During this conversation Mrs. Pryor looked far from easy. Her extreme habitual reserve would rarely permit her to talk freely or to interrogate others closely. She could think a multitude of questions she never ventured to put, give advice in her mind which her tongue never delivered. Had she been alone with Caroline, she might possibly have said something to the point: Miss Keeldar's presence, accustomed as she was to it, sealed her lips. Now, as on a thousand other occasions, inexplicable nervous scruples kept her back from interfering. She merely showed her concern for Miss Helstone in an indirect way, by asking her if the fire made her too warm, placing a screen between her chair and the hearth, closing a window whence she imagined a draught proceeded, and often and restlessly glancing at her. Shirley resumed: "Having destroyed your plan," she said, "which I hope I have done, I shall construct a new one of my own. Every summer I make an excursion. This season I propose spending two months either at the Scotch lochs or the English lakes--that is, I shall go there provided you consent to accompany me. If you refuse, I shall not stir a foot."

During this conversation Mrs. Pryor looked uneasy. Her extreme habitual reserve would rarely permit her to interrogate others. She had a multitude of questions she never ventured to put. Had she been alone with Caroline, she might have spoken: but Miss Keeldar's presence sealed her lips, and nervous scruples kept her from interfering. She merely showed her concern for Miss Helstone indirectly, by asking her if the fire made her too warm, closing a window whence she imagined a draught blew, and often glancing at her.
Shirley resumed. "Having destroyed your plan," she said, "which I hope I have done, I shall construct a new one of my own. Every summer I make an excursion. This season I propose spending two months either at the Scotch lochs or the English lakes - that is, I shall go provided you consent to accompany me. If you refuse, I shall not stir."
