Basswood books

No accident
befell him that day, and he arrived with his tie in the very best order
at Mrs. Pendennis's house.


CHAPTER XVII
Which concludes the first Part of this History

The Curate had gone on his daily errand to Fairoaks, and was upstairs in
Pens study pretending to read with his pupil, in the early part of that
very afternoon when Mrs. Portman, after transacting business with Mrs.
Pybus, had found the weather so exceedingly fine that she pursued her
walk as far as Fairoaks, in order to pay a visit to her dear friend
there. In the course of their conversation, the Rector's lady told Mrs.
Pendennis and the Major a very great secret about the Curate, Mr. Smirke,
which was no less than that he had an attachment, a very old attachment,
which he had long kept quite private.
"And on whom is it that Mr. Smirke has bestowed his heart?" asked Mrs.
Pendennis, with a superb air but rather an inward alarm.
"Why, my dear," the other lady answered, "when he first came and used to
dine at the Rectory, people said we wanted him for Myra, and we were
forced to give up asking him.


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