"But you know a gentleman when you see him."
"Come, Mrs. Askerton, I will not stand this. I thought you had done with the subject, and now you begin again. I had come here on purpose to tell you something of real importance,--that is, to me; but I must go away without telling you, unless you will give over abusing my cousin."
"I will not say a word more about him,--not at present."
"I feel so sure that you are mistaken, you know."
"Very well;--and I feel sure that you are mistaken. We will leave it so, and go to this matter of importance." But Clara felt it to be very difficult to tell her tidings after such a conversation as that which had just occurred. When she had entered the room her mind had been tuned to the subject, and she could have found fitting words without much difficulty to herself; but now her thoughts had been scattered and her feelings hurt, and she did not know how to bring herself back to the subject of her engagement. She paused, therefore, and sat with a doubtful, hesitating look, meditating some mode of escape. "I am all ears," said Mrs. Askerton; and Clara thought that she discovered something of ridicule or of sarcasm in the tone of her friend's voice.
"I believe I'll put it off till another day," she said.
"Why so? You don't think that anything really important to you will not be important to me also?"
"You mean to say that I have ruffled you?"
"Then be unruffled again, like my own dear, honest Clara. I have been ruffled too, but I'll be as tranquil now as a drawing-room cat." Then Mrs. Askerton got up from her chair, and seated herself by Clara's side on the sofa. "Come; you can't go till you've told me; and if you hesitate, I shall think that you mean to quarrel with me."
"No, no; you shall tell me to-day. All to-morrow you'll be preparing for your cousin."
"Or else you'll come prepared to vindicate him, and then we shan't get on any further. Tell me what it is to-day. You can't leave me in curiosity after what you have said."
"You've heard of Captain Aylmer, I think."
"I told you that he was at Perivale when Mrs. Winterfield died."
"And now he has proposed, and you are going to accept him? That will indeed be important. Is it so?--say. But don't I know it is so? Why don't you speak?"