“Nancy, what in God’s name does this mean?”
His frightened wife asked what, and he read the announcement aloud.
He rose from table, and walked up and down the room.
“Did you know any thing of this?” inquired he. “What does it mean?”
“Dear me! I thought he was engaged to Hope Wayne,” replied Mrs. Newt, crying.
There was a moment’s silence. Then Mr. Newt said, with a sneer,
“It seems to me that a mother whose, daughter gets married without her knowledge is a very curious kind of mother—an extremely competent kind of mother.”
He resumed his walking. Mrs. Newt went on with her weeping. But Boniface Newt was aware of the possibilities in the case of Alfred, and therefore tried to recover himself and consider the chances.
“What do you know about this fellow?” said he, petulantly, to his wife.
“I don’t know any thing in particular,” she sobbed.