'But he is not going to tell mamma about the marriage, I hope?' said Clara.
'No, he will leave her to think it is only the old story, and that he wants to see if anything can be done about the debts. There is a hope that the news he must have had by this time may have checked him.'
'Perhaps it may be bringing him home,' said Marian.
'No, I fear he is too much involved to venture to England.'
Again following a silence; no one could think of anything consoling to suggest; all were unwilling to heap censure upon one who deserved it but too richly. Only Lionel was heard to give a sort of groan, find after a time Clara asked, 'Is it a Frenchwoman?'
'Yes,' said Walter; 'a person connected with the theatres.'
The four again sat in mournful silence.
'I suppose,' said Lionel at length, 'that my going to London had better be put off till he comes back.'
'No,' said Walter, 'he wishes that to be done at once. We are all three to go to London to-morrow, as was settled before; he will go with you to see the oculist, and on to Dover by the night-train; and if the oculist wishes to keep you, I shall stay with you in London till he comes back, or till my mother and the rest can come.'
'Thank you,' said Lionel, sighing; 'I wish I could help it! Is not it leaving a pretty state of things behind us, though? not that we are any great good to the ladies to be sure!'
'Yes, it is leaving you at a very sad time,' said Walter, looking at the two girls, 'but we are hardly able to be of much use to my mother, and if there was any prospect of your improvement, that they all say would do her more good than anything else. However, my father said that must be according to your feelings, Clara and Marian, if you were afraid to be left with the charge of her, I would remain.'
One of Walter's awkward ways of putting the question, and it instantly suggested to Clara to be afraid.
'I am sure I shan't know what to do. Only think, Marian, for us to be left--what should we do if mamma was to get suddenly worse? We should have no one to help us, I shall be in such a nervous state, I could do no good.'
'No, no, Clara, you won't,' said Marian, whilst Walter had begun to look in consternation at Clara. 'Nobody ever has nerves when there is anything to be done. You know Mrs. Lyddell is much better.'
'O but she will be so very unhappy and excited about papa's being gone, and I am sure I shall never be able to conceal from her all this dreadful business about Elliot.'
'Yes, you will,' said Marian quietly. 'We shall do very well indeed, it cannot be for long, and if we wanted him we could get Walter home in a few hours' time. If he can send us good news of Lionel, it will help us much more than his staying here could do.'
'If dear Caroline,'--and Clara burst into a fit of weeping, which obliged her to leave the room. Every one was feeling the same thing, that Caroline, with her energy, good sense, and the power she had once possessed with her mother, would have made all easy, and the sense of missing her had come strongly upon them all. Marian followed Clara to her own room, let her lean upon her and cry, wept with her, joined in saying how grievous the loss was, and how much they had loved her, and how they should want her every day and every hour, then called hack the remembrance that Caroline had not been happy here, and had longed for rest, and it was come to her, and they must not be selfish, but there Clara cried more, saying that Marian never knew what a sister was, and it was unkind to wish her to be glad.
'I don't know,' said Marian, pausing as her tears flowed fast, 'I have known death, Clara.'
'You weren't glad!' said Clara passionately.
