She told herself that though
this was not strictly true, it was as good as true,--as that which
was actually done and said by Lord Rufford on those occasions could
have had no other meaning. But before her mother had completed her
investigation, Arabella had become so sick of the matter that she
shut herself up in her room and declared that nothing on earth
should induce her to open her mouth on the subject again.
When Lord Rufford received the letter he was aghast with new
disgust. He had begun to flatter himself that his interview with
Lord Augustus would be the end of the affair. Looking at it by
degrees with coolness he had allowed himself to think that nothing
very terrible could be done to him. Some few people, particularly
interested in the Mistletoe family, might give him a cold shoulder,
or perhaps cut him directly; but such people would not belong to
his own peculiar circle, and the annoyance would not be great. But
if all the family, one after another, were to demand interviews
with him up in London, he did not see when the end of it would be.
There would be the Duke himself, and the Duchess, and Mistletoe.
And the affair would in this way become gossip for the whole town.
He was almost minded to write to the Duke saying that such an
interview could do no good; but at last he thought it best to
submit the matter to his mentor, Sir George Penwether.
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