Any visitors whom I choose
to invite to my house--"
"But he invited himself."
"No matter, he came, and I certainly had no reason to turn him out. I
consider Dr. Grey's objections to him perfectly ridiculous. Why, one
meets the young man every where, in the very best society, and his
manners are charming. But that is not the question. The question is
just this: Was he, or was he not, an acquaintance of Mrs. Grey's before
her marriage? and if he were, why did she not say so?"
"Perhaps she did."
"Not to me; when he called at the Lodge and I introduced them, they
bowed as if they were just ordinary strangers. Now that was a rather
odd thing, and a very disrespectful thing to myself, not to tell me they
had met before, I certainly have a right to be displeased. Don't you feel
it so, Maria?"
Whether she did or not, Maria only answered with her usual
deprecatory smile.
"There is another curious circumstance, now I recall it. Sir Edwin
showed great surprise, which, indeed, I could scarcely wonder at, when
I told him--(I forget how it happened, but I know I was somehow
obliged to tell him)--who it was your brother had married--Miss
Oakley, the organist's daughter."
"Don't you think," said Aunt Maria, with a sudden sparkle of
intelligence, "it might have been her father he was acquainted with?
Sir Edwin is so very musical himself that it is not unlikely he should
seek the company of musicians.
Pages:
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238