“Mr. Bowater has been telling me she is handsomer than ever!”
“Oh yes! That’s all gentlemen think of; but I meant in other ways. She seems full of the rebuilding of St. Nicholas, and to be making great friends with your new daughter. You don’t think,” lowering her voice, “that Raymond would have any objection to meeting her?”
“Certainly not!”
“I did not suppose he would, but I thought I would just ask you. It would be rather marked not to invite him for the 3rd, you know; and Jenny was always so fond of poor Emily, kept up a correspondence with her to the last. It was the first time she had met the little one since they came back. Not that she is little now, she is very tall and quite handsome even by the side of Edith. We just saw Lady Rosamond—a sweet face—and Herbert perfectly raves about her!”
“She is a most unselfish warm-hearted creature!” said Mrs. Poynsett.
“I am so glad! And Miles’s wife, I hope she will come. Poor thing, she looks very poorly.”
“Yes, I am very anxious about her. If she is not better in a day or two, I shall insist on her having advice.”
“Poor dear, I don’t wonder! But she had better come to Strawyers; Jenny will cheer her if any one can, and we shall have a nice lively party, I hope! She will only mope the more if she never goes out.”
“I am afraid she is hardly equal to it; besides, poor child,” added Mrs. Poynsett, “she seems to have been strictly brought up, and to think our ways rather shocking; and Miles wrote to me not to press her to go into society till he comes home.”
“Ah! well, I call that a mistake!” puffed out good-humoured Mrs. Bowater. “Very bad for the poor girl’s spirits. By the bye, I hope Julius does not object to Herbert’s dancing—not at a public ball, you know, but at home—for if he did, I would try to arrange something else, it would be so hard for the poor boy to have to look on.”