While their tongues were in full career the
door opened and Eleanor appeared. She told them it was twelve
o'clock, turned Jane out of the room, and made Emily and Lily promise
not to utter another syllable that night.
CHAPTER XXVI: THE CRISIS
'"Is this your care of the nest?" cried he,
"It comes of your gadding abroad," said she.'
To the consternation of the disconsolate damsels, the first news they
heard the next morning was that Mr. Mohun was gone to breakfast at
Broomhill, and the intelligence was received by Frank Hawkesworth
with a smile which they thought perfectly malicious. Frank, William,
and Reginald talked a little at breakfast about the fete, but no one
joined them, and Claude looked so grave that Eleanor was convinced
that he had a headache, and vainly tried to persuade him to stay at
home, instead of setting off to Devereux Castle immediately after
breakfast.
The past day had not been spent in vain by Ada. Mrs. Weston had led
her by degrees to open her heart to her, had made her perceive the
real cause of her father's displeasure, see her faults, and promise
to confess them, a promise which she performed with many tears, as
soon as she saw Eleanor in the morning.
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