At breakfast Miss Falkner told her mother, that as Sir Horace Mortimer, had made an appointment to visit Miss Willoughby; they could avail themselves of his escort, and go with him.  This I beg leave to say, though apparently the thought of the moment, was a preconcerted proposition:  but one which Sir Horace declared impossible! as he had particular business with Miss Willoughby, at which none but Dr. Sherman, and Mrs. Cameron could be present.  This was spoken so decidedly, that no further opposition was made to his wish to go alone.

But both mother and daughters were sadly puzzled.  Conjecture was rife among them the whole morning:  at last they came to the conclusion that he had made up his mind to propose for Helen—­it must be so, else why Dr. Sherman and Mrs. Cameron present?—­this point, therefore, was settled—­at least with the Falkners, of her acceptance of him, a rich East Indian, oh there could be no doubt of that.  And the elder Miss Falkner could breathe again, since she was free to captivate Mr. George Mortimer, with whom she was desperately in love.  Thus do vain and silly people jump at conclusions and thus is half the business of a country town, or village, settled without any concurrence, or even knowledge of those most concerned.

The request of Sir Horace Mortimer set Helen wondering, and certainly deprived her of some hours sleep.  His peculiar manner and his ardent gaze, too, recurred to her mind, as she lay thinking on the subject.

She was completely puzzled, he was a perfect stranger whom she had never before seen, nor he her, what could it mean?  Would not some have concluded he was in love with her, but a man old enough to be her father!  Such an idea never entered her head:  in fact she could make no probable guess, so she determined to make a virtue of necessity, and wait quietly, till he came.  Early the next day, she sent for Mrs. Cameron, and told her of the appointment Sir Horace had made, and as she thought it more than probable, the Falkners might accompany him, as they spoke of doing so over night, she wished her friend to be with her.  But we have already seen that Sir Horace had decidedly expressed his determination to go alone.  Mrs. Cameron was equally perplexed with Helen, as to his object.  She thought perhaps he had mistaken Helen’s likeness, to some one he was attached to in his early years, and applying her favorite well-founded maxim and belief in an over-ruling Providence, made up her mind, that however the mistake might be; it would end in the orphans finding a sincere friend in the Baronet or the rich Nabob, as the people termed him.

Whatever were the surmises of Sir Horace Mortimer, he was perfectly satisfied with the result of his private examination of the miniature for he exclaimed to himself, “God be praised! it must indeed be so,” saying this, he put it in his pocket, and joined the Falkner family at breakfast, where the conversation before related, took place.