“Disgraceful manner, my lady!” said Mr Darnley; “to what do you allude?” “I mean, sir,” answered her ladyship, “that there is every reason to believe that Arabella is gone off with Colonel Crop.” “With Colonel Crop!” repeated the rector, sceptically and magnificently; “the colonel is old enough to be Miss Glossop’s father. And why was any elopement thought necessary? The colonel is a man of family and consideration; and I should not suppose that Mr Glossop could object to such a match for his daughter.” “Oh, but Mr Darnley!” replied her ladyship, “you do not understand me.” This had a very singular sound to the rector of Neverden, to be told that there was anything which he did not understand. Then the reverend gentleman replied, “I perfectly understand your ladyship to say that Miss Glossop has eloped with Colonel Crop.” “Yes, sir,” replied her ladyship; “but not to be married to Colonel Crop.” Thereat Mr Darnley the elder lifted up his eyes, opening them widely, and he spread out his hands, lifting them up also, and he stood for a moment with open lips, and then with prodigious energy he exclaimed, “Not to be married!” “No, sir,” answered Lady Aimwell, “not to be married to Colonel Crop. But the poor simpleton has suffered herself to be persuaded by that unprincipled man, that Lord Spoonbill is so much attached to her that he is desirous of marrying her privately; and everybody knows what a profligate man Lord Spoonbill is.” This information made the whole party start with astonishment, except Mr Robert Darnley; for it immediately occurred to him that herein was a solution of Zephaniah Pringle’s letter. He could not for a moment suppose it possible that Miss Primrose could, under any circumstances whatever, have consented to any negociation with Lord Spoonbill; but it was by no means improbable that Miss Glossop might have been deceived by his lordship’s plausibilities. To the elder Mr Darnley, however, there arose a difficulty, as he was not aware that Miss Glossop had ever had an opportunity of being in Lord Spoonbill’s company. But a solution of this difficulty was immediately given by Lady Aimwell, who informed the reverend gentleman that he had recently been at Smatterton. “And,” her ladyship added, “Arabella was continually going to the castle, and taking every opportunity of throwing herself in Lord Spoonbill’s way.”