But she would have liked to be able to inform
Lesbia's grandmother of some tremendous conquest--the subjugation of a
worthy victim. This herd of nobodies--younger sons with courtesy titles
and empty pockets, ruined Guardsmen, briefless barristers--what was the
use of telling Lady Maulevrier about such barren victories? Lady
Kirkbank therefore contented herself with expatiating upon Lesbia's
triumphs in a general way: how graciously the Princess spoke to her and
about her; how she had been asked to sit on the dais at the ball at
Marlborough House, and had danced in the Royal quadrille.
'Has Lesbia happened to meet Lord Hartfield?' Lady Maulevrier asked,
incidentally, in one of her letters.
No. Lord Hartfield was in London, for he had made a great speech in the
Lords on a question of vital interest; but he was not going into
society, or at any rate into society of a frivolous kind. He had given
himself up to politics, as so many young men did nowadays, which was
altogether horrid of them. His name had appeared in the list of guests
at one or two cabinet dinners; but the world of polo matches and
afternoon teas, dances and drums, private theatricals, and Orleans House
suppers, knew him not.
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