“Well, no, I think under the circumstances that would hardly answer. But she, with Mr and Mrs Fairfax—you know her sister was married last week—are to come and pay us a visit; so you will soon see Violante, and, no doubt, she will tell you all her little secrets.”
“I shall be so glad to see her. We shall miss her very much—she is as good and sweet as she is pretty. When?”
“When are they going to be married, do you mean?—I think in October.”
“That is very soon,” said Flossy.
“Yes, but there are reasons. Her father is going to live in Italy, at Civita Bella, and Hugh thinks he will take her there once more. And besides—I have something to tell you, Flossy, about myself.”
Flossy looked up at him, struck by the grave tone. He looked quite well, and had lost his air of languor and preoccupation; but his manner was serious, though now he looked in her face and smiled.
“Well, it is a long story, and I think you will be surprised. I can’t tell you how thoughtful Hugh has been for me through all this, and he knows I have come to a right decision, though he does not like it.”
Flossy still looked at him, unable to frame a question, and he went on:
“Perhaps you don’t know that our Bank has a sort of branch in Calcutta, not absolutely in connection with this one, but belonging to a cousin of my father’s. Our grandfather, I believe, owned them both. Hugh had a letter last week from this cousin, saying that his son, who has been educated in England—I don’t know if you remember him—Walter Spencer—he spent Christmas with us once—had found, on coming out, that India did not suit his health, and had to throw up the good opening out there. He is a very clever fellow, I believe; and, though his father did not exactly say so, I think he hoped that Hugh would make some proposal to him. He offers his vacant place to me, or to George, if I was otherwise provided for—you see he knows nothing of the circumstances.”
Arthur had made many pauses during this long speech; but Flossy did not answer him a word. She turned deadly pale, and there was an expression in her large blue eyes as she resolutely returned his enquiring looks so miserable that he could not forget it. He could not but see that his words affected her very strongly.