It was too unpleasantly morbid to be true of a man her mother had
known for years.
"Of course you were not thinking of anything large or formal?"
she said after a moment of smiling hesitation.
"No. I am not launching a girl into society. I only want to help
her to know a few nice young people who are good-natured and
well-mannered. She is not the ordinary old lady's companion and
if she were not so strict with herself and with me, I confess I
should behave towards her very much as I should behave to Kathryn
if you could spare her to live with me. She is a heart-warming
young thing. Because I am known to have one of my eccentric fancies
for her and because after all her father WAS well connected, her
present position will not be the obstacle. She is not the first
modern girl who has chosen to support herself."
"But isn't she much too pretty?"
"Much. But she doesn't flaunt it."
"But heart-warming--and too pretty! Dearest mamma!" Lady Lothwell
laughed again. "She can do no harm to Kathryn, but I own that
if George were not at present quite madly in love with a darling
being at least fifteen years older than himself I should pause
to reflect. Mrs. Stacy will keep him steady--Mrs. Alan Stacy, you
know--the one with the magnificent henna hair, and the eyes that
droop. No boy of twenty-two can resist her. They call her adorers
'The Infant School'.
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