’Yes, I should have spoken; I should have put everything before you; I came intending to do it.  But I never could have spoken to you as you have spoken to me, Rosa.’

’Don’t say you mean so coldly or unkindly, Eddy, please, if you can help it.’

‘I mean so sensibly and delicately, so wisely and affectionately.’

‘That’s my dear brother!’ She kissed his hand in a little rapture.  ‘The dear girls will be dreadfully disappointed,’ added Rosa, laughing, with the dewdrops glistening in her bright eyes.  ’They have looked forward to it so, poor pets!’

‘Ah! but I fear it will be a worse disappointment to Jack,’ said Edwin Drood, with a start.  ‘I never thought of Jack!’

Her swift and intent look at him as he said the words could no more be recalled than a flash of lightning can.  But it appeared as though she would have instantly recalled it, if she could; for she looked down, confused, and breathed quickly.

‘You don’t doubt its being a blow to Jack, Rosa?’

She merely replied, and that evasively and hurriedly:  Why should she?  She had not thought about it.  He seemed, to her, to have so little to do with it.

’My dear child! can you suppose that any one so wrapped up in another—­Mrs. Tope’s expression:  not mine—­as Jack is in me, could fail to be struck all of a heap by such a sudden and complete change in my life?  I say sudden, because it will be sudden to him, you know.’

She nodded twice or thrice, and her lips parted as if she would have assented.  But she uttered no sound, and her breathing was no slower.

‘How shall I tell Jack?’ said Edwin, ruminating.  If he had been less occupied with the thought, he must have seen her singular emotion.  ’I never thought of Jack.  It must be broken to him, before the town-crier knows it.  I dine with the dear fellow to-morrow and next day—­Christmas Eve and Christmas Day—­but it would never do to spoil his feast-days.  He always worries about me, and moddley-coddleys in the merest trifles.  The news is sure to overset him.  How on earth shall this be broken to Jack?’

‘He must be told, I suppose?’ said Rosa.

‘My dear Rosa! who ought to be in our confidence, if not Jack?’

’My guardian promised to come down, if I should write and ask him.  I am going to do so.  Would you like to leave it to him?’

‘A bright idea!’ cried Edwin.  ’The other trustee.  Nothing more natural.  He comes down, he goes to Jack, he relates what we have agreed upon, and he states our case better than we could.  He has already spoken feelingly to you, he has already spoken feelingly to me, and he’ll put the whole thing feelingly to Jack.  That’s it!  I am not a coward, Rosa, but to tell you a secret, I am a little afraid of Jack.’

‘No, no! you are not afraid of him!’ cried Rosa, turning white, and clasping her hands.

‘Why, sister Rosa, sister Rosa, what do you see from the turret?’ said Edwin, rallying her.  ‘My dear girl!’