really, with the approbation of
his family, going to marry Mrs Hope's sister, and that Mrs Rowland's
_protege_ was entering into partnership with Mr Hope himself, they
thought it the right time to give their sanction to the reconciliations
which were taking place, by being civil to all the parties round. So
Lady Hunter came in state to Deerbrook, one fine day, made all due
apologies, and invited to dinner the whole connection. Mrs Rowland
could not go, of course; and Margaret declined: but all the rest went.
Margaret was on the eve of her marriage, and she preferred one more day
with Maria, to a visit of ceremony. She begged Philip to go, as his
sister could not; and he obeyed with a good grace, grudging the loss of
a sweet spring evening over Sir William Hunter's dinner-table the less,
that he knew Margaret and Maria were making the best use of it together.

Once more the friends sat in the summer-house, by the window, whence
they loved to look abroad upon meadow, wood, and stream. Here they had
studied together, and cherished each other: here they had eagerly
imparted a multitude of thoughts, and carefully concealed a few. Here
they were now conversing together for the last time before their
approaching separation. Maria sighed often, as she well might: and when
Margaret looked abroad upon the bean-setters in the distant field, and
listened to the bleat of the lambs which came up from the pastures, and
was aware of the scent of the hyacinths occasionally wafted in from poor
Matilda's neighbouring flower-plot, she sighed too.

"You must take some of our hyacinths with you to London, and see whether
they will not blossom there," said Maria, answering to her friend's
thought.

"I hardly know whether there would be most pain or pleasure in seeing
plants sprout, and then wither, in the little balcony of a back
drawing-room, which overlooks gables or stables, instead of these
delicious green meadows."

"How fond you were, two years ago, of imagining the bliss of living
always in sight of this very landscape! Yet it has yielded already to
the back drawing-room, with a prospect of stables and gables."

"We shall come and look upon your woods sometimes, you know. I am not
bidding good-bye to this place, or to you. God forbid!"

"Now tell me, Margaret," said Maria, after a pause, "tell me when you
are to be married."

"That is what I was just about to do. We go on Tuesday."

"Indeed! in three days! But why