Page:Gaskell--A dark night's work.djvu/195

184 “Ellinor will have the rent of this house, which is hers by right of her mother’s settlement, to live on.”

“How much will that be?”

“One hundred and twenty pounds.”

Miss Monro’s lips went into a form prepared for whistling. Mr. Ness continued:

“She is at present unwilling enough to leave this house, poor girl. It is but natural; but she has no power in the matter, even were there any other course open to her. I can only say how glad, how honoured, I shall feel by as long a visit as you and she can be prevailed upon to pay me at the parsonage.”

“Where is Mr. Corbet?” said Miss Monro.

“I do not know. After breaking off his engagement he wrote me a long letter, explanatory, as he called it; exculpatory, as I termed it. I wrote back, curtly enough, saying that I regretted the breaking off of an intercourse which had always been very pleasant to me, but that he must be aware that, with my intimacy with the family at Ford Bank, it would be both awkward and unpleasant to all parties if he and I remained on our previous footing. Who is that going past the window? Ellinor riding?”

Miss Monro went to the window. “Yes! I am thankful to see her on horseback again. It was only this morning I advised her to have a ride!”