'You think Miss Hale looking well,' said Mr. Lennox, 'don't you?
Milton didn't agree with her, I imagine; for when she first came
to London, I thought I had never seen any one so much changed.
To-night she is looking radiant. But she is much stronger. Last
autumn she was fatigued with a walk of a couple of miles. On
Friday evening we walked up to Hampstead and back. Yet on
Saturday she looked as well as she does now.
'We!' Who? They two alone?
Mr. Colthurst was a very clever man, and a rising member of
parliament. He had a quick eye at discerning character, and was
struck by a remark which Mr. Thornton made at dinner-time. He
enquired from Edith who that gentleman was; and, rather to her
surprise, she found, from the tone of his 'Indeed!' that Mr.
Thornton of Milton was not such an unknown name to him as she had
imagined it would be. Her dinner was going off well. Henry was in
good humour, and brought out his dry caustic wit admirably. Mr.
Thornton and Mr. Colthurst found one or two mutual subjects of
interest, which they could only touch upon then, reserving them
for more private after-dinner talk. Margaret looked beautiful in
the pomegranate flowers; and if she did lean back in her chair
and speak but little, Edith was not annoyed, for the conversation
flowed on smoothly without her. Margaret was watching Mr.
Thornton's face. He never looked at her; so she might study him
unobserved, and note the changes which even this short time had
wrought in him. Only at some unexpected mot of Mr. Lennox's, his
face flashed out into the old look of intense enjoyment; the
merry brightness returned to his eyes, the lips just parted to
suggest the brilliant smile of former days; and for an instant,
his glance instinctively sought hers, as if he wanted her
sympathy. But when their eyes met, his whole countenance changed;
he was grave and anxious once more; and he resolutely avoided
even looking near her again during dinner.
There were only two ladies besides their own party, and as these
were occupied in conversation by her aunt and Edith, when they
went up into the drawing-room, Margaret languidly employed
herself about some work. Presently the gentlemen came up, Mr.
Colthurst and Mr. Thornton in close conversation. Mr. Lennox drew
near to Margaret, and said in a low voice: 'I really think Edith owes me thanks for my contribution to her
party. You've no idea what an agreeable, sensible fellow this
tenant of yours is. He has been the very man to give Colthurst
all the facts he wanted coaching in. I can't conceive how he
contrived to mismanage his affairs.' 'With his powers and opportunities you would have succeeded,'
said Margaret. He did not quite relish the tone in which she
spoke, although the words but expressed a thought which had
passed through his own mind. As he was silent, they caught a
swell in the sound of conversation going on near the fire-place
between Mr. Colthurst and Mr. Thornton.