"Who else wept for me?" enquired he with something more than curiosity.
"Your old housekeeper, and your gardener's daughter," replied Lady Gordon maliciously.
"Nobody else?"
"Abominable conceit—who else do you expect to hear of?" exclaimed she, "I declare all men are alike, if you give the smallest encouragement to their good opinion of themselves, they set no bounds to their presumptuous expectations. I shall tell you no more. Find out for yourself who feels any interest in your fate."
"Miss Carr expressed great sensibility on the occasion," interrupted Sir William, "I was dancing with her at the time the news arrived, and she said:
"'Dear me, how very shocking—poor young man.'"
"Thank you," replied Howard with a glow of satisfaction, "you have told me quite enough to satisfy a much less modest man than I am. I have heard sufficient. But I think I know how the report arose. I was left behind at a riding party, as the girth of my saddle broke, and I stopped at a country shop to get it repaired. I dare say in the imperfect Welsh which was all we could muster of the country's language, there was some confusion made between a broken girth and a broken neck, which gave rise to the distressing intelligence."
"That may be very possible," replied Lady Gordon, "but I shall never in future believe any report of your misfortunes again, and if you want me to grieve again for you, you must break your neck in good earnest."
"Excuse me, but I have no wish to cause you any concern, Lady Gordon, or to put your feelings to such a test."
"By the bye, when did you arrive, Howard?" enquired the baronet.