illa. "For my part I think the gentleman is
bound for the lady's sake to declare that there's nothing in it when
there is nothing in it." This was more than Miss Stanbury could bear.
Hitherto the enemy had seemed to have the best of it. Camilla was
firing broadside after broadside, as though she was assured of
victory. Even Mrs. French was becoming courageous; and Arabella was
forgetting the place where her chignon ought to have been. "I really
do not know what else there is for me to say," remarked Camilla, with
a toss of her head, and an air of impudence that almost drove poor
Miss Stanbury frantic.

It was on her tongue to declare the whole truth, but she refrained.
She had schooled herself on this subject vigorously. She would not
betray Mr. Gibson. Had she known all the truth,--or had she believed
Camilla French's version of the story,--there would have been no
betrayal. But looking at the matter with such knowledge as she had
at present, she did not even yet feel herself justified in declaring
that Mr. Gibson had offered his hand to her niece, and had been
refused. She was, however, sorely tempted. "Very well, ladies," she
said. "I shall now see Mr. Gibson, and ask him whether he did give
you authority to make such statements as you have been spreading
abroad everywhere." Then the door of the room was opened, and in a
moment Mr. Gibson was among them. He was true to his promise, and had
come to see Arabella with her altered head-dress;--but he had come
at this hour thinking that escape in the morning would be easier and
quicker than it might have been in the evening. His mind had been
full of Arabella and her head-dress even up to the moment of his
knocking at the door; but all that was driven out of his brain at
once when he saw Miss Stanbury.

"Here is Mr. Gibson himself," said Mrs. French.

"How do you do, Mr. Gibson?" said Miss Stanbury, with a very stately
courtesy. They had never met since the day on which he had been, as
he stated, turned out of Miss Stanbury's house. He now bowed to her;
but there was no friendly greeting, and the Frenches were able to
congratulate themselves on the apparent loyalty to themselves of
the gentleman who stood among them. "I have come here, Mr. Gibson,"
continued Miss Stanbury, "to put a small matter right in which you
are concerned."

"It seems to me to be the most insignificant thing in the world,"
said Camilla.

"Very likely," said Miss Stanbury. "But it is not insig