Her fit of weeping, however, was soon smothered, and the signs of it had vanished when, an hour later, she broke the news to her aunt.

I use this expression because she had been sure Mrs.Touchett would not be pleased; Isabel had only waited to tell her till she had seen Mr.Goodwood.

She had an odd impression that it would not be honourable to make the fact public before she should have heard what Mr.Goodwood would say about it.

He had said rather less than she expected, and she now had a somewhat angry sense of having lost time.

But she would lose no more; she waited till Mrs.Touchett came into the drawing-room before the mid-day breakfast, and then she began.