"
"No hope of the Bowaters, of course," said Mrs. Duncombe.
"Miss Bowater is coming to stay with us," volunteered Cecil.
"To be near that unlucky Life Guardsman manque," said Mrs. Duncombe.
"Come, I'll not have honest Herbert abused," said the other lady.
"He is the only one of the Bowaters who has any go in him."
"More's the pity, if he can't use it. Is his sister coming to help
the Reverend Julius to drill him?"
"On Mrs. Poynsett's account too, I fancy," said Lady Tyrrell; "Jenny
Bowater is her amateur companion. Indeed, I believe it was no
slight disappointment that her sons' appreciation did not quite
reach the pitch of the mother's."
"Indeed!" asked Mrs. Duncombe; "I thought there had been a foolish
affair with poor young Douglas."
"Cela n'empeche pas. By the bye, have you finished Fleurange?"
"Oh, you are quite welcome to it. It is quite as goody as an
English tale in one volume."
This opened the way to Cecil's desire to borrow Lanfrey, not
concealing the reason why; and she was gratified by the full
sympathy of both ladies, who invited her in self-defence to join in
their subscription to Rolandi, to which she eagerly agreed, and
would have paid her subscription at once if there had not been a
term to be finished off first.
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