‘Oh, Jill!’ I exclaimed, much distressed, ’how could you say such absurd things?—­you know I never like you to talk in this exaggerated fashion.  A saint, indeed!  A pretty sort of saint Mr. Hamilton must think me!’ for it nettled me to think that he had ever heard Jill’s ridiculous nonsense.

’Wait a moment, till I have finished:  you are not too saintly to be cross sometimes.  I will tell him that, if you like.  Well, when he said this about quarrelling, Miss Darrell gave him one of her sweet smiles.

’"Nonsense, Giles, as though I mind what this dear foolish child says; she is indulging in a panegyric on her cousin’s virtues, because I said she was a little masculine and strong-minded and rather looked down upon us poor women.  I have pressed her over and over again to spend an evening with us, but she always puts us off.  I am afraid we Gladwyn ladies are not to her taste.”

’"Don’t be silly, Etta.  Have I not told you poor old Elspeth is dying?—­Miss Garston will not leave her, you may be sure of that.”  And then Mr. Hamilton said to me in quite a nice way,—­oh, I did not dislike him so much that evening,—­“I daresay you misunderstand Etta.  I assure you we all think most highly of your cousin, and she will always be a welcome guest here, and I hope you will induce her to come soon.”  Wasn’t it nice of him?  Dear Etta did not dare to say another word.’

’Very nice, Jill; but indeed I do not want to hear any more of Miss Darrell’s speeches.’  And I got up hastily and opened the piano to put a stop to the conversation.  Jill was always pleased when I would sing to her, but somehow my voice was not quite in order that evening.

The next day Jill surprised me very much by asking me if I knew that Miss Hamilton was going to Bournemouth for the rest of the winter.

’Mrs. Maberley has invited her, and Mr. Hamilton thinks it will do her so much good:  they are going early next week.  She wants to see you, Ursula; she says you have not met since Christmas.  Could you go this afternoon?  Miss Darrell will be out.’

I considered for a moment, and then said yes, I would certainly go up to Gladwyn.  It made me feel a little dull to think Miss Hamilton was going away; we had not exchanged a word since that Sunday evening, but I had thought of her so much since then.  My patients had engrossed my time, but hardly my thoughts.  Poor Elspeth was slowly dying, and I had to be constantly with her.  Marshall had not yet resumed work, but he was in poor spirits from the loss of his wife, and could hardly be a comfort to the poor creature.  I put off my visit to Phoebe until the evening, and walked up to Gladwyn with Jill; she and Lady Betty were going for a walk, and were to have tea with the Maberleys.  I learned afterwards that Mr. Tudor met them quite accidentally about three miles from Heathfield, and had accompanied them to Maplehurst, where he made himself so pleasant to the old lady that he was pressed to remain.  Oh, Mr. Tudor, I am afraid you are not quite so artless as you look!  I began to wish Aunt Philippa would soon recall Jill.