“The proper person to ask must have been Uncle Fountain himself.”
“As if he would have told me the truth.”
“He is a gentleman, aunt, and would not have uttered a falsehood.”
“Doctrine of chivalry! He would have uttered half a dozen in one minute. Besides, why should I question a person I can read without. Your uncle, with his babyish cunning that everybody sees through, has given me the only proof I wanted. He has not had Mr. Talboys here once since I came.”
“Cunning little aunt! Mr. Talboys happens not to be at home; uncle told me so himself.”
“Simple little niece, uncle told you a fib; Mr. Talboys is at home. And observe! until I came to Font Abbey, he was here three times a week. You admit that. I come; your uncle knows I am not so unobservant as you, and Mr. Talboys is kept out of sight.”
“The proof that my uncle has deceived me,” said Lucy, coldly, and with lofty incredulity.
“Read that note from Miss Dodd!”
“What! you in correspondence with Miss Dodd?”
“That is to say, she has thrust herself into correspondence with me—just like her assurance.”