Miss Taverner smiled saucily, and said: “I am persuaded you can no longer see to make your fringe, ma’am. Let me ring for some working-candles to be brought you!”
“Pray do not be so teasing!” besought her chaperon. “I have nothing in the world to say against Charles. Indeed I have the highest value for him; but a younger son, my dear, and without the least prospect of enlargement! for it is not to be supposed that Worth will stay single to oblige him, you know. I could tell you of any number of young ladies who have set their caps at him. He will certainly be thinking of getting married one day soon.”
“I shall be happy to wish him joy whenever that may be!” said Miss Taverner sharply. She picked up her book, read a few lines, lowered it again, and inquired hopefully: “Was it he who told you to discover whether I mean to marry Captain Audley or not?”
“Worth? No, my dear, upon my word it was not. He has not spoken to me of it at all.”
Miss Taverner resumed her book with an expression so forbidding that Mrs. Scattergood judged it wisest to say no more.
She was at a loss to know what to think. A natural shrewdness had induced her to suppose from the outset that Judith stood in very little danger of falling in love with the Captain. A hint that people were beginning to couple their names should have been enough, if she did not mean to marry him, to make her behave with more circumspection; but it had no effect on her at all. She continued to flirt with the Captain, and her brother in high good-humour, remarked to Mr. Taverner that he believed the pair would make a match of it yet.
“Audley and your sister!” said his cousin, turning a little pale. “Surely it is not possible!”
“Not possible! Why not?” asked Peregrine. “He is a capital fellow, I can tell you; not at all like Worth. I thought the instant I clapped eyes on him that he would do very well for Judith. It’s my belief that they have some sort of an understanding. I taxed Ju with it, but she only coloured up and laughed, and would not give me an answer.”
Peregrine’s own affairs soon took a turn for the better. He had lately fallen into the habit of driving over to Worthing twice a week, and spending the night with the Fairfords; and he was able to inform Judith on his return from one of these expeditions that Sir Geoffrey, being dissatisfied with the uncertainty of his daughter’s engagement, was coming to Brighton to seek an interview with Lord Worth.
“We shall see how that may answer,” said Peregrine in a tone of strong satisfaction. “However little Worth may attend to my entreaties, he cannot fail to pay heed to a man of Sir Geoffrey’s age and consequence. I fancy the wedding-bell will be soon fixed.”