Sir Horace requested
permission to call and see her at an hour he named next day, and she
promised to be ready.

"Will you send your young brother for me? I have heard much of him;
and must make his acquaintance."

"Oh," said Miss Falkner, "we are going to call at the cottage
to-morrow, and I will be your guide. We have long been intending to
pay a visit to Miss Willoughby, mamma is anxious to apologize for some
little misunderstanding." Helen tried to speak, but her words could
find no utterance, in reply to the impertinent speech of Miss Falkner,
but shaking Sir Horace warmly by the hand, she bowed and went into her
home.

At breakfast Miss Falkner told her mother, that as Sir Horace
Mortimer, had made an appointment to visit Miss Willoughby; they could
avail themselves of his escort, and go with him. This I beg leave to
say, though apparently the thought of the moment, was a _preconcerted_
proposition: but one which Sir Horace declared impossible! as he had
particular business with Miss Willoughby, at which none but Dr.
Sherman, and Mrs. Cameron could be present. This was spoken so
decidedly, that no further opposition was made to his wish to go
alone.

But both mother and daughters were sadly puzzled. Conjecture was rife
among them the whole morning: at last they came to the conclusion that
he had made up his mind to propose for Helen--it must be so, else why
Dr. Sherman and Mrs. Cameron present?--this point, therefore, was
settled--at least with the Falkners, of her acceptance of him, a rich
East Indian, oh there could be no doubt of that. And the elder Miss
Falkner could breathe again, since she was free to captivate Mr.
George Mortimer, with whom she was desperately in love. Thus do vain
and silly people jump at conclusions and thus is half the business of
a country town, or village, settled without any concurrence, or even
knowledge of those most concerned.

The request of Sir Horace Mortimer set Helen wondering, and certainly
deprived her of some hours sleep. His peculiar manner and his ardent
gaze, too, recurred to her mind, as she lay thinking on the subject.

She was completely puzzled, he was a perfect stranger whom she had
never before seen, nor he her, what could it mean? Would not some have
concluded he was in love with her, but a man old enough to be her
father! Such an idea never entered her head: in fact she could make no
probable guess, so she determined to make a virtue of necessity, and
w