settling her lace as
elaborate an operation as she could, and Amy flitted about as if she did
not by any means know what she was doing. A springy, running step was
heard on the stairs and in the passage, and Mary, though she could not
see her little friend's face, perceived her neck turn red for a moment,
after which Amy took her arm, pressed it affectionately, and they went
down.

Mrs. Edmonstone was very glad to see Amabel looking tolerably natural.
'Mamma' was of course burning to hear all, but she was so confident that
the essentials were safe, that her present care was to see how her two
young lovers would be able to comport themselves, and to be on her guard
against attending to them more than to her guests.

Amy, after passing by Charles, and getting a squeeze from his
ever-sympathizing hand, put herself away behind Mary, while Laura talked
to every one, hoping to show that there was some self-possession in the
family. Guy reappeared, but, after one glance to see if Amy was present,
he did not look at her again, but went and leant over the lower end of
Charles's sofa, just as he used to do; and Charles lay gazing at him,
and entirely forgetting what he had been trying to say just before to
Mrs. Brownlow, professing to have come from London that morning,
and making the absent mistakes likely to be attributed to the lovers
themselves.

Mr. Edmonstone came, and dinner followed. As Mrs. Edmonstone paired off
her company, she considered what to do with her new arrival.

'If you had come two hours ago,' said she, within herself, 'I would have
let you be at home. Now you must be a great man, and be content with me.
It will be better for Amy.'

Accordingly Guy was between her and Mrs. Gresham. She did not try
to speak to him, and was amused by his fitful attempts at making
conversation with Mrs. Gresham, when it struck him that he ought to be
taking notice of her. Amy (very fortunately, in her own opinion) was out
of sight of him, on the same side of the table, next to Mr. Ross, who,
like his daughter, guessed enough about the state of things to let her
alone.

Charles was enjoying all manner of delightful conjectures with
Charlotte, till the ladies returned to the drawing-room, and then he
said as much as he dared to Mary Ross, far more than she had gained from
Laura, who, as they came out of the dining-room, had said,--

'Don't ask me any questions, for I know nothing at all about it.'

Amy was talked to by