In this, however, she was agreeably disappointed; for, on meeting him the next morning, at breakfast, she was a good deal surprised to observe that he made no allusion whatsoever to the circumstance--if, indeed, an occasional muttering of some unintelligible words, _sotto voce_, might not be supposed to allude to it.

The truth was, the old man found the promise he had made to Sir Robert one of such difficulty to his testy and violent disposition, that his language, and the restraint which he felt himself under the necessity of putting on it, rendered his conversation rather ludicrous.
"Well, Helen," he said, on entering the breakfast-parlor, "how did you rest last night, my love?
Rested sound--eh?
But you look rather pale, darling.

(Hang the rascal!)" "I cannot say that I slept as well as usual, sir.

I felt headache." "Ay, headache--was it?
(heartache, rather.

The villain.) Well come, let me have a cup of tea and a mouthful of that toast." "Will you not have some chicken, sir ?" "No, my dear--no; just what I said--a mouthful of toast, and a cup of tea, with plenty of cream in it.