When, therefore, Mrs.Trevelyan declared the fact on the Thursday evening, vainly endeavouring to speak of the threatened visit in an ordinary voice, and as of an ordinary circumstance, it was as though a thunderbolt had fallen upon them.
"Colonel Osborne coming here!" said Priscilla, mindful of the Stanbury correspondence,--mindful of the evil tongues of the world.
"And why not ?" demanded Mrs.Trevelyan, who had heard nothing of the Stanbury correspondence.
"Oh dear, oh dear!" ejaculated Mrs.Stanbury, who, of course, was aware of all that had passed between the Clock House and the house in the Close, though the letters had been written by her daughter.
Nora was determined to stand up for her sister, whatever might be the circumstances of the case.

"I wish Colonel Osborne were not coming," said she, "because it makes a foolish fuss; but I cannot understand how anybody can suppose it to be wrong that Emily should see papa's very oldest friend in the world." "But why is he coming ?" demanded Priscilla.
"Because he wants to see an acquaintance at Cockchaffington," said Mrs.Trevelyan; "and there is a wonderful church-door there." "A church-fiddlestick!" said Priscilla.
The matter was debated throughout all the evening.

At one time there was a great quarrel between the ladies, and then there was a reconciliation.

The point on which Mrs.Trevelyan stood with the greatest firmness was this,--that it did not become her, as a married woman whose conduct had always been good and who was more careful as to that than she was even of her name, to be ashamed to meet any man.
"Why should I not see Colonel Osborne, or Colonel anybody else who might call here with the same justification for calling which his old friendship gives him ?" Priscilla endeavoured to explain to her that her husband's known wishes ought to hinder her from doing so.

"My husband should have remained with me to express his wishes," Mrs.
Trevelyan replied.
Neither could Mrs.Stanbury nor could Priscilla bring herself to say that the man should not be admitted into the house.