'Your dog remembers you well, Miss Grey,' said he, warmly grasping the hand I offered him without clearly knowing what I was about. 'You rise early.'
'Not often so early as this,' I replied, with amazing composure, considering all the circumstances of the case.
'How far do you purpose to extend your walk?'
'I was thinking of returning--it must be almost time, I think.'
He consulted his watch--a gold one now--and told me it was only five minutes past seven.
'But, doubtless, you have had a long enough walk,' said he, turning towards the town, to which I now proceeded leisurely to retrace my steps; and he walked beside me.
'In what part of the town do you live?' asked he. 'I never could discover.'
Never could discover? Had he endeavoured to do so then? I told him the place of our abode. He asked how we prospered in our affairs. I told him we were doing very well--that we had had a considerable addition to our pupils after the Christmas vacation, and expected a still further increase at the close of this.
'You must be an accomplished instructor,' he observed.
'No, it is my mother,' I replied; 'she manages things so well, and is so active, and clever, and kind.'
'I should like to know your mother. Will you introduce me to her some time, if I call?'
'Yes, willingly.'
'And will you allow me the privilege of an old friend, of looking in upon you now and then?'
'Yes, if--I suppose so.'
This was a very foolish answer, but the truth was, I considered that I had no right to invite anyone to my mother's house without her knowledge; and if I had said, 'Yes, if my mother does not object,' it would appear as if by his question I understood more than was expected; so, SUPPOSING she would not, I added, 'I suppose so:' but of course I should have said something more sensible and more polite, if I had had my wits about me. We continued our walk for a minute in silence; which, however, was shortly relieved (no small relief to me) by Mr. Weston commenting upon the brightness of the morning and the beauty of the bay, and then upon the advantages A--- possessed over many other fashionable places of resort.
'You don't ask what brings me to A--- ' said he. 'You can't suppose I'm rich enough to come for my own pleasure.'
'I heard you had left Horton.'
'You didn't hear, then, that I had got the living of F-?'