The door of the library opened, before Magdalen could follow her; and
Miss Garth advanced to express the sentiments proper to the occasion.
They were not the mechanically-submissive sentiments which Magdalen had
just heard. Norah had struggled against her rooted distrust of Frank, in
deference to the unanswerable decision of both her parents in his favor;
and had suppressed the open expression of her antipathy, though the
feeling itself remained unconquered. Miss Garth had made no such
concession to the master and mistress of the house. She had hitherto
held the position of a high authority on all domestic questions; and she
flatly declined to get off her pedestal in deference to any change in
the family circumstances, no matter how amazing or how unexpected that
change might be.
"Pray accept my congratulations," said Miss Garth, bristling all
over with implied objections to Frank--"my congratulations, _and_
my apologies. When I caught you kissing Mr. Francis Clare in the
summer-house, I had no idea you were engaged in carrying out the
intentions of your parents. I offer no opinion on the subject. I merely
regret my own accidental appearance in the character of an Obstacle to
the course of true-love--which appears to run smooth in summer-houses,
whatever Shakespeare may say to the contrary.
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