Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. DON IS RESIGNED. |LAY to her, but death to me,' Lady Timerton said, while discussing her daughter's brilliant marriage prospects with Lady Ken- wyn previous to breaking them to Don Arminger. ' Oh, not at all,' Lady Kenwyn said, with placid complacency. ' Play to her! Not at all. She is merely obeying life's serious, earnest instinct, which calls upon her to cast off Arminger and take Charl- dale. In time probably another wave VOL. III. D will pass over her, bidding her leave Charldale and follow some one else.' 'Heaven forbid!' the Dowager Lady Timerton sobbed. ' Yes, as you say. I only suggest that, if it's not providentally forbidden, such may be the result. In the meantime, don't worry Elinor or yourself; it's always such a pity to worry one's self about unavoidable things.' ' You haven't to break it to Don Ar- minger,' Lady Timerton said reproachfully. ' Perhaps he will be more philosophic about it than you think,' Lady Kenwyn rejoined. But Elinor's mother did not at all approve of that view of the case. It would be very terrible to her to witness Don's distress and anguish of mind at losing Elinor. But it would be even more distressing to see him callous about it. Elinor was very busy in these days, though there was no ignominious house difficulty to be solved this time. Lord Charldale's residences were all unexcep- tionally situated. Still, though this harassing matter was finally and satisfactorily settled, Elinor had her hands full, for the marriage was to come off with little delay, and the trousseau that was admirably adapted for Lady Elinor Arminger was quite insufficient for the Countess of Charldale. ' If you don't take care, mamma, Don will see it in the papers before you have told him, and naturally he will think that... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.