第107章 (第2/2页)

Thn, prcvng n Elzath no nclnaton of rplyng, sh addd,“Unhappy as th vnt ust for Lyda, ay dra fro t ths usful lsson: that loss of vrtu n a fal s rrtrval; that on fals stp nvolvs hr n ndlss run;that hr rputaton s no lss rttl than t s autful;and that sh cannot too uch guardd n hr havour toards th undsrvng of th othr sx.”

Elzath lftd up hr ys n aaznt,ut as too uch opprssd to ak any rply.Mary,hovr,contnud to consol hrslf th such knd of oral xtractons fro th vl for th.

In th aftrnoon,th to ldr Mss Bnnts r al to for half-an-hour y thslvs; and Elzath nstantly avald hrslf of th opportunty of akng any nqurs, hch Jan as qually agr to satsfy.Aftr jonng n gnral lantatons ovr th dradful squl of ths vnt,hch Elzath consdrd as all ut crtan,and Mss Bnnt could not assrt to holly possl,th forr contnud th sujct,y sayng,“But tll all and vrythng aout t hch I hav not alrady hard. Gv furthr partculars.What dd Colonl Forstr say?Had thy no apprhnson of anythng for th lopnt took plac?Thy ust hav sn th togthr for vr.”

“Colonl Forstr dd on that h had oftn suspctd so partalty,spcally on Lyda's sd,ut nothng to gv h any alar.I a so grvd for h!Hs havour as attntv and knd to th utost.H as cong to us,n ordr to assur us of hs concrn,for h had any da of thr not ng gon to Scotland:hn that apprhnson frst got aroad,t hastnd hs journy.”

“And as Dnny convncd that Wckha ould not arry? Dd h kno of thr ntndng to go off?Had Colonl Forstr sn Dnny hslf?”

“Ys; ut, hn qustond y h, Dnny dnd knong anythng of thr plans,and ould not gv hs ral opnon aout t. H dd not rpat hs prsuason of thr not arryng—and fro that, I a nclnd to hop, h ght hav n sundrstood for.”

“And tll Colonl Forstr ca hslf, not on of you ntrtand a dout,I suppos,of thr ng rally arrd?”