Mrs. Gilbert, though a simple and unguarded woman, could read faces like the rest, and she saw at once that her sister was very much put out by this visit of Mr. Hope, and wanted to know what had passed between her and him. This set the poor woman all in a flutter for fear she should have said something injudicious, and there-upon she prepared to find out, if possible, what she ought to have said.
"What! Mr. Hope!" said Mrs. Easton. "Well, Mary will be glad. And have you been long home, sir?"
"Came last night," said Hope. "She hasn't been well, I hear. What is the matter?" And he looked very anxious.
"Well, sir," said Mrs. Easton, very guardedly, "she certainly gave me a fright when she came here. She looked quite pale; but whether it was that she wanted a change—but whatever it was, it couldn't be very serious. You shall judge for yourself. Sister, go to Miss Mary's room, and tell her."
Mrs. Easton, in giving this instruction, frowned at her sister as much as to say, "Now don't speak, but go."
When she was gone, the next thing was to find out if the woman had made any foolish admission to Mr. Hope; so she waited for him.
She had not long to wait.
Hope said: "I hardly expected to see you; your sister said you were from home."
"Well, sir," said Mrs. Easton, "we were not so far off, but we did come home a little sooner than we intended, and I am rare glad we did, for Miss Mary wouldn't have missed you for all the views in the county."
With that she made an excuse, and left him. She found her sister in
Mary's room: they were comparing notes.