"Oh, I am wrong--as I always am!" cried Hester. "You must forgive me again, as you do far, far too often. But tell me, Edward, ought not Margaret's husband to be the happiest man living?" "Yes," said Edward, with a smile. "Will that do this time?" "Oh, yes, yes," replied she--the thought passing through her mind, that, whether or not her husband excepted himself as a matter of course, she should not have asked a question to which she could not bear all possible answers. Even if he meant that Margaret's husband might be a happier man than himself, it was only too true. As quick as lightning these thoughts passed through her mind, and, apparently without a pause, she went on, "And now, as to Enderby--is he worthy to be this happy husband? Does he deserve her?" Mr Hope did pause before he replied: "I think we had better dwell as little as we can on that point of the story--not because I am afraid--(do not take fright and suppose I mean more than I say)--not because I am afraid, but because we can do nothing, discern nothing, about it. Time must show what Enderby is--or rather, what he has the power of becoming. Meanwhile, the thing is settled. They love and have promised, and are happy. Let us shun all comparison of the one with the other of them, and hope everything from him." "There will be some amusement," said Hester, after a smiling reverie, "in having this secret to ourselves for a time, while all the rest of Deerbrook is so busy with a different idea and expectation. How _will_ Mrs Rowland bear it?" "Mrs Grey might have said that," said Hope, laughing. "Well, but is it not true? Will it not be very amusing to see the circulation of stories about Miss Bruce, given `from the best authority,' and to have all manner of news told us about Philip; and to watch how Mrs Rowland will get out of the scrape she is in? Surely, Edward, you are not above being amused with all this?" "I shall be best pleased when it is all over. I have lived some years longer than you in Deerbrook, and have had more time to get tired of its mysteries and mistakes." "For your comfort, then, it cannot be long before all is open and rightly understood. We need only leave Mrs Rowland time to extricate herself, I suppose. I wonder how she will manage it." "We shall be taken by surprise with some clever device, I dare say. It is a pity so much ingenuity should be wasted on mischief." CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. A MORNING IN MARCH.