When
do you expect your friend, Mr Enderby, at Deerbrook again?"

"His sister says nobody knows; and I do not think he can tell himself.
You know he does not live at Deerbrook."

"I am aware of that; but his last visit was such a long one--"

"Six days," said Margaret, laughing.

"Ah! I did not mean his last week's appearance, or any of his pop
visits. I was thinking of his summer visitation. It was so long, that
some people began to look upon him as a resident."

"If his mother does not grow much better soon, we shall see him again,"
said Margaret. "It is always her illness that brings him.--Do you not
believe me, Maria?"

"I believe, as before, that you say what you think. Whether you are
mistaken is another question, which I cannot pretend to answer."

"I hope, Maria, that as you have placed so much confidence in me, you
will not stop short at the very point which is of the greatest
importance to me."

"I will not, dear. What I think on the subject of Mr Enderby, in
relation to you, is, that some of your friends believe that you are the
cause of his stay having been so long in the summer, and of his coming
so often since. I know no more than this. How should I?"

"Then I will tell you something more, that I might as well have
mentioned before. When Mrs Rowland had an idea that Mr Enderby might
think of Hester, she told Hester--that miserable day in Dingleford
woods--that his family expected he would soon marry a young lady of
family and fortune, who was a great favourite with all his connections."

"Who may this young lady be?"

"Oh, she did not say; some one too high for our acquaintance, if we are
to believe what Mrs Rowland declared."

"And do you believe it?"

"Why--. Do you?"

"I dare say Mrs Rowland may believe it herself; but she may be
mistaken."

"That is exactly what Hester said," observed Margaret, eagerly. "And
that was more than five months ago, and we have not heard a syllable of
the matter since."

"And so intimate a friendship as yours and Mr Enderby's is," said
Maria, smiling,--"it is scarcely probable that his mind should be full
of such an affair, and that he should be able to conceal it so perfectly
from you."

"I am glad you think so," said Margaret, ingenuously. "You cannot
imagine how strange it is to see Mrs Grey and others taking for granted
that he is free, when Hester and I could tell them in a moment what Mrs
Rowland said. But if you think Mrs Rowland is