Lady Hatfield sank her head upon her fair hand, and gave way to the new and ineffable bliss which had so suddenly enveloped her in its halo.
"But my uncle—how could _he_ have known my secret?" she exclaimed aloud. "And how did he discover it? Oh! he must have been aware of it from the very first! The good—the kind-hearted man—never to have even appeared to——"
Georgiana's reverie was interrupted by a hasty knock at her door.
She rose, unlocked it, and gave admission to her friend Julia.
"My dear Lady Hatfield," exclaimed Miss Mordaunt, her entire countenance illuminated with joy, "congratulate me. It is all settled!"
"That you are to become Lady Blunt?" asked Georgiana, smiling.
"Yes, my dearest friend—Lady Blunt! How well it sounds! only think of '_Lady Blunt_' upon a card—printed, for instance, in the old English letter—or German text—or whatever it is. And then—'_Lady Blunt's carriage!_'—and all that sort of thing! Really I am so happy—I don't know whether to dance or sing—or both!"
"I am delighted to see you so happy, my dear Julia," said Lady Hatfield; "and most sincerely do I congratulate you. But have you acted prudently to accept Sir Christopher without communicating his proposal to your relations?"
"I think that I am quite old enough to manage my own affairs in this respect at least," answered Julia, laughing: "and yet—after all—I am not so very old—only just thirty. Still it is high time to settle one-self in life. But for the present, my dear Lady Hatfield, I must implore you to keep my engagement a profound secret—for reasons which I will explain in a few days——"
"I shall keep your secret, Julia, without seeking to learn your motives until you may choose to communicate them," replied Georgiana. "And now I am about to surprise you in respect to myself. Lord Ellingham has been here this morning."
"So I heard from old Mason just now," said Miss Mordaunt. "But you knew he would call, my dear friend, after leaving his card last night. And—if you speak candidly—you will confess that you _hoped_ he would."
"I _did_ hope he would call, Julia," answered Georgiana; "but I could _not_ imagine that our interview would have terminated——However," she added, checking herself, and smiling joyously, "you must now congratulate me; for in a few weeks I shall become the Countess of Ellingham."