"You are quite sure that she is to be married?"
He was aware that she was watching him narrowly, and both his face and voice were entirely under control as he replied—
"I see no reason to doubt Mr. Musgrave's statement. He was just coming from the Rectory, and I know he was intimate with them."
"He was altogether mad with her for refusing to dance with him at our ball—Fanny Carr told me so."
Mr. Howard looked startled for a moment; and she proceeded—
"Fanny thought it showed a great want of breeding on her part to be so insolent to a guest of ours—she is not in a position to be disdainful of anyone—I should never think of calling her a lady."
She received no answer to this.
"Oh, I know you were vastly in love with her—I was quite expecting to have to congratulate you!"—with an attempt at archness.
Mr. Howard contented himself with bowing.
"I thought her rather handsome myself; but several gentlemen said to me that they did not at all think her anything out of the common."