CHAPTER XXII.
When Mrs.Zelotes was made acquainted with the plan for sending Ellen to Vassar she astonished Fanny.

Fanny ran over the next morning, after Andrew had gone to work, to tell her mother-in-law.
She sat a few minutes in the sitting-room, where the old lady was knitting, before she unfolded the burden of her errand.
"Cynthia Lennox came to our house last night with Robert Lloyd," she said, finally.
"Did they ?" remarked Mrs.Zelotes, who had known perfectly well that they had come, having recognized the Lennox carriage in the moonlight, and having been ever since devoured with curiosity, which she would have died rather than betray.
"Yes, they did," said Fanny.

Then she added, after a pause which gave wonderful impressiveness to the news, "Cynthia Lennox wants to send Ellen to college--to Vassar College." Then she jumped, for the old woman seemed to spring at her like released wire.
"Send her to college!" said she.

"What does she want to send her to college for?
What right has Cynthia Lennox got to send Ellen Brewster anywhere ?" Fanny stared at her dazedly.
"What right has she got interfering ?" demanded Mrs.Zelotes again.
"Why," replied Fanny, stammering, "she thought Ellen was so smart.
She heard her valedictory, and the school-teacher had talked about her, what a good scholar she was, and she thought it would be nice for her to go to college, and she should be very much obliged herself, and feel that we were granting her a great pleasure and privilege if we allowed her to send Ellen to Vassar." All unconsciously Fanny imitated to the life Cynthia's soft elegance of speech and language.
"Pshaw!" said Mrs.Zelotes; but still she said it not so much angrily as doubtfully.

"It's the first time I ever heard of Cynthia Lennox doing such a thing as that," said she.