No sound reached her during the night--except the bluster of a
north wind rushing in great gusts upon the hill-side and the woods.
CHAPTER XIV
Late on Monday afternoon Lady Niton paid a call in Eaton Square. She and
Lady Lucy were very old friends, and rarely passed a week when they were
both in town without seeing each other.
Mr. Ferrier lunched with her on Monday, and casually remarked that Lady
Lucy was not as well as usual. Lady Niton replied that she would look
her up that afternoon; and she added: "And what about that
procrastinating fellow Oliver? Is he engaged yet?"
"Not to my knowledge," said Mr. Ferrier, after a pause.
"Then he ought to be! What on earth is he shilly-shallying for? In my
days young men had proper blood in their veins."
Ferrier did not pursue the subject, and Lady Niton at once jumped to the
conclusion that something had happened. By five o'clock she was in
Eaton Square.
Only Alicia Drake was in the drawing-room when she was announced.
"I hear Lucy's seedy," said the old lady, abruptly, after vouchsafing a
couple of fingers to Miss Drake. "I suppose she's been starving herself,
as usual?"
Oliver's mother enjoyed an appetite as fastidious as her judgments on
men and morals, and Lady Niton had a running quarrel with her on
the subject.
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