s mind; and Patience, who
was observing them all, knew that he was pre-occupied. Clarissa,
who now and again would forget her sorrow and revert to her former
self,--as she had done in the picture-gallery,--could not now, under
the eye as it were of her father, her sister, and her old lover,
forget her troubles. She knew what was expected of her; but she
could not do it;--she could not do it at least as yet. Nevertheless,
Patience, who was the engineer in the present crisis, was upon the
whole contented with the way in which things were going.

The three girls sat with the gentlemen for a quarter of an hour after
the decanters were put upon the table, and then withdrew. Sir Thomas
immediately began to talk about Newton Priory, and to ask questions
which might interest the parson without, as he thought, hurting the
feelings of the disinherited Ralph. This went on for about five
minutes, during which Gregory was very eloquent about his church and
his people, when, suddenly, Ralph rose from his chair and withdrew.
"Have I said anything that annoyed him?" asked Sir Thomas anxiously.

"It is not that, I think," said Gregory.

Ralph walked across the passage, opened the door of the drawing-room,
in which the three girls were at work, walked up to the chair in
which Mary Bonner was sitting, and said something in so low a voice
that neither of the sisters heard him.

"Certainly I will," said Mary, rising from her chair. Patience
glanced round, and could see that the colour, always present in her
cousin's face, was heightened,--ever so little indeed; but still the
tell-tale blush had told its tale. Ralph stood for a moment while
Mary moved away to the door, and then followed her without speaking a
word to the other girls, or bestowing a glance on either of them.

"He is going to propose to her," said Clarissa as soon as the door
was shut.

"No one can be sure," said Patience.

"Only fancy,--asking a girl to go out of the room,--in that brave
manner! I shouldn't have gone because I'm a coward; but it's just
what Mary will like."

"Let me get my hat, Mr. Newton," said Mary, taking the opportunity to
trip up-stairs, though her hat was hanging in the hall. When she was
in her room she merely stood upright there, for half a minute, in the
middle of the chamber, erect and stiff, with her arms and fingers
stretched out, thinking how she would behave herself. Half a minute
sufficed for her to find her clue, and then she came do