"Yes, my
dear, of course; I respect your honourable feeling; and--er--yes--you may
tell Mrs. Sheldon--and that of course includes Mr. Sheldon, since the
lady is but an inoffensive cipher--that you are about to be married--to a
French gentleman of position. You will, of course, be obliged to mention
his name, and then will arise the question as to where and how you met
him; and, upon my word, it's confoundedly awkward that you should insist
on enlightening these people. You see, my dear girl, what I want to
avoid, for the present, is any chance of collision between the Sheldons
and Lenoble."
"Papa!" exclaimed Diana, impatiently, "why must there be all this
scheming?"
"O, very well, Miss Paget; tell them what you like!" cried the Captain,
aggravated beyond endurance by such inherent perversity. "All I can say
is, that a young woman who quarrels with her bread-and-butter is likely
to come to dry bread; and very little of that, perhaps. I wash my hands
of the business. Tell them what you like."
"I will not tell them more than I feel to be actually necessary, papa,"
the young lady replied calmly. "I do not think Mr. Sheldon will trouble
himself about M. Lenoble. He seems very much occupied by his own
affairs."
"Humph! Sheldon seems harassed, anxious, does he?"
"Well, yes, papa; I have thought so for the last few months. If I may
venture to judge by the expression of his face, as he sits at home in the
evening, reading the paper, or staring at the fire, I am sure he has many
anxieties--troubles even.
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