Miss Nugent obeyed with her usual alacrity; and the moment she entered the room, Lady Clonbrony, fixing her eyes full upon her, said, “There’s your cousin Colambre tells me his affections are engaged.”
“Yes, to Miss Broadhurst, no doubt,” said Miss Nugent, smiling, with a simplicity and openness of countenance, which assured Lady Clonbrony that all was safe in that quarter: a suspicion which had darted into her mind was dispelled.
“No doubt—Ay, do you hear that no doubt, Colambre?—Grace, you see, has no doubt; nobody has any doubt but yourself, Colambre.”
“And are your affections engaged, and not to Miss Broadhurst?” said Miss Nugent, approaching Lord Colambre.
“There now! you see how you surprise and disappoint every body, Colambre.”
“I am sorry that Miss Nugent should be disappointed,” said Lord Colambre.
“But because I am disappointed, pray do not call me Miss Nugent, or turn away from me, as if you were displeased.”
“It must, then, be some Cambridgeshire lady,” said Lady Clonbrony. “I am sure I am very sorry he ever went to Cambridge—Oxford I advised: one of the Miss Berryls, I presume, who have nothing. I’ll have no more to do with those Berryls—there was the reason of the son’s vast intimacy. Grace, you may give up all thoughts of Sir Arthur.”
“I have no thoughts to give up, ma’am,” said Miss Nugent, smiling. “Miss Broadhurst,” continued she, going on eagerly with what she was saying to Lord Colambre, “Miss Broadhurst is my friend, a friend I love and admire; but you will allow that I strictly kept my promise, never to praise her to you, till you should begin to praise her to me. Now recollect, last night, you did praise her to me, so justly, that I thought you liked her, I confess; so that it is natural I should feel a little disappointed. Now you know the whole of my mind; I have no intention to encroach on your confidence; therefore, there is no occasion to look so embarrassed. I give you my word, I will never speak to you again upon the subject,” said she, holding out her hand to him, “provided you will never again call me Miss Nugent. Am I not your own cousin Grace?—Do not be displeased with her.”
“You are my own dear cousin Grace; and nothing can be farther from my mind than any thought of being displeased with her; especially just at this moment, when I am going away, probably, for a considerable time.”