Margaret saw that he was unusually agitated, and not by grief; applied herself to tea-making, and hoped his walk had given him an appetite; but there seemed little chance of this so long were his pauses between each morsel, and so often did he lean back in his chair.
'I am going to leave you on--on Friday,' he said at length, abruptly.
'Oh, are you going to Redclyffe?'
'No; to Hollywell. Lady Morville wishes me to be her little girl's sponsor; I shall go to London on Friday, and on, the next day.'
'I am glad they have asked you. Does she write herself? Is she pretty well?
'Yes; she is to go down-stairs in a day or two.'
'I am rejoiced that she is recovering so well. Do you know whether she is in tolerable spirits?'
'She writes cheerfully.'
'How many years is it since I saw her? She was quite a child, but very sweet-tempered and attentive to poor Charles,' said Mrs. Henley, feeling most amiably disposed towards her future sister-in-law.
'Just so. Her gentleness and sweet temper were always beautiful; and she has shown herself under her trials what it would be presumptuous to praise.'
Margaret had no doubt now, and thought he was ready for more open sympathy.
'You must let me congratulate you now on this unexpected dawn of hope, after your long trial, my dear brother. It is a sort of unconscious encouragement you could hardly hope for.'
'I did not know you knew anything of it,' said Philip.
'Ah! my dear brother, you betrayed yourself. You need not be disconcerted; only a sister could see the real cause of your want of spirits. Your manner at each mention of her, your anxiety, coupled with your resolute avoidance of her--'
'Of whom? Do you know what you are talking of, sister!' said Philip, sternly.
'Of Amabel, of course.'
Philip rose, perfectly awful in his height and indignation.
'Sister!' he said--paused, and began again. 'I have been attached to Laura Edmonstone for years past, and Lady Morville knows it.'
'To Laura!' cried Mrs. Henley, in amaze. 'Are you engaged?' and, as he was hardly prepared to answer, she continued, 'If you have not gone too far to recede, only consider before you take any rash step. You come into this property without ready money, you will find endless claims, and if you marry at once, and without fortune, you will never be clear from difficulties.'
'I have considered,' he replied, with cold loftiness that would have silenced any one, not of the same determined mould.