Her mother eyed her sharply for a moment, and feeling herself on unsafe ground, said, as a diversion:

`My charming Florence, you must come and kiss me once more, if you please, my love.'

Florence complied, of course, and again imprinted her lips or Mrs. Skewton's ear.

`And you have heard, no doubt, my darling pet,' said Mrs. Skewton, detaining her hand, `that your Papa, whom we all perfectly adore and dote upon, is to be married to my dearest Edith this day week.'

`I knew it would be very soon,' returned Florence, `but not exactly when.'

`My darling Edith,' urged her mother, gaily, `is it possible you have not told Florence?'

`Why should I tell Florence?' She returned, so suddenly and harshly, that Florence could scarcely believe it was the same voice.

Mrs. Skewton then told Florence, as another and safer diversion, that her father was coming to dinner, and that he would no doubt be charmingly surprised to see her; as he had spoken last night of dressing in the City, and had known nothing of Edith's design, the execution of which, according to Mrs. Skewton's expectation, would throw him into a perfect ecstasy. Florence was troubled to hear this; and her distress became so keen, as the dinner-hour approached, that if she had known how to frame an entreaty to be suffered to return home, without involving her father in her explanation, she would have hurried back on foot, bareheaded, breathless, and alone, rather than incur the risk of meeting his displeasure.

As the time drew nearer, she could hardly breathe. She dared not approach a window, lest he should see her from the street. She dared not go up stairs to hide her emotion, lest, in passing out at the door, she should meet him unexpectedly; besides which dread, she left as though she never could come back again if she were summoned to his presence. In this conflict of fears, she was sitting by Cleopatra's couch, endeavouring to understand and to reply to the bald discourse of that lady, when she heard his foot upon the stair.

`I hear him now!' cried Florence, starting. `He is coming!'

Cleopatra, who in her juvenility was always playfully disposed, and who in her self-engrossment did not trouble herself about the nature of this agitation, pushed Florence behind her couch, and dropped a shawl over her, preparatory to giving Mr. Dombey a rapture of surprise. It was so quickly done, that in a moment Florence heard his awful step in the room.

He saluted his intended mother-in-law, and his intended bride. The strange sound of his voice thrilled through the whole frame of his child.

`My dear Dombey,' said Cleopatra, `come here and tell me how your pretty Florence is.'

`Florence is very well,' said Mr. Dombey, advancing towards the couch.

`At home?'

`At home,' said Mr. Dombey.

`My dear Dombey,' returned Cleopatra, with bewitching vivacity; `now are you sure you are not deceiving me? I don't know what my dearest Edith will say to me when I make such a declaration, but upon my honour I am afraid you are the falsest of men, my dear Dombey.'

Though he had been; and had been detected on the spot, in the most enormous falsehood that was ever said or done; he could hardly have been more disconcerted than he was, when Mrs. Skewton plucked the shawl away, and Florence, pale and trembling, rose before him like a ghost. He had not yet recovered