"I meant that Blanche was afraid to tell you the true cause of her illness.

The true cause is anxiety about Miss Silvester." Lady Lundie emitted another scream--a loud scream this time--and closed her eyes in horror.
"I can run out of the house," cried her ladyship, wildly.

"I can fly to the uttermost corners of the earth; but I can _not_ hear that person's name mentioned! No, Sir Patrick! not in my presence! not in my room! not while I am mistress at Windygates House!" "I am sorry to say any thing that is disagreeable to you, Lady Lundie.
But the nature of my errand here obliges me to touch--as lightly as possible--on something which has happened in your house without your knowledge." Lady Lundie suddenly opened her eyes, and became the picture of attention.

A casual observer might have supposed her ladyship to be not wholly inaccessible to the vulgar emotion of curiosity.
"A visitor came to Windygates yesterday, while we were all at lunch," proceeded Sir Patrick.

"She--" Lady Lundie seized the scarlet memorandum-book, and stopped her brother-in-law, before he could get any further.