Adela endeavoured to let the remark pass without replying to it. But her thought expressed itself involuntarily.
‘His marriage? What do you know of it?’
‘Mr. Wyvern came to see mother this morning, and showed her a newspaper that your mother gave him. It said that Mr. Eldon was going to marry an actress, and Mr. Wyvern declared there was not a word of truth in it. But of course your mother told you that?’
Adela sat motionless. Mrs. Waltham had not troubled herself to make known the vicar’s contradiction. But Adela could not allow herself to admit that. Binding her voice with difficulty, she said:
‘It does not at all concern me.’
‘But your mother did tell you, Adela?’ Letty persisted, emboldened by a thought which touched upon indignation.
‘Of course she did.’
The falsehood was uttered with cold deliberateness. There was nothing to show that a pang quivered on every nerve of the speaker.
‘Who can have sent such a thing to the paper?’ Letty exclaimed. ‘There must be someone who wishes to do him harm. Adela, I don’t believe anything that people have said!’
Even in speaking she was frightened at her own boldness. Adela’s eyes had never regarded her with such a look as now.