"And what was your reply?" continued Mrs. De Brooke, with some asperity of accent.
"I hope you are not angry with me, ma'am; I did not say anything else, than that I did not know."
At this interval another knock came; Rosilia was about flying from the apartment, but as the door opened, the voice of Mrs. Philimore without relieved her confusion.
"My dear Rosilia," said she, after making her salutation, "how flurried you are; what has happened to alarm you?"
Scarcely was she seated, and Mrs. De Brooke had taken upon herself to explain the circumstance, than a third knock announced the return of their singular visitor. Rosilia, in trembling accents, besought her mother not to admit him; Mrs. Philimore joined in the same persuasion, recommending her friend to speak to him without.
Thus acting, Harcourt, upon seeing her, politely bowed, and stammered out some unintelligible words. In the overwhelming hurry of his thoughts he found it impossible to make himself understood; but naturally supposed the circumstance of the case and situation in which he was placed, might sufficiently explain his conduct.
