One day, for some reason or other, Mr Gibson came home unexpectedly.He was crossing the hall, having come in by the garden-door - the garden communicated with the stable-yard, where he had left his horse - when the kitchen door opened, and the girl who was underling in the establishment, came quickly into the hall with a note in her hand, and made as if she was taking it upstairs; but on seeing her master she gave a little start, and turned back as if to hide herself in the kitchen.If she had not made this movement, so conscious of guilt, Mr Gibson, who was anything but suspicious, would never have taken any notice of her.As it was, he stepped quickly forwards, opened the kitchen door, and called out, 'Bethia' so sharply that she could not delay coming forwards.'Give me that note,' he said.She hesitated a little.'It's for Miss Molly,' she stammered out.'Give it to me!' he repeated more quietly than before.She looked as if she would cry; but still she kept the note tight held behind her back.'He said as I was to give it into her own hands; and I promised as I would, faithful.' 'Cook, go and find Miss Molly.Tell her to come here at once.' He fixed Bethia with his eyes.It was of no use trying to escape: she might have thrown it into the fire, but she had not presence of mind enough.
She stood immovable, only her eyes looked any way rather than encounter her master's steady gaze.'Molly, my dear!' 'Papa! I did not know you were at home,' said innocent, wondering Molly.'Bethia, keep your word.Here is Miss Molly; give her the note.' 'Indeed, Miss, I couldn't help it!' Molly took the note, but before she could open it, her father said, - 'That's all, my dear; you need not read it.Give it to me.Tell those who sent you, Bethia, that all letters for Miss Molly must pass through my hands.
Now be off with you, goosey, and go back to where you came from.' 'Papa, I shall make you tell me who my correspondent is.' 'We'll see about that, by-and-by.' She went a little reluctantly, with ungratified curiosity, upstairs to Miss Eyre, who was still her daily companion, if not her governess.He turned into the empty dining-room, shut the door, broke the seal of the note, and began to read it.It was a flaming love-letter from Mr Coxe;who professed himself unable to go on seeing her day after day without speaking to her of the passion she had inspired - an 'eternal passion,'
he called it; on reading which Mr Gibson laughed a little.Would she not look kindly at him? would she not think of him whose only thought was of her? and so on, with a very proper admixture of violent compliments to her beauty.She was fair, not pale; her eyes were loadstars, her dimples marks of Cupid's finger, &c.Mr Gibson finished reading it; and began to think about it in his own mind.
'Who would have thought the lad had been so poetical; but, to be sure, there's a "Shakespeare" in the surgery library: I'll take it away and put "Johnson's Dictionary" instead.One comfort is the conviction of her perfect innocence - ignorance, I should rather say - for it is easy to see it's the first "confession of his love," as he calls it.But it's an awful worry - to begin with lovers so early.Why, she's only just seventeen, - not seventeen, indeed, till July; not for six weeks yet.Sixteen and three-quarters!
Why, she's quite a baby.To be sure - poor Jeanie was not so old, and how I did love her! (Mrs Gibson's name was Mary, so he must have been referring to someone else.) Then his thoughts wandered back to other days, though he still held the open note in his hand.By-and-by his eyes fell upon it again, and his mind came back to bear upon the present time.'I'll not be hard upon him.I'll give him a hint; he is quite sharp enough to take it.Poor laddie! if I send him away, which would be the wisest course, I do believe, he's got no home to go to.' After a little more consideration in the same strain, Mr Gibson went and sat down at the writing-table and wrote the following formula: -Master Coxe ('That "master" will touch him to the quick,' said Mr Gibson to himself as he wrote the word.) * Verecundiae * Fidelitatis Domesticae * Reticentiae gr.iij.M.Capiat hanc dosim ter die in aqua pura.R.GIBSON, Ch.Mr Gibson smiled a little sadly as he re-read his words.'Poor Jeanie,'