Did she know--had she any idea--that in London at that moment she was
one of the main topics of conversation?--in fact, the best talked-about
young woman of the day?--that if she were to spend June in town--which
of course she would not do--she would find herself a _succes
fou_--people tumbling over one another to invite her, and make a show of
her? Everybody of his acquaintance was now engaged in retrying the Wing
murder, since that statement of Chide's in the _Times_. No one talked of
anything else, and the new story that was now tacked on to the old had
given yet another spin to the ball of gossip.
How had the story got out? Bobbie believed that it had been mainly the
doing of Lady Niton. At any rate, the world understood perfectly that
Juliet Sparling's innocent and unfortunate daughter had been harshly
treated by Lady Lucy--and deserted by Lady Lucy's son.
Queer fellow, Marsham!--rather a fool, too. Why the deuce didn't he
stick to it? Lady Lucy would have come round; he would have gained
enormous _kudos_, and lost nothing. Bobbie looked admiringly at his
companion, vowing to himself that she was worth fighting for.
Pages:
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454