The
motives which had formerly influenced her to forbid her "little Mary"
ever to begin anything important on a Friday, or ever to imperil her
prosperity by walking under a ladder, were precisely the motives by
which she was now actuated in determining to prevent the presentation
of young Thorpe's ill-omened gift.
Although Valentine had only caught a word here and there, to guide him
to the subject of Mrs. Peckover's mutterings to herself while the game
was going on, he guessed easily enough the general tenor of her
thoughts, and suspected that she would, ere long, begin to talk louder
than was at all desirable, if Zack proceeded much further with his
present topic of conversation. Accordingly, he took advantage of a
pause in the game, and of a relapse into another restless fit of
walking about the room on young Thorpe's part, to approach his wife's
couch, as if he wanted to find something lying near it, and to whisper
to her, "Stop his talking any more about that present to Madonna; I'll
tell you why another time."
Mrs. Blyth very readily and easily complied with this injunction, by
telling Zack (with perfect truth) that she had been already a little
too much excited by the events of the evening; and that she must put
off all further listening or talking, on her part, till the next night,
when she promised to advise him about the bracelet to the best of her
power.
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