“Ah, that’s the great thing! We’ve always been a family to hold our heads high, and I couldn’t hear anything to please me more about her. But I expect it’s little use my coming home and wanting her to keep house for me. She was a good-looking girl, and I’ve no doubt she’s looking forward to marrying on her savings, and then we shall be just as far apart as ever. Do you know, miss—if it’s not troubling you too much, and you won’t take it a liberty—if she’s got a sweetheart?”
I hesitated. The man’s cold curiosity seemed so unlike the warm interest of a brother that I began to wonder whether I was right in giving him the information he wanted. My doubts were so vague and his questions so very harmless, however, that, when he said—
“I beg your pardon, miss—of course it is not for a lady like you to interest yourself in the likes of us—”
I broke out—
“Oh, pray don’t think that! Sarah has an admirer, I know—”
I stopped. I could not say anything reassuring about Tom Parkes.
“Ah! An honest hard-working fellow, I hope, who’ll make her a good husband.”
He was more interested now, and was looking at me very searchingly.
“I can’t speak to a man’s prejudice behind his back,” said I slowly; “but—”
He was very much interested at last, and was waiting impatiently for my next words, when Mr. Rayner quietly entered the room. There had been no ring at the front door. He looked inquiringly at the man, whom I was just going to introduce as Sarah’s brother, when the latter anticipated me by saying quietly—