“Oh, yes, she was,” said Mrs Moore; “the affair was settled, and everything arranged; but the man was very poor, and a gambler,—Lord Ballindine: he has the name of a property down in Mayo somewhere; but when she got all her brother’s money, Lord Cashel thought it a pity to sacrifice it,—so he got her out of the scrape. A very good thing for the poor girl, for they say he’s a desperate scamp.”
“Well, I declare I think,” said Mrs Ellison, “she’ll not have far to look for another.”
“What, you think there’s something between her and Lord Kilcullen?” said Mrs Moore.
“It looks like it, at any rate, don’t it?” said Mrs Ellison.
“Well, I really think it does,” said Mrs Moore; “I’m sure I’d be very glad of it. I know he wants money desperately, and it would be such a capital thing for the earl.”
“At any rate, the lady does not look a bit unwilling,” said Mrs Ellison. “I suppose she’s fond of rakish young men. You say Lord Ballindine was of that set; and I’m sure Lord Kilcullen’s the same,—he has the reputation, at any rate. They say he and his father never speak, except just in public, to avoid the show of the thing.”
And the two old ladies set to work to a good dish of scandal.
“Miss Wyndham’s an exceedingly fine girl,” said Captain Cokely to Mat Tierney, as they were playing a game of piquet in the little drawing-room.
“Yes,” said Mat; “and she’s a hundred thousand exceedingly fine charms too, independently of her fine face.”
“So I hear,” said Cokely; “but I only believe half of what I hear about those things.”