She has one idea in her head, the glory of the
Beauleighs. I believe she's as mad as a hatter about it. She was one
of the Stryke & Wigrams, the bankers, a Miss Wigram; and I think, don't
you know, that rising out of that wealthy and respectable firm, she
felt bound to be the bluest-blooded possible. That's what I fancy. At
any rate she's more of a Beauleigh than any Beauleigh since the flood."
"I know," said Lord Crosland, and he nodded gravely with the
immeasurable sapience of a boy of twenty-one.
"I must say, too," Sir Tancred went on thoughtfully, "that she's been
the most important Beauleigh for generations. She brought thirty
thousand a year to the restoration of our dilapidated fortunes; and she
did restore them. You know what a County is: well, little by little
she got a grip on the County, and now she just runs it. I tell you,
the County has taken to spending every bit of the year it can in town
or abroad; when it gets within thirty miles of her, it daren't call its
life its own."
"By Jove!" said Lord Crosland earnestly. "She must be a holy terror."
"They call it force of character when she's within thirty miles of
them," said Sir Tancred drily; and then he went on with more emphasis:
"But the banker streak comes out in her; she thinks too much of money.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25