"It won't happen again," he said, sullenly penitent. "You will find me
quite another man when I have got you all at my house in the country.
Mind!" he burst out, with a furtive look, which expressed his inveterate
distrust of Natalie and of every one about her. "Mind! it's settled
that you all come to me in Somersetshire, on Monday next." Sir Joseph
answered rather dryly that it was settled. Turlington turned to leave
the room--and suddenly came back. "It's understood," he went on,
addressing Miss Lavinia, "that the seventh of next month is the date
fixed for the marriage. Not a day later!" Miss Lavinia replied, rather
dryly on her side, "Of course, Richard; not a day later." He muttered,
"All right" and hurriedly left them.
Half an hour afterward Natalie came in, looking a little confused.
"Has he gone?" she asked, whispering to her aunt.
Relieved on this point, she made straight for the library--a room which
she rarely entered at that or any other period of the day. Miss Lavinia
followed her, curious to know what it meant.
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