On second thoughts, as their love grew serene once more, they had decided not to anticipate that date, for old Mrs.Talbot's sake; and meanwhile Jenny was admonished by that old mother to make haste and get that flesh on her bones.
The admonition was not without cause, for it presently became noticeable that Jenny was not merely negatively disobeying her old mother in this.

Not only was she not growing fatter, but, indeed, she was, for one reason or another, slowly and almost imperceptibly growing thinner.

It was not those at home who noticed this first, but outside friends, who, suddenly meeting her, would remark that she wasn't looking half the girl she used to be.
She had already begun to remark it herself, as with her bare arms she would coil up her hair, standing before her mirror; and she thought nothing of it till one day, as she stood there, she noticed a curious expression flash into her face and go again almost before she could mark it.

Her face, which had always been round and plump, seemed suddenly to gaze back at her, very narrow and pinched and white, strangely sunken, too, and rigid.

It was all a mere flash and gone again, and her real face was presently back once more.