Her most intimate friends
never knew, for months together, where she was to be found; and it
was currently reported that General Jerningham had once advertised
in the _Times_ for his sister. Certain it is, she always conned the
newspapers with avidity, particularly the portion devoted to
anonymous communications and the mystical interchange of sentiments;
and we frequently suspected that her interest arose from a deeper
source than mere curiosity. The simple query: 'Where do you think of
passing this autumn, Miss Jerningham?' threw her into a state of
strange excitement; and she always commenced her answer somewhat in
the following strain: 'Letters of importance, daily looked for, will
determine me--circumstances over which I have no control: it _is_
possible that I may visit Cowes;' but a possibility declared in this
way by Miss Jerningham was never known to come to pass. Wherever she
chanced to be seen, former acquaintances popped upon her with
uplifted hands, exclaiming: 'What! _you_ here? Why, we thought you
were at Ilfracombe'--or some other far-away place. 'How long have
you been here?--how long do you stay?' were questions easily
parried; but if a more searching investigation commenced, then the
Mysterious Lady turned, and twisted, and doubled painfully; but
somehow always managed to elude and baffle her persecutors.
Miss Jerningham's moral rectitude and unimpeachable propriety of
conduct--unsullied by the breath of detraction--rendered her in a
great measure impervious to downright ill-nature; but still she was
open to teasing and bantering; and the more she was teased, and the
more she was bantered, the more impenetrable she became.
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