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These two days had been very desolate with her, and she had begun to look forward to Mrs Askerton's coming when instead of that there came a messenger with a letter from the cottage. 'You can do as you like, my dear, Colonel Askerton had said on the previous evening to his wife.
Then she remembered Mrs Askerton's promise 'If you want to ask any questions, and will ask them of me, I will answer them. The communication, as to which Mrs Askerton had prophesied, had now been made but it had been made not by Will Belton, whom Mrs Askerton had reviled, but by Captain Aylmer, whose praises Mrs Askerton had so loudly sung.
She herself dragged up Mrs Askerton's name, and seemed to glory in her own shame. 'I had not intended, said he, 'to speak of your friend. 'I only mention her to show how impossible it is that we should ever agree upon some subjects as to which a husband and wife should always be of one mind.
Now she had repelled Lady Aylmer's counsels with scorn, was living as a guest in Mrs Askerton's house; and yet he was willing to pass over the Askerton difficulty without a word. He was willing not only to condone past offences, but to wink at existing iniquity! But she, she who was the sinner, would not permit of this.
'No; it is not Mr Will, said Clara; 'his name is Captain Aylmer. 'Oh, indeed. And then Mrs Bunce looked at her with a mystified look. Why on earth should not the gentleman call on Miss Amedroz at Mrs Askerton's cottage? 'I'll be sure to show 'un up, when a comes, at any rate, said the old woman solemnly and Clara felt that it was all very uncomfortable.
It seemed to him that three houses might possibly be open to her of which one, the only one which under such circumstances would be proper, was Aylmer Park. The other two were Plaistow Hall and Mrs Askerton's cottage at Belton. As to the latter should she ever take shelter there, everything must be over between him and her. On that point there could be no doubt.
If she could only know what her Cousin Will would think. In him she thought she could have trusted with that perfect faith if only he would have been a brother to her. But it was too late now for doubting, and on the next day she found herself getting out of the old Redicote fly, at Colonel Askerton's door. He came out to meet her, and his greeting was very friendly.
And then, after a while, she felt that were she to do so should she now deliberately determine to throw herself into Mrs Askerton's arms she must at the same time give up all ideas of becoming Captain Aylmer's wife. As she thought of this she asked herself various questions concerning him, which she did not find it easy to answer. Did she wish to be his wife?
'I'll be ready; and you can call for me at Mr Askerton's. I must go down there, and it will save you something in your walk to pick me up at the cottage. And so the arrangements for the day were made. Clara had promised that she would soon call at the cottage, and was, indeed, rather anxious to see Mrs Askerton on her own account.
He did, therefore, walk across to the cottage, and was shown into Colonel Askerton's study. 'There he is, Mrs Askerton said, as soon as she heard the sound of the bell. 'I knew that he would come at once.
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