‘Robert, you must have lost the use of your tongue, for want of us to talk to. I shall be affronted if you go into a brown study the first day of seeing me.’
He smiled in a constrained manner, and after a few minutes said, ‘I have been considering whether this is a fit time to tell you what will give you pain. You must tell me if you can bear it.’
‘About Lily, or the little ones?’
‘No, no! only about yourself. Your father wished me to speak to you, but I would not have done so on this first meeting, but what you have just been saying makes me think this is the best occasion.’
‘Let me know; I do not like suspense,’ said Jane, sharply.
‘I think it right to tell you, Jane, that neither your father nor I thought it would be desirable for you to be confirmed at this time.’
‘Do you really mean it?’ said Jane.
‘Look back on the past year, and say if you sincerely think you are fit for confirmation.’
‘As to that,’ said Jane, ‘the best people are always saying that they are not fit for these things.’
‘None can call themselves worthy of them; but I think the conscience of some would bear them witness that they had profited so far by their present means of grace as to give grounds for hoping that they would derive benefit from further assistance.’