“So Charles Huyton is really going to marry Miss Dora Barham,” said Mr. Ufford to the party at the Vicarage. “I wonder whether she is satisfied now.”
“How did you hear that?” was Hilary’s reply.
“Oh! I had a letter from Huyton this morning, announcing his good fortune; hoping my poor brother would not take it amiss that he had succeeded where George had failed. I own I am more surprised, however, at Huyton’s proposal than at the young lady’s answer.”
“You have not heard any thing more from Italy, I suppose?” inquired Hilary, to whom the other subject was distasteful.
“I heard this morning that Lord and Lady Rupert, that is Dunsmore’s sister-in-law and her husband, have left Florence, and must now be at Naples with my brother.”
“I am glad of that,” said Gwyneth, eagerly, “it will be a relief to our mind to know he has some one with him; and you like Lady Rupert, I think.”
“Yes, I do not feel it so necessary to start immediately, and as George was so very anxious to hear that his projects are put en train, perhaps it would be better to make some definite arrangements regarding the church and school, at least before I go.”
Accordingly papers were produced, plans and estimates looked over, calculations made, and statistics gone into. In the midst of all, while Gwyneth was busy noting down for Mr. Ufford some important calculations, and Hilary was explaining to her father the plan ultimately decided on, Gwyneth suddenly observed,
“I wonder Dora is going to marry before Isabel; I am so surprised that she should remain so long single. What do you suppose is the reason?”
“I really do not think such things are worth speculating about,” observed Mrs. Hepburn, who particularly wished to avoid the subject.