Turlington asked the question which it had been his one object to put in
paying his visit to Muswell Hill.
"Have you spoken to Natalie?"
"This morning," replied Sir Joseph. "An opportunity offered itself after
breakfast. I took advantage of it, Richard--you shall hear how."
He settled himself in his chair for one of his interminable stories; he
began his opening sentence--and stopped, struck dumb at the first
word. There was an unexpected obstacle in the way--his sister was not
attending to him; his sister had silenced him at starting. The story
touching, this time, on the question of marriage, Miss Lavinia had her
woman's interest in seeing full justice done to the subject. She seized
on her brother's narrative as on property in her own right.
"Joseph should have told you," she began, addressing herself to
Turlington, "that our dear girl was unusually depressed in spirits this
morning. Quite in the right frame of mind for a little serious talk
about her future life. She ate nothing at breakfast, poor child, but a
morsel of dry toast.
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