She was a widow: was very good-natured; would be sure not to laugh at her, and could hardly help knowing as much as the young ladies knew.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs.Vanderplanck, as Cornelia entered, "such a relief--such a _refreshment_ to look at that sweet face of yours! There! I must have my _kiss_, you know.

Yes, I was just thinking of you, my love--so longing to have a quiet _chat_ with you--your dear father!--such a _grand_ man he is! _such genius_! Oh! _I_ was his devoted.

Tell me all about him, and that sweet _home_ of yours, and _dear_ little Sophie, too.

Oh! I was so shocked, so terrified, to hear of her illness; and--let me see!--oh, yes, and that new pupil your papa has--Mr.Bressant--_how_ is he?
_does_ he behave well?
_is_ he pleasant?
_do_ you see much of him?
_does_ he keep himself quiet ?--such a--" "Why! how did you know about him ?" interrupted Cornelia, into Mrs.
Vanderplanck's ever-ready ear-trumpet.

"Is he a relation of yours, or any thing ?" Aunt Margaret stopped short, and pressed her thin, wide lips together.
She had never imagined but that Professor Valeyon had told his daughters through whose immediate instrumentality it was that Bressant made his appearance at the Parsonage; but finding, from Cornelia's questions, that this was not so, she bethought herself that it might be well for her young guest to remain in ignorance, at least for the present.