We already believed that these appearances on
the lawn must be the cause that every window, up to the attics on
the garden side of the house, were so heavily shuttered and barred
that there was no opening them without noise. Indeed, those on the
ground floor had in addition bells attached to them. No doubt the
former inhabitants had done their best to prevent any one from
seeing or inquiring into what was unacknowledged and unaccountable.
It might be only a coincidence, but we could not help remarking that
we had seen and heard nothing of her during the engagement which
might have united the two families; though, of course, it would be
ridiculous to suppose her cognisant of it, like the White Lady of
Avenel, dancing for joy at Mary's marriage with Halbert Glendinning.
The Fordyces had settled at Florence, where they suffered a great
deal more from cold than they would have done at Hillside; and there
was such a cessation of Ellen's letters that Emily feared that Mrs.
Fordyce had attained her wish and separated the friends effectually.
However, Frank Fordyce beguiled his enforced leisure with long
letters to my father on home business, Austrian misgovernment, and
the Italian Church and people, full of shrewd observations and new
lights; and one of these ended thus, 'My poor lassie has been in bed
for ten days with a severe cold.
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