"What is all this I hear about my little friend Molly Gibson and Mr.
Preston?"
"Oh, Lady Harriet! have you heard of it? We are so sorry!"
"Sorry for what?"
"I think, begging your ladyship's pardon, we had better not say any
more till we know how much you know," said Miss Browning.
"Nay," replied Lady Harriet, laughing a little, "I shan't tell what I
know till I am sure you know more. Then we'll make an exchange if you
like."
"I'm afraid it's no laughing matter for poor Molly," said Miss
Browning, shaking her head. "People do say such things!"
"But I don't believe them; indeed I don't," burst in Miss Phoebe,
half crying.
"No more will I, then," said Lady Harriet, taking the good lady's
hand.
"It's all very fine, Phoebe, saying you don't believe them, but I
should like to know who it was that convinced me, sadly against my
will, I am sure."
"I only told you the facts as Mrs. Goodenough told them me, sister;
but I'm sure if you had seen poor patient Molly as I have done,
sitting up in a corner of a room, looking at the _Beauties of England
and Wales_ till she must have been sick of them, and no one speaking
to her; and she as gentle and sweet as ever at the end of the
evening, though maybe a bit pale--facts or no facts, I won't believe
anything against her."
So there sate Miss Phoebe, in tearful defiance of facts.
"And, as I said before, I'm quite of your opinion," said Lady
Harriet.
"But how does your ladyship explain away her meetings with Mr.
Preston in all sorts of unlikely and open-air places?" asked Miss
Browning,--who, to do her justice, would have been only too glad to
join Molly's partisans, if she could have preserved her character for
logical deduction at the same time. "I went so far as to send for her
father and tell him all about it. I thought at least he would have
horsewhipped Mr. Preston; but he seems to have taken no notice of
it."
"Then we may be quite sure he knows some way of explaining matters
that we don't," said Lady Harriet, decisively. "After all, there
may be a hundred and fifty perfectly natural and justifiable
explanations."
"Mr. Gibson knew of none when I thought it my duty to speak to him,"
said Miss Browning.
"Why, suppose that Mr. Preston is engaged to Miss Kirkpatrick, and
Molly is confidante and messenger?"
"I don't see that your ladyship's supposition much alters the blame.
Why, if he is honourably engaged to Cynthia Kirkpatrick, does he not
visit her openly at her home in Mr. Gibson's house? Why does Molly
lend herself to clandestine proceedings?"