Mary came away from her tea-table to embrace her grandmother.
'It makes me so happy to have won a little of your regard,' she
murmured, 'and to know that I have married a man whom you can love.'
'Of course you have heard of Lesbia's engagement?' Lady Maulevrier said
presently, when they were taking their tea.
'Maulevrier wrote to us about it.'
'To us.' How nice it sounded, thought Mary, as if they were a firm, and
a letter written to one was written to both.
'And do you know this Mr. Smithson?'
'Not intimately. I have met him at the Carlton.'
'I am told that he is very much esteemed by your party, and that he is
very likely to get a peerage when this Ministry goes out of office.'
'That is not improbable. Peerages are to be had if a man is rich enough;
and Smithson is supposed to be inordinately rich.'
'I hope he has character as well as money,' said Lady Maulevrier,
gravely. 'But do you think a man can become inordinately rich in a short
time, with unblemished honour?'
'We are told that nothing is impossible,' answered Hartfield.
Pages:
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736