“He is quite well, thank you. I suppose you have heard of his good fortune?”
“Yes; I have heard of it,” said Mr. Crawley, gravely. “I hope that his promotion may tend in every way to his advantage here and hereafter.”
It seemed, however, to be manifest from the manner in which he expressed his kind wishes, that his hopes and expectations did not go hand-in-hand together.
“By-the-by, he desired us to say that he will call here to-morrow; at about eleven, didn’t he say, Fanny?”
“Yes; he wishes to see you about some parish business, I think,” said Mrs. Robarts, looking up for a moment from the anxious discussion in which she was already engaged with Mrs. Crawley on nursery matters.
“Pray tell him,” said Mr. Crawley, “that I shall be happy to see him; though, perhaps, now that new duties have been thrown upon him, it will be better that I should visit him at Framley.”
“His new duties do not disturb him much as yet,” said Lucy. “And his riding over here will be no trouble to him.”
“Yes; there he has the advantage over me. I unfortunately have no horse.”
And then Lucy began petting the little boy, and by degrees slipped a small bag of gingerbread-nuts out of her muff into his hands. She had not the patience necessary for waiting, as had her sister-in-law.
The boy took the bag, peeped into it, and then looked up into her face.