After that, before this weary
letter could be written, he was compelled to see his grandmother
and explain to her that she had been omitted.
"Of course, ma'am, they did not know that you were at Bragton, as
you were not in the carriage at the 'meet.'"
"That's nonsense, John. Did Lord Rufford suppose that you were
entertaining ladies here without some one to be mistress of the
house? Of course he knew that I was here. I shouldn't have gone;--
you may be sure of that. I'm not in the habit of going to the
houses of people I don't know. Indeed I think it's an impertinence
in them to ask in that way. I'm surprised that you would go on such
an invitation."
"The Trefoils knew them."
"If Lady Penwether knew them why could not Lady Penwether ask them
independently of us? I don't believe they ever spoke to Lady
Penwether in their lives. Lord Rufford and Miss Trefoil may very
likely be London acquaintances. He may admire her and therefore
choose to have her at his ball. I know nothing about that. As far
as I am concerned he's quite welcome to keep her."
All this was not very pleasant to John Morton. He knew already that
his grandmother and Lady Augustus hated each other, and said
spiteful things not only behind each other's backs, but openly to
each other's faces. But now he had been told by the girl who was
engaged to be his wife that she did not belong to him; and by his
grandmother, who stood to him in the place of his mother, that she
wished that this girl belonged to some one else! He was not quite
sure that he did not wish it himself.
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