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CHAPTERXXXIV
REDGODWYN
StornhamCourthadtakenitsproperpositioninthecountyasaplacewhichwasequaltosocialexchangeinthematterofentertainment。SirNigelandLadyAnstruthershadgivenagardenparty，accordingtothedecreesofthelawobtainingincountryneighbourhoods。ThecuriositytobeholdMissVanderpoel，andthechangewhichhadbeenworkedinthewell—
knowndesolationanddisrepair，precludedthepossibilityoftherefusalofanyinvitationssent，therecipientbeinginhisorherrightmind，andsoundinwindandlimb。Thatastonishingthingshadbeenaccomplished，andthatthepartywasasuccessfulaffair，couldnotbutbeacceptedastruths。Gardenpartieshadbeenheardof，wereatriflerepetitional，andevendull，butatthisonetherewasrealmusicandrealdancing，andcleverentertainmentsweregivenatintervalsinagreen—emboweredlittletheatre，erectedfortheoccasion。Thesewereagreeableadditionstomerefoodandconversation，whichwerecapableofpalling。
TothegardenpartytheAnstruthersdidnotconfinethemselves。ThereweredinnerpartiesatStornham，andtheyalsoweresuccessfulfunctions。Theguestswereofthosewhomakeforthesuccessofsuchentertainments。
"IcalleduponMountDunstanthisafternoon，"SirNigelsaidoneevening，beforethefirstofthesedinners。"Hemightexpectit，asoneisaskinghimtodine。Iwishhimtobeasked。
TheDunholmshavetakenhimupsotremendouslythatnofestivityseemscompletewithouthim。"
Hehadbeeninvitedtothegardenparty，andhadappeared，butBettyhadseenlittleofhim。Itiseasytoseelittleofaguestatanout—of—doorfestivity。InassistingRosalietoattendtohervisitorsshehadbeenmuchoccupied，butshehadknownthatshemighthaveseenmoreofhim，ifhehadintendedthatitshouldbeso。Hedidnot——forreasonsofhisown——intendthatitshouldbeso，andthisshebecameawareof。Soshewalked，playedinthebowlinggreen，dancedandtalkedwithWestholt，TommyAlanbyandothers。
"Hedoesnotwanttotalktome。Hewillnot，ifhecanavoidit，"waswhatshesaidtoherself。
ShesawthatherathersoughtoutMaryLithcom，whowasnotaccustomedtoreceivingspecialattention。Thetwowalkedtogether，dancedtogether，andinadjoiningchairswatchedtheperformanceintheemboweredtheatre。LadyMaryenjoyedhercompanionverymuch，butshewonderedwhyhehadattachedhimselftoher。
BettyVanderpoelaskedherselfwhattheytalkedtoeachotherabout，anddidnotsuspectthetruth，whichwasthattheytalkedagooddealofherself。
"HaveyouseenmuchofMissVanderpoel？"LadyMaryhadbegunbyasking。
"IhaveSEENheragooddeal，asnodoubtyouhave。"
LadyMary’splainfaceexpressedasomewhattouchedreflectiveness。
"Doyouknow，"shesaid，"thatthegardenpartieshavebeenadifferentthingthiswholesummer，justbecauseonealwaysknewonewouldseeheratthem？"
AshortlaughfromMountDunstan。
"JaneandIhavegonetoeverygardenpartywithintwentymiles，eversincewelefttheschoolroom。Andweareverytiredofthem。Butthisyearwehavequitecheeredup。Whenwearedressingtogotosomethingdull，wesaytoeachother，`Well，atanyrate，MissVanderpoelwillbethere，andweshallseewhatshehason，andhowherthingsaremade，’andthat’ssomething——besidesthefunofwatchingpeoplemakeuptoher，andhearingthemtalkaboutthemenwhowanttomarryher，andwonderwhichoneshewilltake。Shewillnottakeanyoneinthisplace，"theniceturned—upnoseslightlysuggestingaderisivesniff。"Whoistherewhoissuitable？"
MountDunstanlaughedshortlyagain。
"HowdoyouknowIamnotanaspirantmyself？"hesaid。
Hehadamirthlesssenseofenjoymentinhisownbrazenness。
Onlyhehimselfknewhowbrazenthespeechwas。
LadyMarylookedathimwithentirecomposure。
"Iamquitesureyouarenotanaspirantforanybody。AndI
