She dressed alone, every now and then smiling at her own happy looks
reflected in the glass. Just as she had finished, Claude knocked at
the door, and putting in his head, said, 'Well, Lily, has the
wonderful news come forth? I see it has, by your face.'
'And do you know what it is, Claude?' said Lily.
'I know what Rotherwood meant, and I cannot think where all our
senses were.'
'And, Claude, only say that you like her.'
'I think it is a very good thing indeed.'
'Only say that you cordially like her.'
'I do. I admire her sense and her gentleness very much, and I think
you owe a great deal to her.'
'Then you allow that you were unjust last summer?'
'I do; but it was owing to you. You were somewhat foolish, and I
thought it was her fault. Besides, I was quite tired of hearing that
extraordinary name of hers for ever repeated.'
Here they were summoned to dinner, and hurried down. The dinner
passed very strangely; some were in very high spirits, others in a
very melancholy mood; Eleanor and Maurice alone preserved the golden
mean; and the behaviour of the merry ones was perfectly
unintelligible to the rest. Reginald, still bound by his promise to
Marianne, was wild to make his discovery known, and behaved in such a
strange and comical manner as to call forth various reproofs from
Eleanor, which provoked double mirth from the others.
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