Wives and Daughters: An Every-Day Story - Page 469/572

Molly laughed a little, as she was expected to do. "Here we are at

home, at last."

Mrs. Gibson gave Molly a warm welcome. For one thing, Cynthia was

in disgrace; for another, Molly came from the centre of news; for a

third, Mrs. Gibson was really fond of the girl, in her way, and sorry

to see her pale heavy looks.

"To think of it all being so sudden at last! Not but what I always

expected it! And so provoking! Just when Cynthia had given up Roger!

If she had only waited a day! What does the Squire say to it all?"

"He is beaten down with grief," replied Molly.

"Indeed! I should not have fancied he had liked the engagement so

much."

"What engagement?"

"Why, Roger to Cynthia, to be sure. I asked you how the Squire took

her letter, announcing the breaking of it off?"

"Oh--I made a mistake. He hasn't opened his letters to-day. I saw

Cynthia's among them."

"Now that I call positive disrespect."

"I don't know. He did not mean it for such. Where is Cynthia?"

"Gone out into the meadow-garden. She'll be in directly. I wanted

her to do some errands for me, but she flatly refused to go into the

town. I am afraid she mismanages her affairs badly. But she won't

allow me to interfere. I hate to look at such things in a mercenary

spirit, but it is provoking to see her throw over two such good

matches. First Mr. Henderson, and now Roger Hamley. When does the

Squire expect Roger? Does he think he will come back sooner for poor

dear Osborne's death?"

"I don't know. He hardly seems to think of anything but Osborne. He

appears to me to have almost forgotten every one else. But perhaps

the news of Osborne's being married, and of the child, may rouse him

up."

Molly had no doubt that Osborne was really and truly married, nor

had she any idea that her father had never breathed the facts of

which she had told him on the previous night, to his wife or Cynthia.

But Mr. Gibson had been slightly dubious of the full legality of

the marriage, and had not felt inclined to speak of it to his wife

until that had been ascertained one way or another. So Mrs. Gibson

exclaimed, "What _do_ you mean, child? Married! Osborne married! Who

says so?"

"Oh, dear! I suppose I ought not to have named it. I'm very stupid

to-day. Yes! Osborne has been married a long time; but the Squire did

not know of it until this morning. I think it has done him good. But

I don't know."