She could not
possibly have shown more sympathy."
"H'm!--well, I give it up."
"Henry!"--his wife turned upon him--"I am convinced that poor child will
never marry!"
"Give her time, my dear, and don't talk nonsense!"
"It isn't nonsense! I tell you I felt just as I did when I went to see
Mary Theed, years ago--you remember that pretty cousin of mine who
became a Carmelite nun?--for the first time after she had taken the
veil. She spoke to one from another world--it gave one the shivers!--and
was just as smiling and cheerful over it as Diana--and it was just as
ghastly and unbearable and abominable--as this is."
"Well, then," said the doctor, after a pause, "I suppose she'll take to
good works. I hope you can provide her with a lot of hopeless cases in
the village. Did she mention Marsham at all?"
"Not exactly. But she asked about the election--"
"The writs are out," interrupted the doctor. "I see the first borough
elections are fixed for three weeks hence; ours will be one of the last
of the counties; six weeks to-day."
"I told her you thought he would get in."
"Yes--by the skin of his teeth. All his real popularity has vanished
like smoke.
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