He took one; and drawing a spectacle-case from his pocket, leisurely pulled out a pair of spectacles, which he adjusted on his nose.
‘You don’t know me, ma’am?’ he said, looking so intently at Arabella that she began to feel alarmed.
‘No, sir,’ she replied timidly.
‘No,’ said the gentleman, nursing his left leg; ‘I don’t know how you should. You know my name, though, ma’am.’
‘Do I?’ said Arabella, trembling, though she scarcely knew why. ‘May I ask what it is?’
‘Presently, ma’am, presently,’ said the stranger, not having yet removed his eyes from her countenance. ‘You have been recently married, ma’am?’
‘I have,’ replied Arabella, in a scarcely audible tone, laying aside her work, and becoming greatly agitated as a thought, that had occurred to her before, struck more forcibly upon her mind.
‘Without having represented to your husband the propriety of first consulting his father, on whom he is dependent, I think?’ said the stranger.
Arabella applied her handkerchief to her eyes.
‘Without an endeavour, even, to ascertain, by some indirect appeal, what were the old man’s sentiments on a point in which he would naturally feel much interested?’ said the stranger.