With Dolly he could hold sweet converse as long as she would remain with
him. But he had been present at the bringing up of Dolly, and did think
that gifts had been given to Dolly which had not fallen to the lot of
the Carroll girls. "They all want to be married," he said to himself,
"and that at any rate is a legitimate desire."
With this he knocked at the door, and when it was opened by Sophia, he
found an old gentleman with black cotton gloves and a doubtful white
cravat just preparing for his departure. There was Amelia, then giving
him his hat, and looking as pure and proper as though she had never been
winked at by Prince Chitakov. Then the mother came through from the
parlor into the passage. "Oh, John! how very kind of you to come. Mr.
Matterson, pray let me introduce you to my brother, Mr. Grey. John, this
is the Rev. Mr. Matterson, a clergyman who is a very intimate friend of
Amelia."
"Me, ma! Why me in particular?"
"Well, my dear, because it is so. I suppose it is so because Mr.
Patterson likes you the best."
"Laws, ma; what nonsense!" Mr. Matterson appeared to be a very shy
gentleman, and only anxious to escape from the hall-door. But Mr. Grey
remembered that in former days, before the coming of Mr.
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