Any allusion to her father took from Cynthia all desire of irony. She
came forward, and again asked Molly what was the matter.
Molly, herself ruffled, made answer,--
"Miss Browning seemed to think I was likely to marry some one whose
character was objectionable--"
"You, Molly?" said Cynthia.
"Yes--she once before spoke to me,--I suspect she has got some notion
about Mr. Preston in her head--"
Cynthia sate down quite suddenly. Molly went on: "And she spoke
as if mamma did not look enough after me,--I think she was rather
provoking--"
"Not rather, but very--very impertinent," said Mrs. Gibson, a little
soothed by Molly's recognition of her grievance.
"What could have put it into her head?" said Cynthia, very quietly,
taking up her sewing as she spoke.
"I don't know," said her mother, replying to the question after her
own fashion. "I'm sure I don't always approve of Mr. Preston; but
even if it was him she was thinking about, he's far more agreeable
than she is; and I had much rather have him coming to call than an
old maid like her any day."
"I don't know that it was Mr. Preston she was thinking about," said
Molly. "It was only a guess. When you were both in London she spoke
about him,--I thought she had heard something about you and him,
Cynthia." Unseen by her mother Cynthia looked up at Molly, her eyes
full of prohibition, her cheeks full of angry colour. Molly stopped
short suddenly. After that look she was surprised at the quietness
with which Cynthia said, almost immediately,--
"Well, after all, it is only your fancy that she was alluding to Mr.
Preston, so perhaps we had better not say any more about him; and as
for her advice to mamma to look after you better, Miss Molly, I'll
stand bail for your good behaviour; for both mamma and I know you're
the last person to do any foolish things in that way. And now don't
let us talk any more about it. I was coming to tell you that Hannah
Brand's little boy has been badly burnt, and his sister is downstairs
asking for old linen."
Mrs. Gibson was always kind to poor people, and she immediately got
up and went to her stores to search for the article wanted.
Cynthia turned quietly round to Molly.
"Molly, pray don't ever allude to anything between me and Mr.
Preston,--not to mamma, nor to any one. Never do! I've a reason for
it,--don't say anything more about it, ever."
Mrs. Gibson came back at this moment, and Molly had to stop short
again on the brink of Cynthia's confidence; uncertain indeed this
time, whether she would have been told anything more, and only sure
that she had annoyed Cynthia a good deal.