"A young gentleman and a young lady a kissing of each other in the
railway coach," says Hannah, jerking up with her finger to the ceiling,
as much as to say, "There she is! Lar, she be a pretty young creature,
that she be! and so I told Miss Martha." Thus differently had the news
which had come to them on the previous night affected the old lady and
her maid.
The news was, that Miss Newcome's maid (a giddy thing from the county,
who had not even learned as yet to hold her tongue) had announced with
giggling delight to Lady Anne's maid, who was taking tea with Mrs. Hicks,
that Mr. Clive had given Miss Ethel a kiss in the tunnel, and she
supposed it was a match. This intelligence Hannah Hicks took to her
mistress, of whose angry behaviour to Clive the next morning you may now
understand the cause.
Clive did not know whether to laugh or to be in a rage. He swore that he
was as innocent of all intention of kissing Miss Ethel as of embracing
Queen Elizabeth. He was shocked to think of his cousin, walking above,
fancy-free in maiden meditation, whilst this conversation regarding her
was carried on below.
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