"I don't think you could ride pillion behind him on Black Bess,
mamma," said Molly. "And unless you could do that, you could hardly
go with him in his rounds up and down all the rough lanes."
"Oh! but he might keep a brougham! I've often said so. And then I
could use it for visiting in the evenings. Really it was one reason
why I didn't go to the Hollingford Charity Ball. I couldn't bring
myself to use the dirty fly from the 'George.' We really must stir
papa up against next winter, Molly; it will never do for you and--"
She pulled herself up suddenly, and looked furtively at Mr. Preston
to see if he had taken any notice of her abruptness. Of course he
had, but he was not going to show it. He turned to Molly, and said,--
"Have you ever been to a public ball yet, Miss Gibson?"
"No!" said Molly.
"It will be a great pleasure to you when the time comes."
"I'm not sure. I shall like it if I have plenty of partners; but I'm
afraid I shan't know many people."
"And you suppose that young men haven't their own ways and means of
being introduced to pretty girls?"
It was exactly one of the speeches Molly had disliked him for before;
and delivered, too, in that kind of underbred manner which showed
that it was meant to convey a personal compliment. Molly took great
credit to herself for the unconcerned manner with which she went on
with her tatting exactly as if she had never heard it.
"I only hope I may be one of your partners at the first ball you go
to. Pray, remember my early application for that honour, when you are
overwhelmed with requests for dances."
"I don't choose to engage myself beforehand," said Molly, perceiving,
from under her dropped eyelids, that he was leaning forward and
looking at her as though he was determined to have an answer.
"Young ladies are always very cautious in fact, however modest they
may be in profession," he replied, addressing himself in a nonchalant
manner to Mrs. Gibson. "In spite of Miss Gibson's apprehension of not
having many partners, she declines the certainty of having one. I
suppose Miss Kirkpatrick will have returned from France before then?"
He said these last words exactly in the same tone as he had used
before; but Molly's instinct told her that he was making an effort to
do so. She looked up. He was playing with his hat, almost as if he
did not care to have any answer to his question. Yet he was listening
acutely, and with a half smile on his face.