the entrance of the servant with supper interrupted the conversation, and Seymour and I sat down to it with what appetite we could.
"It is astonishing," said Mr. Ridley, "what use and habit can effect; I have already conquered my horror at sight of your friend's face; and I see Mr. Pendarves has not only done the same, but I suspect he is meditating a drawing of it, to send to the Royal Society, as a lusus naturæ."
In spite of himself, Seymour smiled at this speech, and replied, while I looked very foolish, that he was gazing at me with wonder, as he could not conceive how I had gained so many inches in height since he saw me.
"I grew several inches after my fever," I replied.
"Fever? When—where—what fever, Helen? I never heard you were ill."
"Oh yes, I was—and my life was despaired of."
"You in danger, Helen, and I never knew it!"
"It was really very unkind," said Ridley, "to keep such a delightful piece of intelligence from you."
"But when was it, dear Helen?"