"And have you any prospect of getting married?"
"Frank has gone to Africa for the present," said Lucy.
Aunt Caroline looked significant.
"I only hope," she said afterwards to Fanny, who let her out at the street-door, "that your sister has not fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous adventurer. It will be time when the young man comes home, if he ever does, for Mr. Pratt to make the proper inquiries."
Fanny had risen into favour since her engagement; Mr. Marsh, also, had won golden opinions at Lancaster Gate.
"I believe," Fanny replied, speaking for once to the point, "that Frank Jermyn is going to write, himself, to Mr. Pratt, at the first opportunity."
Meanwhile, upstairs in the sitting-room, Conny was delivering herself of her opinion that they had all behaved shamefully to Aunt Caroline.
"She had a right to know. And it is very good of her to trouble about such a set of ungrateful girls at all," she cried. "You can't expect every one besides yourselves to look upon Frank Jermyn as dropped from heaven."
"Aunt Caroline is cumulative—not to be judged at a sitting," pleaded Gertrude.
Very soon Constance herself rose to go.