"He only half told me," replied Marian, "but make haste, Clara, let me hear. Is Caroline really engaged?"
"Yes—yes—O yes! and every one is so delighted, Lady Julia, and Julia and Louisa, and all!"
"And she has accepted him?"
"O yes to be sure—at least—yes, only you know it is too soon to settle when they will be married. What a charming wedding it will be, won't it, Marian?—you and I find Julia and Louisa, and their cousins will be bridesmaids O! how delightful it will be. And then I shall come out."
"But Clara, Clara, don't be wild, do tell me all about it."
"Ah! you see you missed something by not coming to stay there as we did.
And to tell you a great secret, Marian, Louisa says she really believes
that it was you that her brother thought of, when he first accepted
Elliot's invitation to come and stay here."
"Nonsense," said Marian, though her colour would rise.
"And he had not seen Caroline then, Louisa says," proceeded Clara, but there she got into an inextricable confusion, and was not speedy in stammering out of it, having suddenly remembered that it was no great compliment to tell Marian that Louisa had said how glad they all were that it was not Miss Arundel. Marian cut the hesitation short by saying, "You have not told me when it was settled, or how you heard it."
"It was settled last night after you were gone—in the conservatory— such a pretty place for a love affair, as Louisa says—at least I mean he asked her, but I don't think she gave him any real regular answer— no, certainly she did not."
"Did you know of it that evening?"