“You mean that somebody will want to marry me?” asked Lilian, with a sort of blushing archness and shyness combined, which he thought charming.
“Yes. The moment you are ‘out’ I prophesy that you will be snapped up,” said Gerard.
But Lilian’s fair face clouded again.
“Ah,” she said, “that coming out will be another great expense for poor Rachel. She’s determined that I shall be presented at Court, and the expense of that will be horrible.”
Gerard was aghast. Timidly, hesitatingly aware that he was on delicate ground, he ventured to suggest obstacles.
“But don’t you think,” he said, “that if you were to assure her that you would much rather not be presented, that it would be a useless sacrifice of money, if I may say so, she would be persuaded?”
“I think it would be waste of money, too,” said Lilian, with a long face; “but she is very determined. She says all the women of our family have always been presented, and I must be. But what I say is, that in that case she ought to be presented first.”
“Quite right. And what did she say to that?”
“She said she was afraid she would not be eligible, because of having to work for firms in trade. And that in any case she hadn’t the time.”
“But if she isn’t eligible,” said Gerard, more earnestly than ever, “perhaps it would affect your position too; and think what a dreadful thing it would be if the presentation were to be cancelled! That happens sometimes, when any circumstances come to the knowledge of the Lord Chamberlain that—that—”