My lady looked up at her sharply, but Elizabeth's face was quite
serious: "He has rallied wonderfully during the week--rallied both his
strength and his spirits. It is fortunate he has that buoyancy. Every
girl loves a gay wedding."
"It would be peculiarly distasteful to Harry under the circumstances,
and I would not give him pain for the world," Bessie said warmly.
"He is as well able to bear a little contradiction as the rest of us,"
said Lady Latimer, looking lofty. "In my day the lady was consulted. Now
everything must be arranged to accommodate the gentleman. I'm sure we
are grown very humble!"
Bessie looked meekly on the carpet and did not belie my lady's words.
Something in her air was provoking--perhaps that very meekness, in
certain lights so foreign to her character--for Lady Latimer colored,
and continued in her frostiest tone: "If you are ashamed of the
connection you are forming, that justifies your not inviting the world
to look on at your wedding, which ought to be an hour of pride and
triumph to a girl."
Bessie's meekness vanished in a blush: "And it will be an hour of
triumph to me. Ashamed! Harry Musgrave is to me the best and dearest
heart that breathes," she exclaimed; and my lady was too well advised to
prolong the argument, especially as she felt that it would be useless.
Harry Musgrave was not grudging of his gratitude for real kindness, and
though, when he was in his stronger mood, Lady Latimer was perhaps still
disposed to huff him, the next hour she was as good as she knew how to
be.
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