d never quite known,
quite understood as yet, whether she had made good her footing in
her aunt's house in a manner pleasant to her aunt. More than once or
twice she had spoken even of going back to her mother, and things
had been said which had almost made her think that her aunt had been
angry with her. But now, after a month or two of joint residence, her
aunt was offering to her--two thousand pounds and a husband!

But was it within her aunt's power to offer to her the husband? Mr.
Gibson had always been very civil to her. She had spoken more to Mr.
Gibson than to any other man in Exeter. But it had never occurred to
her for a moment that Mr. Gibson had any special liking for her. Was
it probable that he would ever entertain any feeling of that kind
for her? It certainly had occurred to her before now that Mr. Gibson
was sometimes bored by the Miss Frenches;--but then gentlemen do get
bored by ladies.

And at last she asked herself another question,--had she any special
liking for Mr. Gibson? As far as she understood such matters
everything was blank there. Thinking of that other question, she went
to sleep.

CHAPTER XXIII.

COLONEL OSBORNE AND MR. BOZZLE RETURN TO LONDON.

Hugh Stanbury went down on the Saturday, by the early express to
Exeter, on his road to Lessboro'. He took his ticket through to
Lessboro', not purposing to stay at Exeter; but, from the exigencies
of the various trains, it was necessary that he should remain for
half an hour at the Exeter Station. This took place on the Saturday,
and Colonel Osborne's visit to the Clock House had been made on the
Friday. Colonel Osborne had returned to Lessboro', had slept again
at Mrs. Clegg's house, and returned to London on the Saturday. It so
happened that he also was obliged to spend half an hour at the Exeter
Station, and that his half-hour, and Hugh Stanbury's half-hour, were
one and the same. They met, therefore, as a matter of course, upon
the platform. Stanbury was the first to see the other, and he found
that he must determine on the spur of the moment what he would say,
and what he would do. He had received no direct commission from
Trevelyan as to his meeting with Colonel Osborne. Trevelyan had
declared that, as to the matter of quarrelling, he meant to retain
the privilege of doing that for himself; but Stanbury had quite
understood that this was only the vague expression of an angry man.
The Colonel had taken a glass of sherry, and