He had nearly run over her; she was so still; gathered there against the wall, just beyond the window.
"I beg your pardon, Georgina; I was deep in thought."
"Is it not a lovely night?"
"Yes, I suppose so. How long"--he dropped his voice--"is Mrs. Carleton going to remain here? Do you know?"
"Not I. How should I? Mrs. Darling and Rose leave tomorrow."
There was a pause. He held out his arm to Georgina, and began slowly to pace the terrace with her. She looked very fair, very lovely in the moonlight.
"How came Mrs. Carleton to prolong her stay beyond that of her mother and sister?"
"As if I knew! Sir Isaac pressed it, I think I heard him say to her one day that as Mrs. St. John intended to spend the winter at Castle Wafer, she could not do better than promise him to remain also. Don't you like her?"
"Not very much, I think."
"I did like her. I cannot tell you how much I pitied her. It seems so hard a fate to lose her husband and her two children, and now to have lost Alnwick. But she won't let me like her; she is so very distant with me; repellant might be the better word; and so I think she is making me dislike her. I like Rose."