When you said you were in a changed mind concerning me, you spoke, not only for yourself, but for your sister too?′
′Undoubtedly I did, sir.′
′Excuse me, Mr. Neville, but I think you have had no opportunity of communicating with your sister, since I met you. Mr. Honeythunder was very eloquent; but perhaps I may venture to say, without ill- nature, that he rather monopolised the occasion. May you not have answered for your sister without sufficient warrant?′
Neville shook his head with a proud smile.
′You don′t know, sir, yet, what a complete understanding can exist between my sister and me, though no spoken word—perhaps hardly as much as a look—may have passed between us. She not only feels as I have described, but she very well knows that I am taking this opportunity of speaking to you, both for her and for myself.′
Mr. Crisparkle looked in his face, with some incredulity; but his face expressed such absolute and firm conviction of the truth of what he said, that Mr. Crisparkle looked at the pavement, and mused, until they came to his door again.
′I will ask for one more turn, sir, this time,′ said the young man, with a rather heightened colour rising in his face. ′But for Mr. Honeythunder′s—I think you called it eloquence, sir?′ (somewhat slyly.)
′I—yes, I called it eloquence,′ said Mr. Crisparkle.
′But for Mr. Honeythunder′s eloquence, I might have had no need to ask you what I am going to ask you. This Mr. Edwin Drood, sir: I think that′s the name?′
′Quite correct,′ said Mr. Crisparkle. ′D-r-double o-d.′
′Does he—or did he—read with you, sir?′
′Never, Mr. Neville. He comes here visiting his relation, Mr. Jasper.′
′Is Miss Bud his relation too, sir?′
(′Now, why should he ask that, with sudden superciliousness?′ thought Mr. Crisparkle.) Then he explained, aloud, what he knew of the little story of their betrothal.
′O! THAT′S it, is it?′ said the young man. ′I understand his air of proprietorship now!′
This was said so evidently to himself, or to anybody rather than Mr. Crisparkle, that the latter instinctively felt as if to notice it would be almost tantamount to noticing a passage in a letter which he had read by chance over the writer′s shoulder. A moment afterwards they re-entered the house.
Mr. Jasper was seated at the piano as they came into his drawing- room, and was accompanying Miss Rosebud while she sang. It was a consequence of his playing the accompaniment without notes, and of her being a heedless little creature, very apt to go wrong, that he followed her lips most attentively, with his eyes as well as hands; carefully and softly hinting the key-note from time to time. Standing with an arm drawn round her, but with a face far more intent on Mr. Jasper than on her singing, stood Helena, between whom and her brother an instantaneous recognition passed, in which Mr. Crisparkle saw, or thought he saw, the understanding that had been spoken of, flash out. Mr. Neville then took his admiring station, leaning against the piano, opposite the singer; Mr. Crisparkle sat down by the china shepherdess; Edwin Drood gallantly furled and unfurled Miss Twinkleton′s fan; and that lady passively claimed that sort of exhibitor′s proprietorship in the accomplishment on view, which Mr. Tope, the Verger, daily claimed in the Cathedral service.
The song went on.
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