Page:The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (emended first edition), Volume 2.djvu/360

350 but lowering his voice that his mother might not hear. His sister took the rose and gave it to me.

"My brother's compliments, Mrs. Huntingdon, and he hopes you and he will come to a better understanding by and by.—Will that do, Walter?" added the saucy girl, turning to him and putting her arm round his neck, as he stood leaning upon the sill of the window—"or should I have said that you are sorry you were so touchy? or that you hope she will pardon your offence?"

"You silly girl! you don't know what you are talking about," replied he gravely.

"Indeed I don't; for I'm quite in the dark."

"Now Esther," interposed Mrs. Hargrave, who, if equally benighted on the subject of our estrangement, saw at least that her daughter was behaving very improperly, "I must insist upon your leaving the room!"

"Pray don't, Mrs. Hargrave, for I'm going