"To whom?"
"To an acquaintance of yours."
"Who can you mean?"
"A very old acquaintance of yours."
"My dear Ellen, you are taking quite a wrong road: this lane leads to no house and to no cottage that we are acquainted with."
"I beg your pardon; it leads to Bridman Manor, and I am going there."
"Who do you know there?"
"Nobody; but I am going to make acquaintance with your old nurse, Mrs. Tracy."
He muttered something which sounded to me like an oath, and as I turned and looked at him, I was astonished at the singular expression of his countenance. He smiled, however, and said:
"You will be making acquaintance in that case with one of the most insupportable women that ever lived. I strongly recommend you to keep out of her way. She wears my life out with her querulous temper and tiresome complaints; and as I do not want to go through a scene with her, you would greatly oblige me, Ellen, by giving up this project."