'And thuch a beautiful voice!' remarked Miss Nugent.
Mrs Jonathan looked delighted.
'But where is he all this time, my dear?' asked the vicar.
We must answer the question by informing the reader that, having watched
his congregation leave the church, he went into the vestry and sat down
there, in order to avoid meeting any of the Gwynne party; when a
messenger from his aunt came to inform him that he was wanted at once.
He inquired by whom, and on hearing, tried to arm himself for an
unavoidable encounter with Miss Gwynne.
When he entered the room she was talking to his uncle, and had her back
turned to the door. He was at once greeted by Mr Gwynne and Lady Mary
Nugent, so that he did not find it necessary to shake hands with every
one, and made a kind of general bow, which he addressed to Miss Hall
particularly, and was therefore unconscious of the half-attempt of Freda
to rise from her seat as he entered. Miss Hall, alone, saw the flush on
her cheek, as she relapsed into her position by Mr Jonathan Prothero and
professed to be listening to the cause of his accident. His adventurous
search after trinobites in a celebrated quarry, the slipping of a stone,
and consequent spraining of his right ankle, sounded into one of her
ears, whilst the following conversation, entered the other:--
'I hope you will give us the pleasure of your company on Tuesday,' said
Lady Mary Nugent.
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