"You see, my dear, your marriage was much worse to her than to me,
because Mrs. Grey was her own sister, while Arnold is my brother.
And all I want in the wide world is to see my brother happy. I hope it
isn't wrong of me, but I don't think quite as dear Henrietta does. I
always felt that dear Arnold might marry any body he pleased, and I
should be sure to love her if only she made him happy. But, hush! I
hear somebody coming."
And the poor little lady composed herself into some pretense of
indifference when Christian rose from the windowsill, and stood like a
queen--or rather like what she tried to say to herself, so as to keep up
her matronly dignity, whenever passionate, girlish grief or anger
threatened to break it down, "like Dr. Grey's wife."
Miss Gascoigne stopped benignly, much to Christian's surprise, for she
did not guess what a wonderful influence clothes have in calming down
ill tempers. And Miss Gascoigne was beautifully dressed--quite perfect
from top to toe; and she was such a handsome woman still, that it was
quite a pleasure to look at her, as she very well knew. She had come
direct from her mirror, and was complacent accordingly. Also, she felt
that domestic decorum must be preserved on the "at home" day.
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