"At all events, love beautified her."
"I saw no difference. She was always a lovely girl."
"Why, you said she was 'a long black thing.'"
"Oh, that was before—she looked engaged."
After this young Fitzroy was generally Miss Clifford's companion in her many walks, and Walter Clifford had a delightful time with Mary Bartley.
Her nurse discovered how matters were going. But she said nothing. From something Bartley let fall years ago she divined that Bartley was robbing Walter Clifford by substituting Hope's child for his own, and she thought the mischief could be repaired and the sin atoned for if he and Mary became man and wife. So she held her tongue and watched.
The servants at the Hall watched the whole game, and saw how the young people were pairing, and talked them over very freely.
The only person in the dark was Colonel Clifford. He was nearly always confined to his room. However, one day he came down, and found Julia and Percy together. She introduced Percy to him. The Colonel was curt, but grumpy, and Percy soon beat a retreat.
The Colonel sent for Walter to his room. He did not come for some time, because he was wooing Mary Bartley.
Colonel Clifford's first word was, "Who was that little stuttering dandy
I caught spooning your Julia?"