Lord Fawn had found that he
couldn't hear the story, and he had not heard it. He had been strong
enough to escape, and had, upon the whole, got the best of it in the
slight skirmish which had taken place between him and the Scotchman, but
poor old Lady Fawn could not escape. Andy was allowed to be eloquent, and
the whole story was told to her, though she would almost sooner have been
flogged at a cart's tail than have heard it. Then "rafrashments" were
administered to Andy of a nature which made him prefer Fawn Court to
Warwick Square, and he was told that he might go back to Portray as soon
as he pleased.
When he was gone, Mrs. Hittaway opened her mind to her mother altogether.
"The truth is, mamma, that Frederic will marry her."
"But why? I thought that he had declared that he would give it up. I
thought that he had said so to herself."
"What of that, if he retracts what he said? He is so weak. Lady Glencora
Palliser has made him promise to go and see her; and he is to go to-day.
He is there now, probably, at this very moment. If he had been firm, the
thing was done. After all that has taken place, nobody would ever have
supposed that his engagement need go for anything.
Pages:
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908