“Where—?”

“Not under the handkerchief,” he answered, picking it up as if he thought she wanted convincing.  “At Delhi, I imagine.”

At that moment, Grace, as an act of general beneficence certainly pleasing to her mother, began to sing.  It was a stop to all conversation, for Mrs. Curtis particularly disliked talking during singing, and Rachel had to digest her discoveries at her leisure, as soon as she could collect herself after the unnatural and strangely lasting sensation of the solid giving way.  So Grace was right, he was no boy, but really older than Fanny, the companion of her childhood, and who probably would have married her had not the general come in the way!  Here was, no doubt, the real enemy, while they had all been thinking of Colonel Keith.  A man only now expecting his company!  It would sound more absurd.  Yet Rachel was not wont to think how things would sound!  And this fresh intense dislike provoked her.  Was it the unsuitability of the young widow remarrying?  “Surely, surely, it must not be that womanhood in its contemptible side is still so strong that I want to keep all for myself!  Shame!  And this may be the true life love, suppressed, now able to revive!  I have no right to be disgusted, I will watch minutely, and judge if he will be a good guide and father to the boys, though it may save the colonel trouble.  Pish! what have I to do with either?  Why should I think about them?  Yet I must care for Fanny, I must dislike to see her lower herself even in the eyes of the world.  Would it really be lowering herself?  I cannot tell, I must think it out.  I wish that game was over, or that Grace would let one speak.”

But songs and whist both lasted till the evening was ended by Lady Temple coming up to the curate with her winnings and her pretty smile, “Please, Mr. Touchett, let this go towards some treat for the school children.  I should not like to give it in any serious way, you know, but just for some little pleasure for them.”

If she had done it on purpose, she could not have better freshly riveted his chains.  That pensive simplicity, with the smile of heartfelt satisfaction at giving pleasure to anybody, were more and more engaging as her spirits recovered their tone, and the most unsatisfactory consideration which Rachel carried away that evening was that Alexander Keith being really somewhat the senior, if the improvement in Fanny’s spirits were really owing to his presence, the objection on the score of age would not hold.  But, thought Rachel, Colonel Keith being her own, what united power they should have over Fanny.  Pooh! she had by no means resigned herself to have him, though for Fanny’s sake it might be well, and was there not a foolish prejudice in favour of married women, that impeded the usefulness of single ones?  However, if the stiff, dry old man approved of her for her fortune’s sake, that would be quite reason enough for repugnance.