He rang at the bell
and spoke to the portress, and had me into the parlour and sent up
for the lady; and I have seldom spent a pleasanter hall-hour.
Mademoiselle Belmarche bade me tell you that she would write fuller
thanks to you another day, and that her eyes would thank you every
night.'
'Was her cold gone? Did she seem well, the dear aunt?'
Genevieve was really grateful, and had many questions to ask about
her aunt, which met with detailed answers.
'By-the-by,' said Ulick,' I met Mr. Hope in the street as I was
coming away, I offered him a lift, but he said he was not coming home
till late. I wonder what he is doing.'
Albinia and Sophy exchanged glances, and had almost said, 'Poor Mr.
Hope!' It was very hard that the good fortune and mere good nature
of an indifferent person should push him where the quiet curate so
much wished to be. Albinia would have liked to have had either a
little impudence or a little tact to enable her to give a hint to
Ulick to be less officious.
St. Leocadia's feast was the 9th of December. Three days after,
Genevieve received a letter which made her change countenance, and
hurry to her own room, whence she did not emerge till luncheon-time.
In the late afternoon, there was a knock at the drawing-room door,
and Mr. Dusautoy said, 'Can I speak with you a minute, Mrs. Kendal?'
Dreading ill news of Lucy, she hurried to the morning-room with him.
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