"And who is that?" pursued the lady, delighted that everybody's attention was so skilfully diverted from the broken arm.
"He is one of the men who wanted to marry me," said Millie clearly.
In the deadly pause that followed, she caught a glance, hastily passing under lowered lids, between Miss Lathom and her two elder pupils.
But the valiant Mrs. Cooper was equal even to this occasion.
"When dear Melicent has been with us a little longer, she will know that we do not talk of such things," she cooed, blushing as coyly as the heroine in a novel by Charles Reade.
The blush was not to be seen reflected on the stolid countenances of her daughters. They chewed on.
"What things?" asked Millie, bewildered.
"Our offers of—marriage," said her aunt, bringing out the bold word with a gulp. "You are a little young, darling, to be thinking of marriage for a great many years, are you not?"
"Yes; that is what I told them," replied Millie simply, fixing surprised eyes upon the lady's embarrassment.
The vicar cleared his throat.