Lady Winwood unexpectedly entered the lists. “Gaming has always been a passion with the Winwoods,” she observed. “Your Papa was greatly addicted to every form of it. I myself, when my health permits it, am excessively fond of cards. I remember some very pleasant evenings at Gunnersbury, playing at silver pharaoh with the dear Princess. Mr Walpole too! I wonder that you can talk so, Charlotte: it is quite disloyal to Papa’s memory, let me tell you. Gaming is quite in the mode; I do not disapprove of it. But I must say I cannot approve of the Winwood luck. Do not tell me my little Horatia has inherited that, Theresa! Did she lose the bracelet?”
“Well, as to that,” said Mrs Maulfrey reluctantly, “it was not staked in the end. Rule came into the card-room.”
Elizabeth looked quickly across at her. “Yes?” she said. “He stopped it?”
“N-no,” said Mrs Maulfrey, with dissatisfaction. “Hardly that. He said in his quiet way that it might be difficult to assess the worth of a trinket, and picked up the bracelet, and put it back on Horry’s wrist, and set a rouleau of guineas down in its place. I did not wait to see any more.”
“ Oh, that was well done of him!” Elizabeth cried, her cheeks glowing.
“Certainly one may say that he behaved with dignity and propriety,” conceded Charlotte. “And if that is all you have to tell us of Horry’s behaviour, my dear Theresa, I must confess I feel you have wasted your time.”
“Pray do not be thinking that I am a mere mischief-maker, Charlotte!” besought her cousin. “And it is not by any means all. I have it on the best of authority that she had the—yes, positively I must call it the audacity—to drive young Dashwood’s gig up St James’s for a bet! Right under the windows of White’s, my dear! Now don’t mistake me: I am sure no one thinks anything but that she’s a madcap child—indeed, I understand she takes extremely, and people think her exploits vastly diverting, but I put it to you, is this conduct befitting the Countess of Rule?”
“If it befits a Winwood—which, however, I do not maintain,” said Charlotte with hauteur, “it may certainly befit a Drelincourt!”
This crushing rejoinder put Mrs Maulfrey so much out of countenance that she found herself with very little more to say, and presently took her leave of the Winwood ladies. She left behind her a feeling of uneasiness which culminated in a suggestion, put tentatively forward by Elizabeth, that Lady Winwood should think of returning to South Street. Lady Winwood said in a failing voice that no one had the least regard for the frailty of her poor nerves, and if ever good had come of interfering between man and wife she had yet to hear of it.
However, the business was settled in the end by a letter from Mr Heron. Mr Heron had got his Captaincy, and was to go into the West Country in the further execution of his duties. He desired to make Elizabeth his wife without any more delay, and proposed an immediate wedding.