She was not upstairs dusting her jewelry and disarranging her dresses.
She was not in the conservatory, not in the flower-garden; not in the
kitchen teasing the cook; not in the yard playing with the dogs. Had
she, by any chance, gone out with her father? Mr. Vanstone had announced
his intention, at the breakfast-table, of paying a morning visit to
his old ally, Mr. Clare, and of rousing the philosopher's sarcastic
indignation by an account of the dramatic performance. None of the other
ladies at Combe-Raven ever ventured themselves inside the cottage. But
Magdalen was reckless enough for anything--and Magdalen might have gone
there. As the idea occurred to her, Norah entered the shrubbery.
At the second turning, where the path among the trees wound away out
of sight of the house, she came suddenly face to face with Magdalen and
Frank: they were sauntering toward her, arm in arm, their heads close
together, their conversation apparently proceeding in whispers. They
looked suspiciously handsome and happy. At the sight of Norah both
started, and both stopped. Frank confusedly raised his hat, and turned
back in the direction of his father's cottage.
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