Mrs. Burton was surprised, and at first almost silenced, by this open mentioning of a name which she had felt that she would have the greatest difficulty in approaching.  She said, however, that it was so.  She had heard Lady Ongar’s name from Mr. Clavering.  “We are connected, you know,” said Lady Ongar.  “My sister is married to his first cousin, Sir Hugh; and when I was living with my sister at Clavering, he was at the rectory there.  That was before my own marriage.”  She was perfectly easy in her manner, and flattered herself that the ascendency was complete.

“I have heard so much from Mr. Clavering,” said Cecilia.

“And he was very civil to me immediately on my return home.  Perhaps you may have heard that also.  He took this house for me, and made himself generally useful, as young men ought to do.  I believe he is in the same office with your husband; is he not?  I hope I may not have been the means of making him idle?”

This was all very well and very pretty, but Mrs. Burton was already beginning to feel that she was doing nothing toward the achievement of her purpose.  “I suppose he has been idle,” she said, “but I did not mean to trouble you about that.”  Upon hearing this, Lady Ongar smiled.  This supposition that she had really intended to animadvert upon Harry Clavering’s idleness was amusing to her as she remembered how little such idleness would signify if she could only have her way.

“Poor Harry!” she said.  “I supposed his sins would be laid at my door.  But my idea is, you know, that he will never do any good at such work as that.”

“Perhaps not—­that is, I really can’t say.  I don’t think Mr. Burton has ever expressed any opinion; and if he had—­”

“If he had, you wouldn’t mention it.”

“I don’t suppose I should, Lady Ongar—­not to a stranger.”

“Harry Clavering and I are not strangers,” said Lady Ongar, changing the tone of her voice altogether as she spoke.

“No, I know that.  You have known him longer than we have.  I am aware of that.”

“Yes; before he ever dreamed of going into your husband’s business, Mrs. Burton; long before he had ever been to—­Stratton.”

The name of Stratton was an assistance to Cecilia, and seemed to have been spoken with the view of enabling her to commence her work.  “Yes,” she said, “but nevertheless he did go to Stratton.  He went to Stratton, and there he became acquainted with my sister-in-law, Florence Burton.”

“I am aware of it, Mrs. Burton.”

“And he also became engaged to her.”

“I am aware of that, too.  He has told me as much himself.”

“And has he told you whether he means to keep or to break that engagement?”

“Ah!  Mrs. Burton, is that question fair?  Is it fair either to him or to me?  If he has taken me into his confidence and has not taken you, should I be doing well to betray him?  Or if there can be anything in such a secret specially interesting to myself; why should I be made to tell it to you?”