At last we came to Soho Square, where Caddy Jellyby had appointed to wait for me, as a quiet place in the neighbourhood of Newman Street.
Caddy was in the garden in the centre and hurried out as soon as I appeared.
After a few cheerful words, Richard left us together.
"Prince has a pupil over the way, Esther," said Caddy, "and got the key for us.
So if you will walk round and round here with me, we can lock ourselves in and I can tell you comfortably what I wanted to see your dear good face about."
"Very well, my dear," said I. "Nothing could be better."
So Caddy, after affectionately squeezing the dear good face as she called it, locked the gate, and took my arm, and we began to walk round the garden very cosily.
"You see, Esther," said Caddy, who thoroughly enjoyed a little confidence, "after you spoke to me about its being wrong to marry without Ma's knowledge, or even to keep Ma long in the dark respecting our engagement--though I don't believe Ma cares much for me, I must say--I thought it right to mention your opinions to Prince.
In the first place because I want to profit by everything you tell me, and in the second place because I have no secrets from Prince."
"I hope he approved, Caddy?"
"Oh, my dear!
I assure you he would approve of anything you could say.
You have no idea what an opinion he has of you!"
"Indeed!"
"Esther, it's enough to make anybody but me jealous," said Caddy, laughing and shaking her head; "but it only makes me joyful, for you are the first friend I ever had, and the best friend I ever can have, and nobody can respect and love you too much to please me."
"Upon my word, Caddy," said I, "you are in the general conspiracy to keep me in a good humour.
Well, my dear?" "Well!
I am going to tell you," replied Caddy, crossing her hands confidentially upon my arm.
"So we talked a good deal about it, and so I said to Prince,
'Prince, as Miss Summerson--'"
"I hope you didn't say 'Miss Summerson'?"
"No. I didn't!" cried Caddy, greatly pleased and with the brightest of faces.
"I said,
'Esther.'
I said to Prince,
'As Esther is decidedly of that opinion, Prince, and has expressed it to me, and always hints it when she writes those kind notes, which you are so fond of hearing me read to you, I am prepared to disclose the truth to Ma whenever you think proper.
And I think, Prince,' said I, 'that Esther thinks that I should be in a better, and truer, and more honourable position altogether if you did the same to your papa.'"
"Yes, my dear," said I. "Esther certainly does think so."
"So I was right, you see!" exclaimed Caddy.
"Well! This troubled Prince a good deal, not because he had the least doubt about it, but because he is so considerate of the feelings of old Mr. Turveydrop; and he had his apprehensions that old Mr. Turveydrop might break his heart, or faint away, or be very much overcome in some affecting manner or other if he made such an announcement.
He feared old Mr. Turveydrop might consider it undutiful and might receive too great a shock.
For old Mr. Turveydrop's deportment is very beautiful, you know, Esther," said Caddy, "and his feelings are extremely sensitive."
"Are they, my dear?"
"Oh, extremely sensitive.
Prince says so.
Now, this has caused my darling child--I didn't mean to use the expression to you, Esther," Caddy apologized, her face suffused with blushes, "but I generally call Prince my darling child."
I laughed; and Caddy laughed and blushed, and went on.
"This has caused him, Esther--"
"Caused whom, my dear?"
"Oh, you tiresome thing!" said Caddy, laughing, with her pretty face on fire.
"My darling child, if you insist upon it!
This has caused him weeks of uneasiness and has made him delay, from day to day, in a very anxious manner.
At last he said to me,
'Caddy, if Miss Summerson, who is a great favourite with my father, could be prevailed upon to be present when I broke the subject, I think I could do it.'
So I promised I would ask you.
And I made up my mind, besides," said Caddy, looking at me hopefully but timidly, "that if you consented, I would ask you afterwards to come with me to Ma.
This is what I meant when I said in my note that I had a great favour and a great assistance to beg of you.
And if you thought you could grant it, Esther, we should both be very grateful."
"Let me see, Caddy," said I, pretending to consider.
"Really, I think I could do a greater thing than that if the need were pressing.