"I did not hear, Aunt Deborah, I guessed," I replied. "Amabel was shocked at me for hinting such a thing before Mrs. Philippa went away." "You are a shrewd little puss," said Mrs. Deborah, shaking her head, but not looking at all displeased. "I never thought of such a thing." "I am sure I did not," said Mrs. Chloe, through her tears. "She never hinted such a thing to me—I that have stood by her for so many years. I do think she might have told me, at least." "I suppose she was ashamed," replied Mrs. Deborah. "Never mind, Chloe, we all know that poor Philippa is peculiar. I hope Doctor Brown will be as glad of his bargain five years hence as he is now." "She said he was her spiritual adviser," said Mrs. Chloe, beginning to recover herself a little. "She said she had derived great benefit from him." "Well, so it seems she has." "And here is Amabel going to marry the first Church of England clergyman she ever heard preach," continued Mrs. Chloe. "I declare, I shall begin to think spiritual advisers are very dangerous people." Mrs. Chloe was very much hurt at her sister's want of confidence in her for a while, but her amiable spirit soon began to make excuses for her. In truth, such marriages were not very uncommon in those days. Two people who were betrothed would steal away from a ball or party, perhaps, to another room in the same house, with two or three witnesses, be married, and return to the company as if nothing had happened; and marriages were sometimes kept a profound secret for months. It was not a good fashion, and brought about a good many complicated lawsuits, but it was not considered at all disreputable. Mrs. Philippa's fortune was in her own right, and nobody had a shadow of authority over her, except, perhaps, her brother, and as she was older than he by two or three years, she naturally did not think he had any special right to direct her. Doctor Brown's family, though not distinguished, was respectable. There was nothing against him personally, and he had a comfortable private fortune besides his office at Durham. Nevertheless Sir Julius was furiously angry, and wrote Mrs. Deborah a most unreasonable letter—as though she had been the one to blame. I think Mrs. Chloe suffered the most of any one from this very unexpected healing of Mrs. Philippa's twenty years' heart-break. She missed her sister, whom she had really loved despite her unkindness, and I am sure she felt it hard that Mrs. Philippa should get a rich husband, while she herself had none at all. It was truly pitiable to see how the poor thing's thoughts still ran upon such things, though every one in the house could see with half an eye that she was not long for this world. She grew thinner and weaker every day, and her little dry cough kept her awake in spite of all Mrs. Deborah's bread jellies, and poppy and lettuce syrups.