She had stretched her means and her credit to the utmost in regard
to her wardrobe, and was aware that she had never been so well
equipped since those early days of her career in which her father
and mother had thought that her beauty, assisted by a generous
expenditure, would serve to dispose of her without delay. A
generous expenditure may be incurred once even by poor people, but
cannot possibly be maintained over a dozen years. Now she had taken
the matter into her own hands and had done that which would be
ruinous if not successful. She was venturing her all upon the
die,--with the prospect of drowning herself on the way out to
Patagonia should the chances of the game go against her. She forgot
nothing. She could hardly hope for more than one day's hunting and
yet that had been provided for as though she were going to ride with
the hounds through all the remainder of the season.
When she reached Mistletoe there were people going and coming every
day, so that an arrival was no event. She was kissed by her uncle
and welcomed with characteristic coldness by her aunt, then allowed
to settle in among the other guests as though she had been there
all the winter. Everybody knew that she was a Trefoil and her
presence therefore raised no question. The Duchess of Omnium was
among the guests. The Duchess knew all about her and vouchsafed to
her the smallest possible recognition.
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