"I am most truly sorry. You have become indispensable to mother; she will miss you sorely."
"And you—will you miss me?"
I tried to say "For mother's sake I will," but I did not utter the words. Mr. Randolph gave me a quick glance.
"I have not told your mother yet that I am going," he said.
"I wondered if you had," I replied. "I thought of telling her myself to-day."
"Do not say anything until nearer the time," was his somewhat guarded response. "Ah! here comes the carriage."
"So you did order the carriage after all," I said, seeing that the same neat brougham which he had used on the last occasion stopped the way.
"You never forbade me to see you both home in the carriage," he said with a laugh. "Now then, Mrs. Wickham."
Mother had been standing a little back out of the crowd. He went to her, gave her his arm, and she stepped into the carriage, just as if it belonged to her. Mother had always that way with Mr. Randolph's possessions, and sometimes her manner towards him almost annoyed me. What could it mean. Did she know something about him which I had never heard of nor guessed?
The next day about noon Mr. Randolph entered Jane's sitting-room, where I often spent the mornings.