"I was so sorry to hear how ill you had been! You are looking but
delicate!" letting his eyes rest upon her face with affectionate
examination. Molly felt herself colour all over with the
consciousness of his regard. To do something to put an end to it,
she looked up, and showed him her beautiful soft grey eyes, which he
never remembered to have noticed before. She smiled at him as she
blushed still deeper, and said,--
"Oh! I am quite strong now to what I was. It would be a shame to be
ill when everything is in its full summer beauty."
"I have heard how deeply we--I am indebted to you--my father can
hardly praise you--"
"Please don't," said Molly, the tears coming into her eyes in spite
of herself. He seemed to understand her at once; he went on as if
speaking to Mrs. Gibson: "Indeed, my little sister-in-law is never
weary of talking about Monsieur le Docteur, as she calls your
husband!"
"I have not had the pleasure of making Mrs. Osborne Hamley's
acquaintance yet," said Mrs. Gibson, suddenly aware of a duty which
might have been expected from her, "and I must beg you to apologize
to her for my remissness. But Molly has been such a care and anxiety
to me--for, you know, I look upon her quite as my own child--that
I really have not gone anywhere; excepting to the Towers, perhaps
I should say, which is just like another home to me. And then I
understood that Mrs. Osborne Hamley was thinking of returning to
France before long? Still it was very remiss."
The little trap thus set for news of what might be going on in the
Hamley family was quite successful. Roger answered her thus:--
"I am sure Mrs. Osborne Hamley will be very glad to see any friends
of the family, as soon as she is a little stronger. I hope she will
not go back to France at all. She is an orphan, and I trust we shall
induce her to remain with my father. But at present nothing is
arranged." Then, as if glad to have got over his "visit of ceremony,"
he got up and took leave. When he was at the door he looked back,
having, as he thought, a word more to say; but he quite forgot what
it was, for he surprised Molly's intent gaze, and sudden confusion at
discovery, and went away as soon as he could.
"Poor Osborne was right!" said he. "She has grown into delicate
fragrant beauty, just as he said she would: or is it the character
which has formed her face? Now the next time I enter these doors, it
will be to learn my fate!"