"Aunt Martha, how can you be so ridiculous?" said the young lady.
"I suppose it is ridiculous to ask the question to which one really wants to have an answer," said Mrs. Thorne. "But Mr. Dale has, in truth, come to inspect you, and to form an opinion; and, in honest truth, I shall be very anxious to know what he thinks,—though, of course, he won't tell me."
The old man took the girl in his arms, and kissed her on both cheeks. "I have no doubt you'll find out what I think," he said, "though I should never tell you."
"I generally do find out what people think," she said. "And so you're Lily Dale?"
"Yes, I'm Lily Dale."
"I have so often heard of you, particularly of late; for you must know that a certain Major Grantly is a friend of mine. We must take care that that affair comes off all right, must we not?"
"I hope it will." Then Lily turned to Emily Dunstable, and, taking her hand, went up and sat beside her, while Mrs. Thorne and the squire talked of the coming marriage. "How long have you been engaged?" said Lily.
"Really engaged, about three weeks. I think it is not more than three weeks ago."
"How very discreet Bernard has been. He never told us a word about it while it was going on."
"Men never do tell, I suppose," said Emily Dunstable.