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"I believe she will be an old maid, on purpose to bring me to my grave," said Lady Baldock. When, therefore, Lady Baldock was told one day that Lord Chiltern was in the house, and was asking to see Miss Effingham, she did not at once faint away, and declare that they would all be murdered, as she would have done some months since. She was perplexed by a double duty.
"My aunt, Lady Baldock, is going to have an evening next week." "The servants would be ordered to put me out of the house." "Oh no. You can tell her that I invited you." "I don't think that Oswald and Lady Baldock are great friends," said Lady Laura. "Or he might come and take you and me to the Zoo on Sunday. That's the proper sort of thing for a brother and a friend to do."
Her friends and relatives, so Miss Effingham insinuated, were unanimous in wishing that Lady Baldock should remain at Baddingham Park, and therefore, that wish having been indiscreetly expressed, she had put herself to great inconvenience, and had come to London in March. "Gustavus will go mad," said Violet to Lady Laura.
I hope my cousin Gustavus will condescend to give me away. Of course there is nothing fixed about time; but I should say, perhaps, in nine years. Your affectionate niece, Loughlinter, Friday. "What does she mean about nine years?" said Lady Baldock in her wrath. "She is joking," said the mild Augusta. "I believe she would joke, if I were going to be buried," said Lady Baldock.
If it were possible that Violet should relent and be reconciled, then it would be her duty to save Violet from the claws of the wild beast. But if there was no such chance, then it would be her duty to poor Lord Chiltern to see that he was not treated with contumely and ill-humour. "Does she know that he is here?" Lady Baldock asked her daughter. "Not yet, mamma." "Oh dear, oh dear!
In the event, the probable, nay, almost certain event of my being refused, I shall trust you to keep my secret. Do not quarrel with me if you can help it; but if you must I will be ready." Then he posted the letter and went up to the Castle. He had only the one day for his action, and he knew that Violet was watched by Lady Baldock as by a dragon.
Now Lady Baldock had not actually or openly quarrelled with Lady Laura Kennedy or with Lord Brentford, but she had conceived a strong idea that her niece Violet was countenanced in all improprieties by the Standish family generally, and that therefore the Standish family was to be regarded as a family of enemies.
On November 20 the favourite was put to death at Hereford, while Baldock, saved from immediate execution by his clerkly privilege, was consigned to the cruel custody of Orleton, only to perish a few months later of ill-treatment. To Hereford also was brought Edmund of Arundel, captured in Shropshire, and condemned to suffer the fate of the Despensers.
Why had not the law, or the executors, or the Lord Chancellor, or some power levied for the protection of the proprieties, made Violet absolutely subject to her guardian till she should be made subject to a husband? "Yes, I think she is at home," said Lady Baldock, in answer to Lady Laura's inquiry for Violet. "At least, I hardly know.
She had declared to the man who was to have been her husband that his life was discreditable, and, of course, no man would bear such language. Had Lord Chiltern borne it, he would not have been worthy of her love. She herself told Lady Laura and Lord Brentford what had occurred, and had told Lady Baldock also.
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