‘How can you be so foolish, Camilla?’ said Arabella.

‘Perhaps I am foolish,’ said Camilla, ‘to care what anybody says.’

‘What can it all be to Mr Burgess?’ said Mrs French.

’Only this, that as we all like Mr Burgess, and as he is almost one of the family in the Close, I think he ought to know why we are not quite so cordial as we used to be.  Now that the matter is over I have no doubt things will get right again.  And as for the young lady, I’m sure we feel for her.  We think it was the aunt who was indiscreet.’

‘And then she has such a tongue,’ said Arabella.

Our friend Brooke, of course, knew the whole truth knew the nature of Mr Gibson’s failure, and knew also how Dorothy had acted in the affair.  He was inclined, moreover, to believe that the ladies who were now talking to him were as well instructed on the subject as was he himself.  He had heard, too, of the ambition of the two young ladies now before him, and believed that that ambition was not yet dead.  But he did not think it incumbent on him to fight a battle even on behalf of Dorothy.  He might have declared that Dorothy, at least, had not been disappointed, but he thought it better to be silent about Dorothy.  ‘Yes,’ he said, ’Miss Stanbury has a tongue; but I think it speaks as much good as it does evil, and perhaps that is a great deal to say for any lady’s tongue.’

‘We never speak evil of anybody,’ said Camilla; ’never.  It is a rule with us.’  Then Brooke took his leave, and the three ladies were cordial and almost affectionate in their farewell greetings.

Brooke was to start on the following morning before anybody would be up except Martha, and Miss Stanbury was very melancholy during the evening.  ‘We shall miss him very much; shall we not?’ she said, appealing to Dorothy.  ‘I am sure you will miss him very much,’ said Dorothy.  ‘We are so stupid here alone,’ said Miss Stanbury.  ’When they had drank their tea, she sat nearly silent for half an hour, and then summoned him up into her own room.’so you are going, Brooke?’ she said.

‘Yes; I must go now.  They would dismiss me if I stayed an hour longer.’

’It was good of you to come to the old woman; and you must let me hear of you from time to time.’

‘Of course I’ll write.’

‘And, Brooke—­’

‘What is it, Aunt Stanbury?’

‘Do you want any money, Brooke?’

‘No none, thank you.  I’ve plenty for a bachelor.’

‘When you think of marrying, Brooke, mind you tell me.’

‘I’ll be sure to tell you but I can’t promise yet when that will be.’  She said nothing more to him, though she paused once more as though she were going to speak.  She kissed him and bade him good-bye, saying that she would not go down-stairs again that evening.  He was to tell Dorothy to go to bed.  And so they parted.