happentoknowthatyoudislikemoneyedinternationalmarriages。
YouaresoobviouslyBritishthat，evenifIhadnotbeentoldthat，Ishouldknowitwastrue。MissVanderpoelherselfknowsitistrue。"
"Doesshe？"
"LadyAlanbyspokeofittoSirNigel，andIheardSirNigeltellher。"
"Exactlythekindofunnecessarythinghewouldbelikelytorepeat。"Hecastthesubjectasideasifitwereaworthlesssuperfluityandwenton："Whenyousaythereisnoonesuitable，yousurelyforgetLordWestholt。"
"Yes，it’strueIforgothimforthemoment。But——"withalaugh——"oneratherfeelsasifshewouldrequirearoyaldukeorsomethingofthatsort。"
"Youthinksheexpectsthatkindofthing？"ratherindifferently。
"She？Shedoesn’tthinkofthesubject。Shesimplythinksofotherthings——ofLadyAnstruthersandUghtred，oftheworkatStornhamandthevillagelife，whichgiveshernewemotionsandinterest。Shealsothinksaboutbeingnicetopeople。SheisnicerthananygirlIknow。"
"Youfeel，however，shehasarighttoexpectit？"stillwithoutmorethanacasualairofinterest。
"Well，whatdoyoufeelyourself？"saidLadyMary。"Womenwholooklikethat——evenwhentheyarenotmillionairesses——
usuallymarrywhomtheychoose。IdonotbelievethatthetwobeautifulMissGunningsrolledintoonewouldhavemadeanythingasundeniableassheis。Onehasseenportraitsofthem。LookatherasshestandstheretalkingtoTommyandLordDunholm！"
InternallyMountDunstanwassaying："Iamlookingather，thankyou，"andsettinghisteethalittle。
ButLadyMarywaslauncheduponasubjectwhichsweptheralongwithit，andshe——sotospeak——groundthethingin。
"Lookattheturnofherhead！Lookathermouthandchin，andhereyeswiththelashessweepingoverthemwhenshelooksdown！
Youmusthavenoticedtheeffectwhensheliftsthemsuddenlytolookatyou。It’ssooddandlovelythatit——italmost————"
"Almostmakesyoujump，"endedMountDunstandrily。
Shedidnotlaughand，infact，herexpressionbecamerathersympatheticallyserious。
"Ah，"shesaid，"Ibelieveyoufeelasortofrebellionagainsttheunfairnessofthewaythingsaredealtout。Itdoesseemunfair，ofcourse。Itwouldbeperfectlydisgraceful——ifsheweredifferent。Ihadmomentsofalmosthatingheruntilonedaynotlongagoshedidsomethingsobewitchinglykindandunderstandingofotherpeople’sfeelingsthatIgaveup。Itwasclever，too，"withalaugh，"cleveranddaring。Ifshewereayoungmanshewouldmakeadashingsoldier。"
Shedidnotgivehimthedetailsofthestory，butwentontosayineffectwhatshehadsaidtoBettyherselfoftheinevitableincidentalnessofherstayinthecountry。IfshehadnotevidentlycometoStornhamthisyearwithapurpose，shewouldhavespenttheseasoninLondonanddonetheusualthing。
Americansweregenerallypresentedpromptly，iftheyhadanyposition——sometimeswhentheyhadnot。LadyAlanbyhadheardthatthefactthatshewaswithhersisterhadawakenedcuriosityandpeopleweretalkingabouther。
"LadyAlanbysaidinthatdrywayofhersthatthearrivalofanunmarriedAmericanfortuneinEnglandwasbecomingratherlikethevisitofanunmarriedroyalty。Peopleaskeachotherwhatitmeansandbegintoarrangeforit。Sofar，onlythewomenhavecome，butLadyAlanbysaysthatisbecausethemenhavehadnotimetodoanythingbutstayathomeandmakethefortunes。Shebelievesthatinanothergenerationtherewillbeamaleleisureclass，andthenitwillswoopdowntoo，andmarrypeople。Shewasverysharpandamusingaboutit。Shesaiditwouldhelpthemtoridthemselvesofaplethoraofwealthandkeepthemfrombursting。"
Shewasanamiable，ifunsentimentalperson，MaryLithcom——andwas，quitewithoutillnature，expressingtheconsensusofpublicopinion。Theseyoungwomencametothecountrywithsomethingpracticaltoexchangeinthes
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