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Her own fingers had not been quite innocent of the labor of the needle, for money had long been scarce at Durnmelling, and in the paper shape she recognized the hand of an artist. "Why," she continued, "you are nothing less than an accomplished dressmaker!" "That I dare not think myself," returned Mary, "seeing I never had a lesson." "I wish you would make my wedding-dress," said Hesper.
Hesper was a tolerable attendant at church I will not say whether high or low church, because I should be supposed to care. "In the kingdom of heaven," answered Mary, "things will always look what they are. My father used to say people will grow their own dresses there, as surely as a leopard his spots. He had to do with dresses, you know.
"What do you mean by good?" asked Hesper out of her knowledge, Mary thought, but it was not even out of her ignorance, only out of her indifference. People must say something, lest life should stop. "That is a question difficult to answer," replied Mary. "I have often asked it of myself, but never got any plain answer."
Sepia laughed this time her curious half-laugh. "If I did, I wouldn't marry him, Hesper," she said. "Which is worse not to mind, and marry him; or to mind, and marry him all the same? Eh, Cousin Hesper Mortimer?" "I can't make you out, Sepia!" said Hesper. "I believe I never shall." "Very likely. Give it up?" "Quite." "The best thing you could do. I can't always make myself out.
Hesper shrugged her shoulders, as much as to say she wondered at her taste; but she did not believe that was in reality the cause of her wish, and, setting herself to find another, concluded she did not choose to show herself at Testbridge in her new position, and, afraid of losing if she opposed her, let her have her way.
As soon as she was gone, Mary, her mind's eye full of her figure, her look, her style, her motion, gave herself to the important question of the dress conceived by Hesper; and during her dinner- hour contrived to cut out and fit to her own person the pattern of a garment such as she supposed intended in the not very lucid description she had given her.
Mary listened and thought, questioned, and desired explanations at length, begged she would allow her to ponder the thing a little: she could hardly at once venture to say anything. Hesper laughed, and said she was taking a small matter too seriously concluding from Mary's hesitation that she had but perplexed her, and that she could be of no use to her in the difficulty. "A small matter?
"Of course not," said Hesper; "only, what am I to do? I must have my ring. Why did you come, if you had nothing to tell me about it?" "How could I stay away when you were in trouble? Have you searched everywhere?" "Everywhere I can think of." "Would you like me to help you look? I feel certain it will be found." "No, thank you. I am sick of looking." "Shall I go, then?
When they reached the boudoir, rightly so called, for it was more in use for sulking than for anything else, Lady Margaret, with back as straight as the door she had just closed, led the way to the fire, and, seating herself, motioned Hesper to a chair. Hesper again obeyed, looking as unconcerned as if she cared for nothing in this world or in any other.
"Has referred him to you, of course," replied Lady Margaret. "Meaning it?" "What else? Why not? Is he not a bon parli?" "Then papa did not mean it?" "I do not understand you," elaborated the mother, with a mingled yawn, which she was far from attempting to suppress, seeing she simulated it. "If Mr. Redmain is such a good match in papa's eyes," explained Hesper, "why does papa refer him to me?"
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