'What have you been about all the morning, Sophy? Yes, I see your
translation--very well--I wish you would come up and help this
afternoon, Miss Richardson is looking so pale and tired that I want
to relieve her.'
'I can't,' said Sophy,
'I don't order you, but you are losing a great deal of fun. Suppose
you came to look on, at least.'
'I hate poor people.'
'I hope you will change your mind some day, but yon must do something
this afternoon. You had better take a walk with Susan and baby; I
told her to go by the meadows to Horton.'
'I don't want to walk.'
'Have you anything to do instead? No, I thought not, and it is not
at all hot to signify.--It will do you much more good. Yes, you must
go.'
In the course of the summer an old Indian friend was staying at
Fairmead Park, and Colonel Bury wrote to beg for a week's visit from
the whole Kendal family. Even Sophy vouchsafed to be pleased, and
Lucy threw all her ardour into the completion of a blue braided cape,
which was to add immensely to little Maurice's charms; she declared
that she should work at it the whole of the last evening, while Mr.
and Mrs. Kendal were at the dinner that old Mr. and Mrs. Bowles
annually inflicted on themselves and their neighbours, a dinner which
it would have been as cruel to refuse as it was irksome to accept.
There was a great similarity in those Bayford parties, inasmuch as
the same cook dressed them all, and the same waiters waited at them,
and the same guests met each other, and the principal variety on this
occasion was, that the Osborns did not come, because the Admiral was
in London.
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