e something about Jack," they both said in a breath, in a
kind of awe of their elder brother, of whom they had a very imperfect
knowledge. "And it seems we never are to have a chance of a word with
Frank!" cried Letty, who was indignant and exasperated. But at least
it was a consolation that "the boys" were no better off. All next day
Cuthbert and Guy hung about in the vain hope of securing the company
and attention of the visitor. He was at the Rectory the whole morning,
sometimes with Gerald, sometimes with Louisa, as the scouts of the
family, consisting of a variety of brothers, little and big, informed
the anxious girls. And Louisa was seen to cry on one of these
occasions; and Gerald looked cross, said one little spy, whereupon he
had his ears boxed, and was dismissed from the service. "As if Gerald
ever looked anything but a saint!" said the younger sister, who was an
advanced Anglican. Letty, however, holding other views, confuted this
opinion strongly: "When one thinks of a saint, it is aunt Leonora one
thinks of," said this profane young woman. "I'll tell you what Gerald
looks like--something just half-way between a conqueror and a martyr.
I think, of all the men I ever saw, he is my hero," said Letty,
meditatively. The youngest Miss Wentworth was not exactly of this
latter opinion, but she did not contradict her sister. They were kept
in a state of watchfulness all day, but Frank's mission remained a
mystery which they could not penetrate; and in the evening Gerald
alone made his appearance at the hall to dinner, explaining that
Louisa had a headache. Now Louisa's headaches were not unfrequent, but
they were known to improve in the prospect of going out to dinner. On
the whole, the matter was wrapt in obscurity, and the Wentworth
household could not explain it. The sisters sat up brushing their
hair, and looking very pretty in their dressing-gowns, with their
bright locks (for the Wentworth hair was golden-brown of a Titian hue)
over their shoulders, discussing the matter till it was long past
midnight; but they could make nothing of it, and the only conclusion
they came to was, that their two clergymen brothers were occupied in
negotiating with the Squire about some secret not known to the rest of
the family, but most probably concerning Jack. Jack was almost unknown
to his sisters, and awoke no very warm anxiety in their minds; so they
went to sleep at last in tolerable quiet, concluding that whatever
mystery