She seemed to have forgotten her
recent offence, and said, "You will come and see me, Miss Fairfax, will
you not? We ought to be friends here."
"Oh yes," cried Bessie, who, when compunction touched her, was ready to
make liberal amends, "I shall be very glad."
Mrs. Chiverton went away satisfied. The other guests not staying in the
house soon followed, and when all were gone there was some discussion of
the bride amongst those who were left. They were of one consent that she
was very handsome and that her jewels were most magnificent.
"But no one envies her, I hope?" said Lady Angleby.
"You do not admire her motive for the marriage? Perhaps you do not
believe in it?" said Mr. Cecil Burleigh.
"I quite believe that she does, but I do not commend her example for
imitation."
Miss Burleigh, lingering a few minutes in Miss Fairfax's room when they
went up stairs, delivered her mind on the matter. "My poor ambition
flies low," she said. "I could be content to give love for love, and do
my duty in the humblest station God might call me to, but not for any
sake could I go into the house of bondage where no love is. Poor Mrs.
Chiverton!"
Bessie made a very unsentimental reply: "Poor Mrs. Chiverton, indeed!
Oh, but she does not want our pity! That old man is a slave to her, just
as the girls were at school. She adores power, and if she is allowed to
help and patronize people, she will be perfectly happy in her way.
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