Thus Miss
Dunstable had comforted herself. But now all things were going wrong,
and Lady Lufton would find herself in close contiguity to the nearest
representative of Satanic agency, which, according to her ideas, was
allowed to walk this nether English world of ours. Would she scream?
or indignantly retreat out of the house?--or would she proudly raise
her head, and with outstretched hand and audible voice, boldly defy
the devil and all his works? In thinking of these things as the duke
approached Miss Dunstable almost lost her presence of mind. But Mrs.
Harold Smith did not lose hers. "So here at last is the duke," she
said, in a tone intended to catch the express attention of Lady
Lufton.
Mrs. Smith had calculated that there might still be time for her
ladyship to pass on and avoid the interview. But Lady Lufton, if she
heard the words, did not completely understand them. At any rate
they did not convey to her mind at the moment the meaning they were
intended to convey. She paused to whisper a last little speech to
Frank Gresham, and then looking round, found that the gentleman who
was pressing against her dress was--the Duke of Omnium! On this
great occasion, when the misfortune could no longer be avoided, Miss
Dunstable was by no means beneath herself or her character.
Pages:
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522