Out of her sphere - University Library

90 OUT OF IIER SPHERE.
mother, just now, to tell her that my best
hopes were fixed on making you my wife ;
and that my father was prepared to do all
that lay in his power to facilitate matters.
I'm sorry to say I've had rather a strange
reception. Some one has been poisoning
her ears with a scandal, which is so absurd
that, if it were not for its effect on her,
I should have thought no one in their
senses would have believed it, and she has
almost given me my conge ! Pleasant, when
everything, at last, appeared to be such
smooth sailing. We shall have to wait,
now, till she is disabused of this absurd idea,
and heaven knows how long it will take to
do that. Have you any notion what it
means ? What is the story she has got
hold of ; and what on earth have I got to
do with Mrs. Thornton's quarrelling with
her husband, and running away to her
friends, which, I suppose, is about the state
of the case?"