Yes, Mary, you may know, for I
fear the dream will never be realised. I wanted my Lesbia to become Lord
Hartfield's wife. I would have brought them together myself, could I
have but gone to London; but, failing that, I fancied Lady Kirkbank
would have divined my wishes without being told them, and would have
introduced Hartfield to Lesbia; and now the London season is drawing to
a close, and Hartfield and Lesbia have never met. He hardly goes
anywhere, I am told. He devotes himself exclusively to politics; and he
is not in Lady Kirkbank's set. A terrible disappointment to me, Mary!'
'It is a pity,' said Mary. 'Lesbia is so lovely. If Lord Hartfield were
fancy-free he ought to fall in love with her, could they but meet. I
thought that in London all fashionable people knew each other, and were
continually meeting.'
'It used to be so in my day, Mary. Almack's was a common ground, even if
there had been no other. But now there are circles and circles, I
believe, rings that touch occasionally, but never break and mingle. I am
afraid poor Georgie's set is not quite so nice as I could have wished.
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