'I can only say, dear Aunt Becky, she has not told it to _me_.'
'Now, listen to me, my dear,' said Aunt Becky, laying her fan upon
Lily's arm. 'So sure as you sit there, Gertrude likes somebody, and I
think I shall soon know who he is. Can you conjecture, my dear?' And
Aunt Rebecca paused, looking, Lilias thought, rather pale, and with a
kind of smile too.
'No,' said Lilias; 'no, I really can't.'
'Well, maybe when I tell you I've reason to think he's one of our
officers here. Eh? Can you guess?' said Aunt Becky, holding her fan to
her mouth, and looking straight before her.
It was now Lily's turn to look pale for a moment, and then to blush so
much that her ears tingled, and her eyes dropped to the carpet. She had
time to recover, though, for Aunt Becky, as I've said, was looking
straight before her, a little pale, awaiting the result of Lily's
presumed ruminations. A moment satisfied her it could not be Devereux,
and she was soon quite herself again.
'An officer! no, Aunt Becky--there certainly is Captain Cluffe, who
always joins your party when you and Gertrude go down to hear the band,
and Lieutenant Puddock, too, who does the same--but you know--'
'Well, my dear, all in good time.
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