Olympia said so at the time, and we agreed
with her. Dear Olympia was the only one of us who married, except
Maggie, our half-sister, the eldest of our father's children--Mrs.
Bernard's mother--and that was long before the great event in our
family."
Bessie fancied there was a flavor of regret in these statements.
Miss Juliana took up the thread where her sister had dropped it: "There
is our dear Oliver--what a perfect gentleman he was! How accomplished,
how elegant! If your sweet aunt Dorothy had not died when she did, he
might have been your near connection, Miss Fairfax. We have often urged
him to marry, if only for the sake of the property, but he has
steadfastly refused to give that good and lovely young creature a
successor. Our elder brother also died unmarried."
Miss Charlotte chimed in again: "Lady Latimer moved for so many years in
a distinguished circle that she can throw her mind into public business.
We range with humble livers in content, and are limited to the politics
of a very small school and hamlet. You will be a near neighbor, Miss
Fairfax, and we hope you will come often to Hartwell: we cannot be Lady
Latimer to you, but we will do our best. Abbotsmead was once a familiar
haunt; of late years it has been almost a house shut up."
Bessie liked the kindly, garrulous old ladies, and promised to be
neighborly. "I have been told," she said after a short silence, "that my
grandfather was devoted to Lady Latimer when they were young.
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