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Updated: June 26, 2025
As Harry walked down from her house in Green Street, his thoughts were divided between the new life and that old one which she had raised again before his eyes by her reference to Cecily. The balance was turned in favor of Blent by the sight of a man who was associated in his mind with it Sloyd, the house-agent who had let Merrion Lodge to Mina Zabriska.
The excuse she had made to Mina Zabriska did not acquit her in her own eyes. Yet she was also interested, excited, and pleasantly awake to the importance which her indecision gave her. Judged from the outside, she was not open to blame in her attitude toward Harry; he was not in love with her, and hardly pretended to be.
Had the question arisen at that moment he would have said that nothing could make any difference. "Did you go up to the Lodge, Harry?" his mother called to him as one of his turns brought him near her. "Oh, yes; I forgot to tell you. I did, and I found Madame Zabriska having a look at us from the terrace, so I had a little talk with her. I didn't see the uncle." "What's she like?"
"I think Janie's rather fond of Mr Tristram, anyhow." This was simply a feeler on Mina's part. "Well, my dear, the position! Blent's been under a cloud though people don't seem to mind that much nowadays, to be sure. But the new Lady Tristram! They've always been the heads of the neighborhood. She'll have him, no doubt, but as for being in love with him well, could you, Madame Zabriska?"
"Of course she would; there's nothing in that." "No, I suppose not," he admitted almost reluctantly. "I can't help thinking I've heard the name before not Zabriska, but the uncle's." "Duplay, isn't it? I never heard it." "Well, I can't remember anything about it, but it sounds familiar. I'm confusing it with something else, I suppose. They look like being endurable, do they?"
Mr Disney had either learnt what he wanted or had finished amusing himself. Mina did not know which; no more, oddly enough, did Lord Hove. Mr Disney was by the door, saying good-by to the ladies; he would not be coming to the drawing-room. He stopped Mina, who went out last, just before his wife. "We've done all we could, Madame Zabriska," he said. "We must leave him alone, eh?" "I'm afraid so.
A sudden excitement came on him; but he conquered it or at least held it down, and sat there, smoking still. Mason returned and began to clear away. "Madame Zabriska has ordered some soup and claret to be placed in the hall for her Ladyship, my Lord," said he, in explanation of his action.
"You've been with her all the time?" "Oh, lord, yes. Are you the chaperon?" He laughed, as he unceremoniously clapped his hat on his head. "We've had an evening out, my cousin and I, and I saw her home. And now I'm going home. Nothing wrong, I hope, Madame Zabriska?" Cecily raised her head; she was laughing still, with tears in her eyes. Mina looked at her.
She had mentioned her father's pleasure everybody's pleasure. That pleasure would be found largely in seeing her Lady Tristram. What then would she have to say on the question that so perplexed Mr Neeld? Would she understand or accept as an excuse the plea that Neeld had been led away by romance or entrapped into a conspiracy by Mina Zabriska? No.
"No; I was going to say if you weren't Mr Tristram, or the future Lord Tristram of Blent." If she had hoped to catch him off his guard, she was mistaken. Not a quiver passed over his face as he remarked: "I'm afraid Providence can hardly manage that now, either for my good or for your amusement, Madame Zabriska, much as it might conduce to both."
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