She will come over to Abbotsmead the day
after to-morrow."
Bessie could not help being reminded by her grandfather's face and voice
of another old Beechhurst friend--Mr. Phipps. Perhaps this luncheon at
Hartwell had been pleasanter to her than to him, though even she had an
aftertaste of disappointment in it, because Lady Latimer no longer
dazzled her judgment. To the end my lady preserved her animation, and
when the visitors had mounted and were ready to ride away she still
engaged Mr. Fairfax's ear while she expounded her views of the mischief
that would accrue if ever election by ballot became the law of the land.
"You must talk to Chiverton about that," said the squire, lifting his
hat and moving off.
"I shall drive over to Castlemount to-morrow," said my lady; and she
accompanied her visitors to the gate with more last words on a variety
of themes that had been previously discussed and dismissed.
All the way home the squire never once opened his mouth to speak; he
appeared thoroughly jaded and depressed and in his most sarcastic humor.
At dinner Bessie heard more bitter sentiments against her sex than she
had ever heard in her life before, and wondered whether they were the
residuum of his disappointed passion.
CHAPTER XXX.
_MY LADY REVISITS OLD SCENES_.
To meet Lady Latimer and Mr. Oliver Smith at Abbotsmead, Lady Angleby
and Mr. Cecil Burleigh came over from Brentwood.
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