’Roger’s\"muddledbrains，\"indeed！Roger，\"stupid！\"’’Oh，verywell，mydears！WhenIwasyoungitwouldn’thavebeenthoughtbecomingforgirlsofyouragetoflyoutbecausealittlerestraintwasexercisedastothehoursatwhichtheyshouldreceivetheyoungmen’scalls。Andtheywouldhavesupposedthattheremightbegoodreasonswhytheirparentsdisapprovedofthevisitsofcertaingentlemen，evenwhiletheywereproudandpleasedtoseesomemembersofthesamefamily。’’ButthatwaswhatIsaid，mamma，’saidCynthia，lookingathermotherwithanexpressionofinnocentbewildermentonherface。’Onemanmay——
’’Bequiet，child！Allproverbsarevulgar，andIdobelievethatisthevulgarestofall。YouarereallycatchingRogerHamley’scoarseness，Cynthia！’’Mamma，’saidCynthia，rousedtoanger，’Idon’tmindyourabusingme，butMrRogerHamleyhasbeenverykindtomewhileI’venotbeenwell：
Ican’tbeartohearhimdisparaged。Ifhe’scoarse，I’venoobjectiontobecoarseaswell，foritseemstomeitmustmeankindlinessandpleasantness，andthebringingofprettyflowersandpresents。’Molly’stearswerebrimmingoveratthesewords；shecouldhavekissedCynthiaforherwarmpartisanship，but，afraidofbetrayingemotion，and’makingascene，’asMrsGibsoncalledanysignsofwarmfeeling，shelaiddownherbookhastily，andranupstairstoherroom，andlockedthedoorinordertobreathefreely。Thereweretracesoftearsuponherfacewhenshereturnedintothedrawing—roomhalf—an—hourafterwards，walkingstraightanddemurelyuptoherformerplace，whereCynthiastillsateandgazedidlyoutofthewindow，poutinganddispleased；MrsGibson，meanwhile，countingherstitchesaloudwithgreatdistinctnessandvigour。
chapter29CHAPTERXXIXBUSH—FIGHTINGDuringallthemonthsthathadelapsedsinceMrsHamley’sdeath，MollyhadwonderedmanyatimeaboutthesecretshehadsounwittinglybecomepossessedofthatlastdayintheHalllibrary。Itseemedsoutterlystrangeandunheard—ofathingtoherinexperiencedmind，thatamanshouldbemarried，andyetnotlivewithhiswife—thatasonshouldhaveenteredintotheholystateofmatrimonywithouthisfather’sknowledge，andwithoutbeingrecognizedasthehusbandofsomeoneknownorunknownbyallthosewithwhomhecameindailycontact，thatshefeltoccasionallyasifthatlittletenminutesofrevelationmusthavebeenavisioninadream。BothRogerandOsbornehadkeptthemostentiresilenceonthesubjecteversince。Notevenalook，orapause，betrayedanyallusiontoit；itevenseemedtohavepassedoutoftheirthoughts。Therehadbeenthegreatsadeventoftheirmother’sdeathtofilltheirmindsonthenextoccasionoftheirmeetingMolly；andsincethenlongpausesofintercoursehadtakenplace；sothatshesometimesfeltasifeachofthebrothersmusthaveforgottenhowshehadcometoknowtheirimportantsecret。Sheoftenfoundherselfentirelyforgettingit，butperhapstheconsciousnessofitwaspresenttoherunawares，andenabledhertocomprehendtherealnatureofOsborne’sfeelingstowardsCynthia。AtanyratesheneverforamomenthadsupposedthathisgentlekindmannertowardsCynthiawasanythingbutthecourtesyofafriend；strangetosay，intheselatterdaysMollyhadlookeduponOsborne’srelationtoherselfasprettymuchthesameasthatinwhichatonetimeshehadconsideredRoger’s；andshethoughtoftheformerasofsomeoneasnearlyabrotherbothtoCynthiaandherself，asanyyoungmancouldwellbe，whomtheyhadnotknowninchildhood，andwhowasinnowiserelatedtothem。Shethoughtthathewasverymuchimprovedinmanner，andprobablyincharacter，byhismother’sdeath。Hewasnolongersarcastic，orfastidious，orvain，orself—confident。Shedidnotknowhowoftenallthesestylesoftalkorofbehaviourwereputontoconcealshynessorconsciousness，andtoveiltherealselffromstrangers。Osborne’sconversationandwaysmightverypossiblyhavebeenjustthesameasbefore，hadhebeenthrownamongstnewpeople；butMollyonlysawhimintheirowncircleinwhichhewasontermsofdecidedintimacy。Stilltherewasnodoubtthathewasreallyimproved，thoughperhapsnottotheextentforwhichMollygavehimcredit；andthisexaggerationonherpartaroseverynaturallyfromthefact，thathe，perceivingRoger’swarmadmirationforCynthia，withdrewalittleoutofhisbrother’sway；andusedtogoandtalktoMollyinordernottointrudehimselfbetweenRogerandCynthia。
Ofthetwo，perhaps，OsbornepreferredMolly；toherheneedednottotalkifthemoodwasnotonhim—theywereonthosehappytermswheresilenceispermissible，andwhereeffortstoactagainsttheprevailingmoodofthemindarenotrequired。Sometimes，indeed，whenOsbornewasinthehumourtobecriticalandfastidiousasofyore，heusedtovexRogerbyinsistinguponitthatMollywasprettierthanCynthia。’Youmarkmywords，Roger。FiveyearshencethebeautifulCynthia’sredandwhitewillhavebecomejustalittlecoarse，andherfigurewillhavethickened，whileMolly’swillonlyhavedevelopedintomoreperfectgrace。