Cavendish Dusautoy, a
very good sort of fellow, who gave excellent dinners, and was a
pleasant yachting companion. His wife was said to be very pretty and
pleasing, but she had arrived at Genoa very unwell, had been since
confined, and was not yet able to see any one. It was said to be the
effect of her distress for the death of her brother, and the
estrangement from her family, who had behaved very ill about his
property. Had not Albinia Ferrars married into that family?
Albinia knew enough of her noble relative to be aware that good
dinners and obsequiousness were the way to his esteem, and Algernon's
was the sort of arrogance that would stoop to adore a coronet. All
this was nothing, however, to the idea of Lucy, ill in that strange
place, with no one to care for her but her hard master. Albinia
sometimes thought of going to find her out at Genoa; but this was too
utterly wild and impossible, and nothing could be done but to write
letters of affectionate inquiry, enclosing them to Lord Belraven.
Algernon's answer was solemn, and as brief as he could make anything.
He was astonished that the event bad escaped the notice of the circle
at Bayford, since he believed it had appeared in all the principal
European newspapers; and his time had been so fully occupied, that he
had imagined that intimation sufficient, since it was evident from
the tone of the recent correspondence, that the family of Bayford
were inclined to drop future intercourse.
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