Her thin lips never opened.

The whole expression of the woman said plainly, "You speak first!" Mr.Keller spoke.

His kindly instinct warned him not to refer to Minna, in alluding to the persons from whom he had derived his information.

"I hear from my son," he said, "that you do not approve of our putting off the wedding-day, though it is only for a fortnight.

Are you aware of the circumstances ?" "I am aware of the circumstances." "Your daughter informed you of my sister's illness, I suppose ?" At that first reference to Minna, some inner agitation faintly stirred the still surface of Madame Fontaine's face.
"Yes," she said.