Lecount.
"My aunt and I came here yesterday evening," said Magdalen. "We found
the latter part of the journey very fatiguing. I dare say you found it
so, too?"
She designedly made her answer longer than was necessary for the purpose
of discovering, at the earliest opportunity, the effect which the sound
of her voice produced on Mrs. Lecount.
The housekeeper's thin lips maintained their motherly smile; the
housekeeper's amiable manner lost none of its modest deference, but the
expression of her eyes suddenly changed from a look of attention to a
look of inquiry. Magdalen quietly said a few words more, and then waited
again for results. The change spread gradually all over Mrs. Lecount's
face, the motherly smile died away, and the amiable manner betrayed
a slight touch of restraint. Still no signs of positive recognition
appeared; the housekeeper's expression remained what it had been from
the first--an expression of inquiry, and nothing more.
"You complained of fatigue, sir, a few minutes since," she said,
dropping all further conversation with Magdalen and addressing her
master. "Will you go indoors and rest?"
The proprietor of Sea-view Cottage had hitherto confined himself to
bowing, simpering and admiring Magdalen through his half-closed eyelids.
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