Instantly the Colonel assumed a serious manner, not the most serious, such as he wore at funerals, but still one suited to a grave occasion.
“Yes, I have.”
“You remember all that you said?”
“Certainly, Miss Fregelius; and I assume that for the purposes of this conversation it need not be repeated.”
She bowed her head, and replied, “I have come to explain and to tell you three things. First, that all these stories are false except that about the singing. Secondly, that whoever is responsible for them has made it impossible that I should live in Monksland, so I am going to London to earn my own living there. And, thirdly, that I hope you will excuse my absence from dinner as I think the more I keep to myself until we go to-morrow, the better; though I reserve to myself the right to speak to Mr. Monk on this subject and to say good-bye to him.”
“She is taking it hard and she is fond of him—deuced fond of him, poor girl,” thought the Colonel; but aloud he said, “My dear Miss Fregelius, I never believed the stories. As for the principal one, common sense rebels against it. All I said to your father was that there appears to be a lot of talk about the place, and, under the circumstances of my son’s engagement, that he might perhaps give you a friendly hint.”
“Oh! indeed; he did not put it quite like that. He gave me to understand that you had told him—that I was—so—so much in love with Mr. Monk that on this account I had—rejected Mr. Layard.”
“Please keep walking,” said the Colonel, “or you really will catch cold.” Then suddenly he stopped, looked her sharply in the face, much as he had done to Eliza, and said, “Well, and are you not in love with him?”
For a moment Stella stared at him indignantly. Then suddenly he saw a blush spread upon her face to be followed by an intense pallor, while the pupils of the lovely eyes enlarged themselves and grew soft. Next instant she put her hand to her heart, tottered on her feet, and had he not caught her would perhaps have fallen.
“I do not think I need trouble you to answer my question, which, indeed, now that I think of it, was one I had no right to put,” he said as she recovered herself.