'To remark that your position will be remarked upon as peculiar is, I am aware, to make a fruitless expenditure of words in your hearing, Miss Hazel. But it will not make much difference what you do, my dear. They will find the article, in its varieties, at every other house that is open to them.' Mr. Falkirk was thinking probably of young men.
'Well, sir—I, at least, will have no part in making any man unfit to speak to a woman.'
Mr. Falkirk ruminated again, and then broke out:
'Why did not Rollo come with Miss Maryland yesterday?'
'I presume, because he did not want to come,—but perhaps you had better ask him,' said Miss Hazel.
'Why should I ask him?' returned her guardian, looking up at her. 'Has Mr. Rollo offended you, Miss Hazel?'
'I merely thought you wanted to know, sir. No,' she answered, to his last question. 'He was invited—if that is what you mean.'
'I fancied,' said Mr. Falkirk, looking puzzled, 'that in the general buzz of tongues yesterday—which is fit to confuse anything with more brains than a mosquito—I heard various buzzings which seemed to have reference to him. Perhaps I was wrong. I did not mean to listen, but if a fly gets into your ear it is difficult not to know it. Was I right, or was I wrong?'
'Right, I fancy, sir. Mr. Rollo's name is very often upon people's tongues.'
'What did they mean? What was it about?'