She started, dropped her needle, and
repeated hastily, and almost in the same breath, the contradictory
answers: "Yes, madam--no, my lady--I beg pardon, I did not hear."
"You need not blush, my love, and still less need you look so pale and
frightened," said Lady Ashton, coming forward; "we know that maiden's
ears must be slow in receiving a gentleman's language; but you must
remember Mr. Hayston speaks on a subject on which you have long since
agreed to give him a favourable hearing. You know how much your father
and I have our hearts set upon an event so extremely desirable."
In Lady Ashton's voice, a tone of impressive, and even stern, innuendo
was sedulously and skilfully concealed under an appearance of the most
affectionate maternal tenderness. The manner was for Bucklaw, who was
easily enough imposed upon; the matter of the exhortation was for the
terrified Lucy, who well knew how to interpret her mother's hints,
however skilfully their real purport might be veiled from general
observation.
Miss Ashton sat upright in her chair, cast round her a glance in which
fear was mingled with a still wilder expression, but remained perfectly
silent.
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