It is very good-natured of him, seeing how much his time is taken up." "I thought he never did anything." "That's because you don't know him, aunt." "No; certainly I don't know him." She did not add that she had no wish to know Mr George Vavasor, but she looked it.

"And has your father been told that he is going ?" "Of course he has." "And does--" Lady Macleod hesitated a little before she went on, and then finished her question with a little spasmodic assumption of courage.

"And does Mr Grey know that he is going ?" Alice remained silent for a full minute before she answered this question, during which Lady Macleod sat watching her grimly, with her eyes very intent upon her niece's face.

If she supposed such silence to have been in any degree produced by shame in answering the question, she was much mistaken.

But it may be doubted whether she understood the character of the girl whom she thought she knew so well, and it is probable that she did make such mistake.
"I might tell you simply that he does," said Alice at last, "seeing that I wrote to him yesterday, letting him know that such were our arrangements; but I feel that I should not thus answer the question you mean to ask.