It was a profound mortification to Lady Latimer to hear within the week
from various quarters that Mr. Cecil Burleigh was at Ryde, and to all
appearance on the happiest terms with Miss Julia Gardiner. And in fact
they were quietly married one morning by special license, and the next
news of them was that they were travelling in the Tyrol.
It was about a week after this, when Bessie was spending a few hours
with her mother, that she heard of Harry Musgrave's arrival at Brook. It
was the doctor who brought the intelligence. He came into the little
drawing-room where his wife and Bessie were sitting, and said, "I called
at Brook in passing and saw poor Harry."
"Well, Thomas, and how is he?" inquired Mrs. Carnegie in the anxious
tone a kind voice takes when asking after the health of a friend who may
be in a critical way. Bessie dropped her work and looked from one to the
other.
The doctor did not answer directly, but, addressing Bessie, he said,
"You must not be shocked, my dear, when you see Harry Musgrave."
"What is the matter? I have heard nothing: is he ill again?" cried
Bessie.
"He must never go back to London," said Mr. Carnegie with a great sigh.
"Is it so bad as that? Poor Harry!" said his wife in a sad, suppressed
tone. Bessie said nothing: her throat ached, her eyes burnt, but she was
too stunned and bewildered to inquire further, and yet she thought she
had been prepared for something like this.
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