‘It seems to me to be the most insignificant thing in the world,’ said Camilla.

‘Very likely,’ said Miss Stanbury.  ’But it is not insignificant to me.  Miss Camilla French has asserted publicly that you have authorised her to make a statement about my niece Dorothy.’

Mr Gibson looked into Camilla’s face doubtingly, inquisitively, almost piteously.’  ‘You had better let her go on,’ said Camilla.’she will make a great many mistakes, no doubt, but you had better let her go on to the end.’

’I have made no mistake as yet, Miss Camilla.  She so asserted, Mr Gibson, in the hearing of a friend of mine, and she repeated the assertion here in this room to me just before you came in.  She says that you have authorised her to declare that—­that—­that; I had better speak it out plainly at once.’

‘Much better,’ said Camilla.

‘That you never entertained an idea of offering your hand to my niece.’  Miss Stanbury paused, and Mr Gibson’s jaw fell visibly.  But he was not expected to speak as yet; and Miss Stanbury continued her accusation.  ’Beyond that, I don’t want to mention my niece’s name, if it can be avoided.’

‘But it can’t be avoided,’ said Camilla.

’If you please, I will continue.  Mr Gibson will understand me.  I will not, if I can help it, mention my niece’s name again, Mr Gibson.  But I still have that confidence in you that I do not think that you would have made such a statement in reference to yourself and any young lady unless it were some young lady who had absolutely thrown herself at your head.’  And in saying this she paused, and looked very hard at Camilla.

‘That’s just what Dorothy Stanbury has been doing,’ said Camilla.

‘She has been doing nothing of the kind, and you know she hasn’t,’ said Miss Stanbury, raising her arm as though she were going to strike her opponent.  ’But I am quite sure, Mr Gibson, that you never could have authorised these young ladies to make such an assertion publicly on your behalf.  Whatever there may have been of misunderstanding between you and me, I can’t believe that of you.’  Then she paused for a reply.  ’If you will be good enough to set us right on that point, I shall be obliged to you.’

Mr Gibson’s position was one of great discomfort.  He had given no authority to anyone to make such a statement.  He had said nothing about Dorothy Stanbury to Camilla; but he had told Arabella, when hard pressed by that lady, that he did not mean to propose to Dorothy.  He could not satisfy Miss Stanbury because he feared Arabella.  He could not satisfy the Frenches because he feared Miss Stanbury.  ’I really do not think,’ said he, ’that we ought to talk about a young lady in this way.’

‘That’s my opinion too,’ said Camilla; ‘but Miss Stanbury will.’

‘Exactly so.  Miss Stanbury will,’ said that lady.  ’Mr Gibson, I insist upon it, that you tell me whether you did give any such authority to Miss Camilla French, or to Miss French.’