If
there is any young man to whom a girl should be able to speak when
she is in a state of violent emotion, it is the young man to whom
she is engaged. So at least thought Mr. John Morton.
Then dinner was announced, and the dinner certainly was sombre
enough. A dinner before a ball in the country never is very much of
a dinner. The ladies know that there is work before them, and keep
themselves for the greater occasion. Lady Purefoy had gone, and
Lady Penwether was not very happy in the prospects for the evening.
Neither Miss Penge nor either of the two Miss Godolphins had
entertained personal hopes in regard to Lord Rufford, but
nevertheless they took badly the great favour shown to Arabella.
Lady Augustus did not get on particularly well with any of the
other ladies,--and there seemed during the dinner to be an air of
unhappiness over them all. They retired as soon as it was possible,
and then Arabella at once went up to her bedroom.
"Mr. Nokes says he is a little stronger, my Lord," said the butler
coming into the room. Mr. Nokes had gone home and had returned
again.
"He might pull through yet," said Mr. Hampton. Lord Rufford shook
his head. Then Mr. Gotobed told a wonderful story of an American
who had had his brains knocked almost out of his head and had sat
in Congress afterwards.
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