"My dear Fanny," said Mr. Ridley, who must have his joke, "I hope you will make proper apologies to this gentleman and me, for having exposed us to such a horrible surprise as the sight of that lady's face has given us. Pray, was this ungenerous plan of concealment Miss Pendarves's or yours?" "Her's, entirely." "But what was her motive?" "She wished to see whether her cousin would know her through her veil." "Oh! she was acting Clara in the Duenna; you know she plays Don Ferdinand some such trick." "True; but Ferdinand and Clara were _lovers_, not cousins." "Cannot cousins be lovers, Fanny?" Here the entrance of the servant with supper interrupted the conversation, and Seymour and I sat down to it with what appetite we could. "It is astonishing," said Mr. Ridley, "what use and habit can effect; I have already conquered my horror at sight of your friend's face; and I see Mr. Pendarves has not only done the same, but I suspect he is meditating a drawing of it, to send to the Royal Society, as a _lusus naturæ_." In spite of himself, Seymour smiled at this speech, and replied, while I looked very foolish, that he was gazing at me with wonder, as he could not conceive how I had gained so many inches in height since he saw me. "I grew several inches after my fever," I replied. "Fever? When--where--what fever, Helen? I never heard you were ill." "Oh yes, I was--and my life was despaired of." "You in danger, Helen, and I never knew it!" "It was really very unkind," said Ridley, "to keep such a delightful piece of intelligence from you." "But _when_ was it, dear Helen?" "When I saw you on the road to Oxford, I was only just recovered." "Only just recovered! You did not look ill; but I remember you had your veil down, so I really did not see your face." "So, so; wearing her veil down is a common thing with her--is it? I am glad she is so considerate." These jokes, however, had their use; for they tended to keep under the indulgence of feelings which required to be restrained in both of us, in the presence of others. "But, when were you first seized, Helen? and what brought on your fever?" said Seymour, as if urged by some secret consciousness. You will not wonder that I blushed, and even stammered, as I answered, "I was not quite well when I saw you in the church--and--and----" "And what?" "I was seized that night, and when my mother returned, she found me very ill indeed!" "That night!" Here he started from his seat. "Ah Fanny!" cried Mr. Ridley, "you _would_ buy them! I always objected to them." "Buy what, my dear Ridley?" "These chairs; I always said they were such uneasy ones, no one could sit on them long--you see Mr. Pendarves can't endure them."