I looked
at the top of his bald head; having noticed on other occasions that the
temper which was really in him had a habit of registering itself THERE.
"Some weeks ago," pursued the old gentleman, "my son informed me that
Miss Verinder had done him the honour to engage herself to marry him.
Is it possible, Rachel, that he can have misinterpreted--or presumed
upon--what you really said to him?"
"Certainly not," she replied. "I did engage myself to marry him."
"Very frankly answered!" said Mr. Ablewhite. "And most satisfactory, my
dear, so far. In respect to what happened some weeks since, Godfrey has
made no mistake. The error is evidently in what he told me yesterday.
I begin to see it now. You and he have had a lovers' quarrel--and my
foolish son has interpreted it seriously. Ah! I should have known better
than that at his age."
The fallen nature in Rachel--the mother Eve, so to speak--began to chafe
at this.
"Pray let us understand each other, Mr. Ablewhite," she said. "Nothing
in the least like a quarrel took place yesterday between your son and
me. If he told you that I proposed breaking off our marriage engagement,
and that he agreed on his side--he told you the truth.
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