If
he was determined to marry without reference to her, he might at
any rate have had the grace to come to her and say so. She, in the
fulness of her heart, had written words of affection to Dorothy;--and
both Dorothy and Brooke had at once taken advantage of her
expressions for their own purposes. Such was her reading of the story
of the day. "He need not trouble himself to come here now," she said.

"Dear aunt, do not say that."

"I do say it. He need not trouble himself to come now. When I said
that I should be glad to see you, I did not intend that you should
meet Mr. Burgess under my roof. I did not wish to have you both
together."

"How could I help coming, when you wrote to me like that?"

"It is very well,--but he need not come. He knows the way from
Nuncombe to London without stopping at Exeter."

"Aunt Stanbury, you must let me tell it you all."

"There is no more to tell, I should think."

"But there is more. You knew what he thought about me, and what he
wished."

"He is his own master, my dear;--and you are your own mistress."

"If you speak to me like that you will kill me, Aunt Stanbury. I did
not think of coming; only when Martha brought your dear letter I
could not help it. But he was coming. He meant to come to-morrow,
and he will. Of course he must defend himself, if you are angry with
him."

"He need not defend himself at all."

"I told them, and I told him, that I would only stay one night,--if
you did not wish that we should be here together. You must see him,
Aunt Stanbury. You would not refuse to see him."

"If you please, my dear, you must allow me to judge whom I will see."

After that the discussion ceased between them for awhile, and Miss
Stanbury left the room that she might hold a consultation with
Martha. Dorothy went up to her chamber, and saw that everything had
been prepared for her with most scrupulous care. Nothing could be
whiter, neater, cleaner, nicer than was everything that surrounded
her. She had perceived while living under her aunt's roof, how,
gradually, small, delicate feminine comforts had been increased for
her. Martha had been told that Miss Dorothy ought to have this, and
that Miss Dorothy ought to have that; till at last she, who had
hitherto known nothing of the small luxuries that come from an easy
income, had felt ashamed of the prettinesses that had been added to
her. Now she could see at once that infinite care had been used to
make her room brig