"But you do like him, don't you?" said Cynthia, pleadingly. "He does
so like you."
"Of course. We're all angels just now, and you're an arch-angel. I
hope he'll wear as well as Roger."
Cynthia looked grave. "That was a very silly affair," she said. "We
were two as unsuitable people--"
"It has ended, and that's enough. Besides, I've no more time to
waste; and there's your smart young man coming here in all haste."
Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick sent all manner of congratulations; and
Mrs. Gibson, in a private letter, assured Mrs. Kirkpatrick that
her ill-timed confidence about Roger should be considered as quite
private. For as soon as Mr. Henderson had made his appearance in
Hollingford, she had written a second letter, entreating them not to
allude to anything she might have said in her first; which she said
was written in such excitement on discovering the real state of her
daughter's affections, that she had hardly known what she had said,
and had exaggerated some things, and misunderstood others: all
that she did know now was, that Mr. Henderson had just proposed to
Cynthia, and was accepted, and that they were as happy as the day
was long, and ("excuse the vanity of a mother,") made a most lovely
couple. So Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick wrote back an equally agreeable
letter, praising Mr. Henderson, admiring Cynthia, and generally
congratulatory; insisting into the bargain that the marriage should
take place from their house in Hyde Park Street, and that Mr. and
Mrs. Gibson and Molly should all come up and pay them a visit. There
was a little postscript at the end. "Surely you do not mean the
famous traveller, Hamley, about whose discoveries all our scientific
men are so much excited. You speak of him as a young Hamley, who went
to Africa. Answer this question, pray, for Helen is most anxious to
know." This P.S. being in Helen's handwriting. In her exultation
at the general success of everything, and desire for sympathy, Mrs.
Gibson read parts of this letter to Molly; the postscript among the
rest. It made a deeper impression on Molly than even the proposed
kindness of the visit to London.
There were some family consultations; but the end of them all was
that the Kirkpatrick invitation was accepted. There were many small
reasons for this, which were openly acknowledged; but there was
one general and unspoken wish to have the ceremony performed out
of the immediate neighbourhood of the two men whom Cynthia had
previously--rejected; that was the word now to be applied to her
treatment of them. So Molly was ordered and enjoined and entreated
to become strong as soon as possible, in order that her health might
not prevent her attending the marriage; Mr. Gibson himself, though he
thought it his duty to damp the exultant anticipations of his wife
and her daughter, being not at all averse to the prospect of going
to London, and seeing half-a-dozen old friends, and many scientific
exhibitions, independently of the very fair amount of liking which he
had for his host, Mr. Kirkpatrick himself.