ce called in
an urgent note. "More confidences!" sighed Teresa to herself, and stood
still to listen.

"Did you remember to turn out the hall light?" asked Mary.

CHAPTER TEN.

NEWS IN CHUMLEY.

The news of Teresa Mallison's engagement provided Chumley with an
excitement which was shared equally by every section of the community.
Tradesmen discussed it with their assistants, message boys overheard,
and took it home in the dinner hour, as an important item of news which
mother would be able to bestow on other members of the Coal Club and
Mothers' Meeting. "That fair girl of Mallison's, she hooked him up at
Bagnor! Peignton they call him. Fair chap as drives a dog-cart."
Domestic servants discussed the engagement with the maids next door, and
opined that the old Major would be glad to get rid of one of them.
Wherever a couple of matrons stood together on the pavement of the High
Street, or a cluster of girls stood holding bicycles in the roadway
itself, it would have been safe to bet that the subject of discussion
was that of the latest engagement.

"Have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"Teresa Mallison. You haven't heard? Oh, I _am glad_ to be the one to
tell you. Engaged!" The speaker's voice would swell to a note of
triumph, she would fall back a step the better to contemplate the
surprise, the excitement, on the face of the listener.

"Engaged! Teresa? _Not_--"

"Yes! Yes!" Here the informant would execute a little prance of
excitement. "It is," Captain Peignton. _Isn't_ it exciting? The most
interesting engagement for years. Mrs Mallison is beaming.

The listener would enthuse in her turn, sometimes wholeheartedly,
sometimes with an undercurrent of sadness or regret. Mothers of aging
daughters knew a vicarious pang, the daughters themselves smiled
brilliantly and ached within, but the general note was praise of Teresa,
pride in Teresa, an assumption that Teresa had accomplished a laudable
work, and had raised herself a head and shoulders above her fellows.
Such is the general opinion in English country towns, where the educated
females of the population exceed the male by a round ten to one. As for
Dane himself, he was the passive member in the transaction. He had been
"caught." Teresa had "caught" him. It was said in no spirit of
unkindness, but it was said all the same. Every voice said it, every
smile, every nod of the head and knowing arch of the brow. Clever
Teresa.