They
had arrived at the Rev. Mr. Penaluna's house, and there was a young
lady standing in the light of the hall, she having opened the door
very softly as she heard the carriage drive up.
"So here you are, Harry; and you'll stay with us the whole fortnight,
won't you? Come in to the dining-room--I have some supper ready for
you. Papa's gone to bed, and he desired me to give you his excuses,
and he hopes you'll make yourself quite at home, as you always do,
Harry."
He did make himself quite at home, for, having kissed his cousin and
flung his topcoat down in the hall, he went into the dining-room and
took possession of an easy-chair.
"Sha'n't have any supper, Jue, thank you. You won't mind my lighting
a cigar--somebody's been smoking here already. And what's the least
poisonous claret you've got?"
"Well, I declare!" she said, but she got him the wine all the
same, and watched him light his cigar: then she took the easy-chair
opposite.
"Tell us about your young man, Jue," he said. "Girls always like to
talk about that."
"Do they?" she said. "Not to boys."
"I shall be twenty-one in a fortnight. I am thinking of getting
married."
"So I hear," she remarked quietly.
Now he had been talking nonsense at random, mostly intent on getting
his cigar well lit, but this little observation rather startled him.
"What have you heard?" he said abruptly.
"Oh, nothing--the ordinary stupid gossip," she said, though she was
watching him rather closely.
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