Her mother came in, told her one or two of the main facts, and took her
down under her wing, only stopping by the way for a greeting to Charles,
who could not rise till after breakfast. He held her fast, and gazed up
in her face, but she coloured so deeply, cast down her eyes, and looked
so meek and submissive, that he let her go, and said nothing.

The breakfast party were for the most part quiet, silent, and happy.
Even Charlotte was hushed by the subdued feeling of the rest, and Mr.
Edmonstone's hilarity, though replied to in turn by each, failed to wake
them into mirth. Guy ran up and down-stairs continually, to wait upon
Charles; and thus the conversation was always interrupted as fast as it
began, so that the only fact that came out was the cause of the lateness
of their arrival yesterday. Mr. Edmonstone had taken it for granted that
Guy, like Philip, would watch for the right time, and warn him, while
Guy, being excessively impatient, had been so much afraid of letting
himself fidget, as to have suffered the right moment to pass, and then
borne all the blame.

'How you must have wanted to play the Harmonious Blacksmith,' said
Charlotte.

'I caught myself going through the motions twice,' said Guy.

Mrs. Edmonstone said to herself that he might contest the palm of temper
with Amy even; the difference being, that hers was naturally sweet, his
a hasty one, so governed that the result was the same. When breakfast
was over, as they were rising, Guy made two steps towards Amabel,
at whom he had hitherto scarcely looked, and said, very low, in his
straightforward way: 'Can I speak to you a little while?'

Amy's face glowed as she moved towards him, and her mother said
something about the drawing-room, where the next moment she found
herself. She did not use any little restless arts to play with her
embarrassment; she did not torment the flowers or the chimney ornaments,
nor even her own rings, she stood with her hands folded and her head a
little bent down, like a pendant blossom, ready to listen to whatever
might be said to her.

He did not speak at first, but moved uneasily about. At last he came
nearer, and began speaking fast and nervously.

'Amabel, I want you to consider--you really ought to think whether this
is not a very bad thing for you.'

The drooping head was raised, the downcast lids lifted up, and the
blue eyes fixed on him with a look at once confiding and wondering. He
proceeded--

'I have