Greystock would surely have so told her before this.
"You needn't say a word, my dear," said Lady Fawn. "You'll come, and
there's an end of it."
"But you don't want me any more," said Lucy from amid her sobs.
"That's just all that you know about it," said Lydia. "We do want you--
more than anything."
"I wonder whether I may come in now," said Lady Linlithgow, entering the
room. As it was the countess's own drawing-room, as it was now mid-winter,
and as the fire in the dining-room had been allowed, as was usual, to sink
almost to two hot coals, the request was not unreasonable. Lady Fawn was
profuse in her thanks, and immediately began to account for Lucy's tears,
pleading their dear friendship and their long absence, and poor Lucy's
emotional state of mind. Then she took her leave, and Lucy, as soon as she
had been kissed by her friends outside the drawing-room door, took herself
to her bedroom and finished her tears in the cold.
"Have you heard the news?" said Lady Linlithgow to her companion about a
month after this. Lady Linlithgow had been out, and asked the question
immediately on her return. Lucy, of course, had heard no news.
Pages:
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710