At first she avoided Annot, whom she heard hourly idling over the piano; she felt, amid all her crushing and mortifying thoughts, that she would be happier if busy, and so she bustled about the house affecting to be dreadfully so; tied up, let down, snipped, and twined rose-bushes in the garden, and strove to look happy and cheerful, with a sick and sinking heart--even attempting to sing, but her voice failed her. On the other hand, the frivolous, emotional, and perhaps somewhat sensuous nature of Annot required change, society, and above all some exciting incident to keep her even in tolerable humour and mental health; and now that she had no companion at Merlwood but Hester and her old uncle, with his inevitable hookah and Indian small talk, she became unmistakably _triste_ and fidgety, impatient and absent--only awake and radiant when the postman was expected. She felt utterly bored by Merlwood now, and could not conceal her impatience to fulfil her visit to Earlshaugh. 'I quite look forward to that event,' said she. 'No doubt,' assented Hester. 'It will be so delightful--a country house full of people, and mamma not there to watch and scold me in private.' 'For what?' 'Ah, you should see or hear her after she has caught me idling much with a detrimental, or daring to leave my hand in his for a moment.' 'Annot!' 'I fear that I am a natural born flirt, Hester.' The latter made no reply, as she thought, a little disdainfully, that these would-be artless speeches were merely meant to 'cast dust in her eyes,' and with regard to her own visit to Fifeshire, she was seldom twice in the same mood of mind. 'Invited to Earlshaugh--to meet, see, and associate hourly with him, and with _her_, too, there!' Hester would think. 'Better feign illness and stay at home--at sequestered Merlwood; but that would only be putting off the evil day. As her kinsman, she must meet him some time and face it boldly--meet him as little more than a friend, after all that had passed between them, and he had left--unsaid!' 'I cannot make you and Roly--I mean Roland--out!' said Annot on one occasion. 'How?' asked Hester. 'I do not understand you.' 'I always thought myself quick in discovering cases of spoon----' 'Don't be slangy, Annot.' 'Slang or not, you know the phrase and all it expresses!' 'Well?' 'When I first came here I made up my mind that Roland was entirely yours, though I could not be sure whether you returned his regard; but after being with you both for nearly a month, I find myself quite at a loss.' 'Do you?' said Hester icily. 'Yes--you parted last night without the least sign of regret or emotion, and all that sort of thing.' 'How dare she attempt to quiz me thus?' thought Hester, feeling almost that she could strike the smiling little speaker; 'how dare she?--but she knows not all I know--all I was compelled to overhear!'