'You must say you will come and dine with us,' repeated Marian, when she at length rose to take her departure. 'You positively must! Arthur will never forgive me if I don't make you promise.—What day have we disengaged next week, Caroline?'
Caroline could not or would not recollect what day they had disengaged; a little angry probably at a smile which I could not suppress; and was chidden by her sister-in-law accordingly.
'But you ought to make a point of remembering such things, you know; and I must beg that you will do so in future,' said Mrs Trafford, with a tone and look which seemed to shew that Mrs Chichester's office was no sinecure. I think she was heartily glad when the visit was over.
'You must come up and see the things I bought in Paris,' whispered Mrs Trafford good-naturedly in a little aside to me. 'It will give you an idea of what is worn. Ask for Céleste, if I do not happen to be in the way, and I will tell her she is to shew you beforehand; for she knows how particular I am. She will put you up to all sorts of things if you make friends with her. You can't conceive how much those French maids know about improving the figure and complexion and all that; though of course I do not need anything of the kind.'
I murmured something about being obliged; not to seem ungrateful for what was evidently meant to be a kindness.
'Oh, you are quite welcome.' Then lowering her voice again: 'He is a dear! How long have you been engaged?'
'Nearly ten years.'
'Ten years!'
'Mr Dallas has been abroad some years, and has only just returned,' I said, seeing no necessity for making a mystery about it.
'And kept true to you all that time! He must be good! So handsome too—so very handsome. All the heroes in the books are big, and have broad shoulders now;' sentimentally. 'His beard just the right colour too! How you must dote upon him, and how jealous you must be! Between ourselves, I could hardly bear Arthur to be out of my sight before we were married. It's different now, of course; if he does not behave well, I can stop his allowance, you know. That would be only fair.'