Other young ladies have,
perhaps, before now made such a mistake. But this young lady had
had much experience and should have known better.
"Lord Rufford had better perhaps speak to your uncle."
"Will you tell him so, aunt?"
The Duchess thought about it for a moment. She certainly could not
tell Lord Rufford to speak to the Duke without getting the Duke's
leave to tell him so. And then, if all this were done, and Lord
Rufford were to assure the Duke that the young lady had made a
mistake, how derogatory would all that be to the exalted quiescence
of the house of Mayfair! She thoroughly wished that her niece were
out of the house; for though she did believe the story, her belief
was not thorough. "I will speak to your uncle," she said. "And now
you had better go to sleep."
"And, dear aunt, pray excuse me at dinner. I have been so excited,
so flurried, and so fatigued, that I fear I should make a fool of
myself if I attempted to come down. I should get into a swoon,
which would be dreadful. My maid shall bring me a bit of something
and a glass of sherry, and you shall find me in the drawing-room
when you come out" Then the Duchess went, and Arabella was left
alone to take another view of the circumstances of the campaign.
Though there were still infinite dangers, yet she could hardly wish
that anything should be altered.
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