! Elinor determined that she would
make no further appeal. She would not even show how much it hurt her.
After that pale look round upon them all, she went into the corner of
the room where the piano stood, and where there was little light. She
was too proud to go out of the room, lest they should think she was
going to cry. She went with a sudden, quick movement to the piano
instead, where perhaps she might cry too, but where nobody should see.
Poor Elinor! they had made her feel alone by their words, and she made
herself more alone by this little instinctive withdrawal. She began to
play softly one thing after another. She was not a great performer. Her
little "tunes" were of the simplest--no better indeed than tunes, things
that every musician despises: they made a little atmosphere round her, a
voluntary hermitage which separated her as if she had been a hundred
miles away.

"I wish you could have stayed for the marriage," Mrs. Dennistoun said.

"My dear lady, it would spoil my holiday--the middle of September.
You'll have nobody except, of course, the people you have always. To
tell the truth," John added. "I don't care tuppence for my holiday. I'd
have come--like a shot: but I don't think I could stand it. She has
always been such a pet of mine. I don't think I could bear it, to tell
the truth."

"I shall have to bear it, though she is more than a pet of mine," said
Mrs. Dennistoun.

"I know, I know! the relatives cannot be let off--especially the mother,
who must put up with everything. I trust," said Mr. Lynch, with a sigh,
"that it may all turn out a great deal better than we hope. Where are
they going after the marriage?"

"Some one has lent them a place--a very pretty place--on the Thames,
where they can have boating and all that--Lord Sudbury, I think. And
later they are going on a round of visits, to his father, Lord St. Serf,
and to Lady Mariamne, and to his aunt, who is Countess of--something or
other." Mrs. Dennistoun's voice was not untouched by a certain vague
pleasure in these fine names.

"Ah," said the old lawyer, nodding his head at each, "all among the
aristocracy, I see. Well, my dear lady, I hope you will be able to find
some satisfaction in that; it is better than to fall among--nobodies at
least."

"I hope so," said Mrs. Dennistoun, with a sigh.

They were speaking low, and fondly hoped that they were not heard; but
Elinor's ears and every faculty were quickened and almost every word