Iris not having risen at the time, he sent for Fanny Mere,
and ordered her to get the spare room ready for a guest. The maid's
busy suspicion tempted her to put a venturesome question. She asked if
the person expected was a lady or a gentleman.
"What business is it of yours who the visitor is?" her master asked
sharply. Always easy and good-humoured with his inferiors in general,
Lord Harry had taken a dislike to his wife's maid, from the moment when
he had first seen her. His Irish feeling for beauty and brightness was
especially offended by the unhealthy pallor of the woman's complexion,
and the sullen self-suppression of her manner. All that his native
ingenuity had been able to do was to make her a means of paying a
compliment to his wife. "Your maid has one merit in my eyes," he said;
"she is a living proof of the sweetness of your temper."
Iris joined her husband at the breakfast-table with an appearance of
disturbance in her face, seldom seen, during the dull days of her life
at Passy. "I hear of somebody coming to stay with us," she said. "Not
Mr. Vimpany again, I hope and trust?"
Lord Harry was careful to give his customary morning kiss, before he
replied.
Pages:
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349