All this Dorothy understood, and she could perceive that her aunt had strong suspicion that there would be indiscretion.
"I never knew one like her," said Miss Stanbury, "who, when she'd got away from one man, didn't want to have another dangling after her." A week had hardly passed after the party at Mrs.MacHugh's, and Mrs.
Trevelyan had hardly been three weeks at Nuncombe Putney, before the tidings which Miss Stanbury almost expected reached her ears.
"The Colonel's been at the Clock House, ma'am," said Martha.
Now, it was quite understood in the Close by this time that "the Colonel" meant Colonel Osborne.
"No!" "I'm told he has though, ma'am, for sure and certain." "Who says so ?" "Giles Hickbody was down at Lessboro', and see'd him hisself,--a portly, middle-aged man,--not one of your young scampish-like lovers." "That's the man." "Oh, yes.

He went over to Nuncombe Putney, as sure as anything;--hired Mrs.Clegg's chaise and pair, and asked for Mrs.
Trevelyan's house as open as anything.

When Giles asked in the yard, they told him as how that was the married lady's young man." "I'd like to be at his tail,--so I would,--with a mop-handle," said Miss Stanbury, whose hatred for those sins by which the comfort and respectability of the world are destroyed, was not only sincere, but intense.

"Well; and what then ?" "He came back and slept at Mrs.Clegg's that night,--at least, that was what he said he should do." Miss Stanbury, however, was not so precipitate or uncharitable as to act strongly upon information such as this.

Before she even said a word to Dorothy, she made further inquiry.