'You think Miss Hale looking well,' said Mr. Lennox, 'don't you?

Milton didn't agree with her, I imagine; for when she first came

to London, I thought I had never seen any one so much changed.

To-night she is looking radiant. But she is much stronger. Last

autumn she was fatigued with a walk of a couple of miles. On

Friday evening we walked up to Hampstead and back. Yet on

Saturday she looked as well as she does now.

'We!' Who? They two alone?

Mr. Colthurst was a very clever man, and a rising member of

parliament. He had a quick eye at discerning character, and was

struck by a remark which Mr. Thornton made at dinner-time. He

enquired from Edith who that gentleman was; and, rather to her

surprise, she found, from the tone of his 'Indeed!' that Mr.

Thornton of Milton was not such an unknown name to him as she had

imagined it would be. Her dinner was going off well. Henry was in

good humour, and brought out his dry caustic wit admirably. Mr.

Thornton and Mr. Colthurst found one or two mutual subjects of

interest, which they could only touch upon then, reserving them

for more private after-dinner talk. Margaret looked beautiful in

the pomegranate flowers; and if she did lean back in her chair

and speak but little, Edith was not annoyed, for the conversation

flowed on smoothly without her. Margaret was watching Mr.

Thornton's face. He never looked at her; so she might study him

unobserved, and note the changes which even this short time had

wrought in him. Only at some unexpected mot of Mr. Lennox's, his

face flashed out into the old look of intense enjoyment; the

merry brightness returned to his eyes, the lips just parted to

suggest the brilliant smile of former days; and for an instant,

his glance instinctively sought hers, as if he wanted her

sympathy. But when their eyes met, his whole countenance changed;

he was grave and anxious once more; and he resolutely avoided

even looking near her again during dinner.

There were only two ladies besides their own party, and as these

were occupied in conversation by her aunt and Edith, when they

went up into the drawing-room, Margaret languidly employed

herself about some work. Presently the gentlemen came up, Mr.

Colthurst and Mr. Thornton in close conversation. Mr. Lennox drew

near to Margaret, and said in a low voice: 'I really think Edith owes me thanks for my contribution to her

party. You've no idea what an agreeable, sensible fellow this

tenant of yours is. He has been the very man to give Colthurst

all the facts he wanted coaching in. I can't conceive how he

contrived to mismanage his affairs.' 'With his powers and opportunities you would have succeeded,'

said Margaret. He did not quite relish the tone in which she

spoke, although the words but expressed a thought which had

passed through his own mind. As he was silent, they caught a

swell in the sound of conversation going on near the fire-place

between Mr. Colthurst and Mr. Thornton.




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