"You don't know!"

"Faith, not I, ma'am. I don't know, for the soul of me, what Mr.
Palmer's coming has to do with Miss Hunter's going. There's room enough
in the house, I suppose, for each of them, and all of us to play our
parts. As to the rest, the young lady's coming or going is quite a
matter of indifference to me, except, of course, as far as politeness
and hospitality go. But all that I leave to you, who do the honours for
me so well."

Mrs. Beaumont's ideas were utterly thrown out of their order by this
speech, no part of which was exactly what she wished or expected: not
that any of the sentiments it contained or suggested were new to her;
but she was not prepared to meet them thus clothed in distinct words,
and in such a compact form. She had drawn up her forces for battle in an
order which this unexpectedly decisive movement of the enemy
discomfited; and a less able tactician might have been, in these
circumstances, not only embarrassed, but utterly defeated: yet, however
unprepared for this sudden shock, with admirable generalship our female
Hannibal, falling back in the centre, admitted him to advance impetuous
and triumphant, till she had him completely surrounded.

"My being of age in a few days," continued Mr. Beaumont, "will not make
any difference, surely; I depend upon it, that you will always invite
whomever you like to this house, of which I hope, my dear mother, you
will always do me the favour to be the mistress--till I marry, at least.
For my wife's feelings," added he, smiling, "I can't engage, before I
have her."

"And before we know who she is to be," said Mrs. Beaumont, carelessly.