"Well," said he, "let us leave that; we shall have other
opportunities of watching Dodd and her; meantime I am sorry I cannot
convince you of my good news, for I have some bad to balance it. You
have a rival, and he did not sit next Mrs. Bazalgette."
"Pray may I ask whom he did sit next?" sneered Talboys.
"He sat--like a man who meant to win--by the girl herself."
"Oh, then it is that sing-song captain you fear, sir?" drawled
Talboys.
"No, sir, no more than I dread the _epergne._ Try the other
side."
"What, Mr. Hardie? Why, he is a banker."
"And a rich one."
"She would never marry a banker."
"Perhaps not, if she were uninfluenced; but we are not at Talboys
Court or Font Abbey now. We have fallen into a den of
_parvenues._ That Hardie is a great catch, according to their
views, and all Mrs. Bazalgette's influence with Lucy will be used in
his favor.
"I think not. She spoke quite slightingly of him to me."
"Did she? Then that puts the matter quite beyond doubt. Why should she
speak slightingly of him? Bazalgette spoke to me of him with grave
veneration. He is handsome, well behaved, and the girl talked to him
nineteen to the dozen. Mrs. Bazalgette could not be sincere in
underrating him. She undervalued him to throw dust in your eyes."
"It is not so easy to throw dust in my eyes."
"I don't say it is; but this woman will do it; she is as artful as a
fox. She hoodwinked even me for a moment. I really did not see through
her feigned politeness in letting you take her down to dinner.
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