quite surprised Miss Bennett. With still greater curiosity than the fine
room, she regarded the fine lady who had once been a governess, and
was not ashamed to own it.

"Well, all I can say is, you have been very lucky in your marriage, Mrs.
Grey; I only wish I might be the same."

"That is exactly--" said Christian, catching at any thing in her nervous
difficulty as to how she should open such an unpleasant subject--"no,
not exactly, but partly, what I wished to speak to you about. Excuse a
plain, almost rude question, which you can refuse to answer if you like;
but, Miss Bennett, I should be very glad to know if you are engaged?"

"Engaged by Miss Gascoigne?"

"No; engaged to be married."

Miss Bennett drew back, blushed a little, looked much annoyed, and
answered sharply, apparently involuntarily, "No!"

"Then--excuse me again--I would not ask if I did not feel it absolutely
my duty, in order that we may come to a right understanding--but the
gentleman you were walking with yesterday, when you asked Letitia to
meet you in Walnut-tree Court, was he a brother, or cousin, or what?"

Susan Bennett was altogether confounded. "How did you find it all
out? Did the child tell?--the horrid little--but of course she did. And
then you set on and watched me! That was a nice trick for one lady to
play another."