"Then I will be here before eleven."
The door opened, and with a grip of her hand he turned away.
CHAPTER XLVII.
PLANS.
Lois went along the hall in that condition of the nerves in which the feet seem to walk without stepping on anything. She queried what time it could be; was the evening half gone? or had they possibly not done tea yet? Then the parlour door opened.
"Lois!—is that you? Come along; you are just in time; we are at tea.
Hurry, now!"
Lois went to her room, wishing that she could any way escape going to the table; she felt as if her friend and her sister would read the news in her face immediately, and hear it in her voice as soon as she spoke. There was no help for it; she hastened down, and presently perceived to her wonderment that her friends were absolutely without suspicion. She kept as quiet as possible, and found, happily, that she was very hungry. Mrs. Wishart and Madge were busy in talk.
"You remember Mr. Caruthers, Lois?" said the former;—"Tom Caruthers, who used to be here so often?"
"Certainly."
"Did you hear he had made a great match?"