Lady after lady of his
lordship's clan and kinsfolk complimented the girl and her pleased
mother. Old Lady Kew was radiant (if one can call radiance the glances of
those darkling old eyes). She sate in a little room apart, and thither
people went to pay their court to her. Unwillingly I came in on this
levee with my wife on my arm: Lady Kew scowled at me over her crutch, but
without a sign of recognition. "What an awful countenance that old woman
has!" Laura whispered as we retreated out of that gloomy presence.
And Doubt (as its wont is) whispered too a question in my ear, "Is it for
her brothers and sisters only that Miss Ethel is sacrificing herself? Is
it not for the coronet, and the triumph, and the fine houses?" "When two
motives may actuate a friend, we surely may try and believe in the good
one," says Laura. "But, but I am glad Clive does not marry her--poor
fellow--he would not have been happy with her. She belongs to this great
world: she has spent all her life in it: Clive would have entered into it
very likely in her train; and you know, sir, it is not good that we
should be our husbands' superiors," adds Mrs.
Pages:
1313
1314
1315
1316
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337