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Updated: June 25, 2025
"The right of being Lord Hartledon's brother," carelessly replied Anne. "It is a right he had best not presume upon," rejoined Lady Kirton. "Brothers are brothers as children; but the tie widens as they grow up and launch out into their different spheres. There's not a man of all Hartledon's guests but has more right to be here than Val Elster." "Yet they are brothers still." "Brothers!
A brighter hue stole into her face, a softer shade to her eyes: she saw herself, as in a vision, the goodly mother of those goodly sons. "Are you going to wear that?" she asked, touching the knot of ribbon in Miss Ashton's hands with her petulant fingers. "They are Lord Hartledon's colours." "I shall wear it on Monday. Lord Hartledon gave it to me." A rash avowal.
Thomas Carr was not a man to be startlingly affected by any communication; nevertheless he felt the importance of this, for Lord Hartledon's sake. "I met him by chance, in a place where I sometimes go of an evening to smoke a cigar, and learned his name by accident," continued Mr. Taylor. "It's the same man that was at Kedge and Reck's, George Gorton; he acknowledged it at once, quite readily."
Except that Lady Hartledon's cheek flushed a little, she made no answer; she held firmly at least she thought she held firmly to her own side of the case. Her mother, on the contrary, adopted the new view, and dismissed it from her thoughts accordingly. Maude went to church in the evening, sitting alone in the great pew, pale and quiet.
You have forfeited her; you have forfeited the esteem of all good men. But that I am a Christian minister, I should visit your dishonour upon you as you deserve." "Will you cease?" raved the dowager; and Dr. Ashton wheeled round upon her. "There is less excuse for your past conduct, madam, than for his. You have played on Lord Hartledon's known irresolution to mould him to your will.
Although Anne Ashton was the betrothed of Percival Elster, and Lord Hartledon's freely-avowed love for her was evidently that of a brother, and he had said he should do all he could to promote the marriage, the strongest jealousy had taken possession of Lady Maude's heart. She already hated Anne Ashton with a fierce and bitter hatred.
There are threads of silver in his hair; and he is so much quieter than I thought he ever would be. I wonder you took him, Anne, after all; and I wonder still more that Dr. Ashton allowed it." A blush tinged Lady Hartledon's face as she looked out at the soft rain, and a half-smile parted her lips. "I see, Anne. Love once, love ever; and I suppose it was the same with Val, in spite of his folly.
"I have just asked Carr to dine with us, and told him to come at six. I don't fancy these hard-working men care to wait so long for their dinner. And he has an appointment for half-past eight." The colour came flushing into Lady Hartledon's face, an angry light into her eyes. "You have asked Carr to dinner! How dared you?" Val looked up in quiet amazement. "Dared!" "Well yes. Dared!"
Lord Hartledon's eldest sister, Lady Margaret Cooper, came there with her husband; and on this day the other sister, Lady Laura Level, had arrived from India. Lady Margaret was an invalid, and not an agreeable woman besides; but to Laura and Anne the meeting, after so many years' separation, was one of intense pleasure. They had been close friends from childhood.
The old dowager put her hand into Lord Hartledon's. "You will love her and cherish her, Percival?" What was the young man to do? He murmured some unintelligible assent, and bent forward to kiss her. But not until that moment had he positively realized the fact that there would be any marriage. Time went on swimmingly until the Saturday, and everything was in progress.
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