I am just going up to tell her you are here." "What! haven't you told her before ?" said Melbury.
"Oh no," said the other.

"You see you came so very early." At last the bell rang: Mrs.Charmond could see him.

She was not in her private sitting-room when he reached it, but in a minute he heard her coming from the front staircase, and she entered where he stood.
At this time of the morning Mrs.Charmond looked her full age and more.
She might almost have been taken for the typical femme de trente ans, though she was really not more than seven or eight and twenty.

There being no fire in the room, she came in with a shawl thrown loosely round her shoulders, and obviously without the least suspicion that Melbury had called upon any other errand than timber.

Felice was, indeed, the only woman in the parish who had not heard the rumor of her own weaknesses; she was at this moment living in a fool's paradise in respect of that rumor, though not in respect of the weaknesses themselves, which, if the truth be told, caused her grave misgivings.
"Do sit down, Mr.Melbury.