'
Dolores burst out with, 'I didn't,' and as Primrose at this instant ran
in to help mamma take off her things, she turned on her heel and went
away, leaving Lady Merrifield trusting to a word never hitherto in that
house proved to be false, rather than to those glances of Aunt Jane,
which had been always held in the Mohun family to be a little too
discerning and ubiquitous to be always relied on; and it was a
satisfactory recollection that at the farewell moment when Miss Jane
professed to have observed the transaction, she had been heard saying,
'Yes, it will never do to be too slack in inquiring into antecedents,
or the whole character of the society will be given up,' and with her
black eyes fixed full upon Miss Hacket's face.
CHAPTER X.
THE EVENING STAR
'Oh, Connie dear, I had such a fright! Do you know you must never
venture to give me anything when any one is there--especially Aunt
Jane. I am sure it was her. she is always spying about?'
'Well, but dearest Dolly, I couldn't tell that she would be there, and
when I got your letter I could not keep it back, you know, so I made
Mary come up and call on Lady Merrifield for the chance of being able
to give it to you--and I thought it was so lucky Miss Mohun was there,
for she and Mary were quite swallowed up in their dear G.F.S.'
'You don't know Aunt Jane! And the worst of it is she always makes
Aunt Lilias twice as cross! I did get into such a row only because I
didn't want to go driving with the two old aunts in the dark and cold,
and be scolded all the way there and back.
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