How could she have tried to accept a man who was so anxious to
marry her, and have failed in the effort? "Scolding I suppose will
be no good now," she said.
"Oh no!"
"But--. Well; I suppose we must put up with it. Everything on earth
that a girl could possibly wish for! He was that in love that it's
my belief he'd have settled it all on you if you'd only asked him."
"Let it go, mamma."
"Let it go! It's gone I suppose. Well--I ain't going to say any
more about it. But as for not sorrowing, how is a woman not to
sorrow when so much has been lost? It's your poor father I'm
thinking of, Mary." This was so much better than she had expected
that poor Mary almost felt that her heart was lightened.
CHAPTER VI
Again at Mistletoe
The reader will have been aware that Arabella Trefoil was not a
favourite at Mistletoe. She was so much disliked by the Duchess
that there had almost been words about her between her Grace and
the Duke since her departure. The Duchess always submitted, and it
was the rule of her life to submit with so good a grace that her
husband, never fearing rebellion, should never be driven to assume
the tyrant. But on this occasion the Duke had objected to the term
"thoroughly bad girl" which had been applied by his wife to his
niece. He had said that "thoroughly bad girl" was strong language,
and when the Duchess defended the phrase he had expressed his
opinion that Arabella was only a bad girl and not a thoroughly bad
girl.
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