She blushed very deeply as Mr. and Miss Benson
showed the astonishment, which they could not conceal, in their
looks. She said in a low voice to Miss Benson--
"Sally thought I had better wear it."
Miss Benson made no reply; but was startled at the intelligence,
which she thought was conveyed in this speech, of Sally's
acquaintance with Ruth's real situation. She noticed Sally's
looks particularly this morning. The manner in which the old
servant treated Ruth had in it far more of respect than there had
been the day before; but there was a kind of satisfied way of
braving out Miss Benson's glances which made the latter uncertain
and uncomfortable. She followed her brother into his study.
"Do you know, Thurstan, I am almost certain Sally suspects."
Mr. Benson sighed. That deception grieved him, and yet he thought
he saw its necessity.
"What makes you think so?" asked he.
"Oh! many little things. It was her odd way of ducking her head
about, as if to catch a good view of Ruth's left hand, that made
me think of the wedding-ring; and once, yesterday, when I thought
I had made up quite a natural speech, and was saying how sad it
was for so young a creature to be left a widow she broke in with
'widow be farred!' in a very strange, contemptuous kind of
manner."
"If she suspects, we had far better tell her the truth at once.
She will never rest till she finds it out, so we must make a
virtue of necessity.
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