“Not much,” she said, with something of a sigh in her tone. “I have been feeble to-day, but hope to gain strength rapidly. I expect to take a stroll every morning before breakfast, and to ride with brother in the afternoons.”
It was a very fine opening for engagements; but I had had enough of strolls, and so I said nothing. There was a pause of some length, during which I saw a scrap of paper lying on the table, and as my name was on it, I looked at it more closely. The light in the room was very dim, and Miss Finnock was all the while stealing quick glances at me; besides, I knew ‘twas highly improper to read it, yet under all these difficulties I managed to make out its purport. It was a note from Miss Belle Monte, Miss Finnock’s dearest friend and adviser, to her “precious Saph,” telling her that I was only trifling with her, that her brother had certain information that I was engaged to Miss Rurlestone; that my attentions to Miss F. were all insincere; that the best thing to do was to secure an interview with me, and, on my first committal, discard me promptly and finally.
I now saw that I had been invited to her parlor that she might have the credit of dismissing me, and I resolved that say what she would, I would not, by any reply, give her an opportunity of so doing.
“When do you think of leaving?” she asked, at length, lifting her head wearily from her hand.
“We will leave to-morrow or next day for Newport, where we will spend some weeks before going home.”
“Oh, that is too soon,” she said; “you have not seen enough of the Springs.”
“As I have not seen my parents in several years, and came on here to meet them, I must regulate my movements by theirs. Besides,” I continued, “they were here some time before I came, and desire a change—at least, Miss Rurlestone does, I am sure—as she has captured every heart here, and perhaps pines for more.” This I said a little maliciously.
“Miss Rurlestone can probably account for your filial devotion—at least gossip says so.”
“Gossip knows very little about such matters,” I replied, cautiously.
“But is gossip wrong in this instance?”