" She bowed her head, but kept the
scrap of paper in her possession. "Shall I ring for your carriage?"
he asked. The bell was rung, and Lady Augustus was taken back to
the lodgings in Orchard Street in the hired brougham. As she went
she told herself that if everything else failed, 400 pounds a year
would support her daughter, or that in the event of any further
matrimonial attempt such a fortune would be a great assistance. She
had been sure that there could be no marriage, and was disposed to
think that she had done a good morning's work on behalf of her
unnatural child.
CHAPTER VIII
"We shall kill each other"
Lady Augustus as she was driven back to Orchard Street and as she
remained alone during the rest of that day and the next in London,
became a little afraid of what she had done. She began to think how
she should communicate her tidings to her daughter, and thinking of
it grew to be nervous and ill at ease. How would it be with her
should Arabella still cling to the hope of marrying the lord? That
any such hope would be altogether illusory Lady Augustus was now
sure. She had been quite certain that there was no ground for such
hope when she had spoken to the man of her own poverty. She was
almost certain that there had never been an offer of marriage made.
In the first place Lord Rufford's word went further with her than
Arabella's,--and then his story had been consistent and probable,
whereas hers had been inconsistent and improbable.
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