However, chance
put an opportunity in her way, for Edward Cossey, who had a curious
weakness for flowers, asked her if she would show him her
chrysanthemums, of which she was very proud. She consented readily
enough. They crossed the lawn, and passing through some shrubbery
reached the greenhouse, which was placed at the end of the Castle
itself. Here for some minutes they looked at the flowers, just now
bursting into bloom. Ida, who felt exceedingly nervous, was all the
while wondering how on earth she could broach so delicate a subject,
when fortunately Mr. Cossey himself gave her the necessary opening.
"I can't imagine, Miss de la Molle," he said, "what I have done to
offend your father--he almost cut me just now."
"Are you sure that he saw you, Mr. Cossey; he is very absent-minded
sometimes?"
"Oh yes, he saw me, but when I offered to shake hands with him he only
bowed in rather a crushing way and passed on."
Ida broke off a Scarlet Turk from its stem, and nervously began to
pick the bloom to pieces.
"The fact is, Mr. Cossey--the fact is, my father, and indeed I also,
are in great trouble just now, about money matters you know, and my
father is very apt to be prejudiced,--in short, I rather believe that
he thinks you may have something to do with his difficulties--but
perhaps you know all about it.
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