Yet the perception of them made the situation still more painfully interesting to him, and no less mysterious than before.

For he saw no substantial change in it; and he was, in truth, no less perplexed than Fanny.

If certain things had happened in consequence of Miss Merton's advent, neither he nor any other guest would be sitting at Diana Mallory's table that day; of that he was morally certain.

Therefore, they had not happened.
He returned with a redoubled tenderness of feeling to his conversation with Diana.

He had come to Overton for the Sunday, at great professional inconvenience, for nothing in the world but that he must pay this visit to Beechcote; and he had approached the house with dread--dread lest he should find a face stricken with the truth.