'Your own wish, my dear, could never be to give me uneasiness, which I assure you you did very considerably while in Ireland. The horrid people you made acquaintance with—my health, I'm certain, could never sustain a repetition of the shock I experienced then.'
My mother leaned back and closed her eyes, as if some very dreadful circumstance was passing across her memory; and I, half ashamed of the position to which she would condemn me, was silent.
'There, that aigrette will do very well there, I'm sure. I don't know why you are putting in all these things; I shall never want them again, in all likelihood.'
The depressed tone in which these words were spoken did not affect me much; for I knew well, from long habit, how my mother loved to dwell on the possibility of that event, the bare suggestion of which, from another, she couldn't have endured.
Just at this moment Julia entered in her travelling dress, a shawl thrown negligently across her shoulders.
'I hope I have not delayed you. John, are we to have your company too?'
'No, my dear,' said my mother languidly, 'he's going to leave us. Some foolish notion of active service——'
'Indeed!' said Julia, not waiting for the conclusion of the speech—'indeed!' She drew near me, and as she did so her colour became heightened, and her dark eyes grew darker and more meaning. 'You never told me this!'
'I only knew it about an hour ago myself,' replied I coolly; 'and when I was about to communicate my news to you I found you were engaged with a visitor—Lord de Vere, I think.'
'Ah, yes, very true; he was here,' she said quickly; and then perceiving that my eyes were fixed upon her, she turned her head hastily, and in evident confusion.