At this conference at Wharton very little was said about Lopez, but there was a general feeling that he had behaved well.

"It was very odd that they should have parted in the park," said Sir Alured.
"But very lucky that they should not have parted sooner," said John Fletcher.

If a grain of suspicion against Lopez might have been set afloat in their minds by Sir Alured's suggestion, it was altogether dissipated by John Fletcher's reply;--for everybody there knew that John Fletcher carried common sense for the two families.

Of course they all hated Ferdinand Lopez, but nothing could be extracted from the incident, as far as its details were yet known to them, which could be turned to his injury.
While they sat together discussing the matter in the drawing-room Emily Wharton hardly said a word.

She uttered a little shriek when the account of the affair was first read to her, and then listened with silent attention to what was said around her.