And at last she said—
“Great news Mr. Trevor tells me of William.” She had already resolved against opening the Trevor budget to its more interesting recesses. “William Maubray—he’s going to marry—to make a great match in some respects—money, beauty⸺”
“Oh!” said Violet with a smile.
“Yes; a Miss Kincton Knox. He has been residing in the house; an only daughter. Kincton is the place.”
Something of this Violet had heard before she left Gilroyd, but not all; and Aunt Dinah went on—
“They are connected somehow with Mr. Trevor, whom I’ve grown to like extremely, and he saw William there; and from what he told me I look upon it as settled, and so in fact does he.”
“It’s very cold, isn’t it, to-night?” said Miss Violet. “That’s all very nice—very well for William Maubray.”
“Very well; better, perhaps, than he deserves. Had I been, however, as we used to be, I should have endeavoured to postpone it, to induce the parties to defer it for a little—in fact for five years. I may say, indeed, I should have made a point of it; because I—I happen to know that his marrying within that time will be attended with the worst consequences.”
There was a silence.
“Very cold,” repeated Miss Violet, drawing a little nearer to the fire.