And his eyes had fallen away from his son's gaze, and
he had bent a little over the table, and was moved. But he recovered
himself at once, and added, with all proper dignity, "If you have
anything to say I shall be glad to hear it."
"All your offers would be nothing, my lord, if I did not like the
girl."
"I should not ask you to marry a girl if you did not like her, as you
call it."
"But as to Miss Effingham, it happens that our wishes jump together.
I have asked her, and she has refused me. I don't even know where
to find her to ask her again. If I went to Lady Baldock's house the
servants would not let me in."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Yours partly, my lord. You have told everybody that I am the devil,
and now all the old women believe it."
"I never told anybody so."
"I'll tell you what I'll do. I will go down to Lady Baldock's to-day.
I suppose she is at Baddingham. And if I can get speech of Miss
Effingham--"
"Miss Effingham is not at Baddingham. Miss Effingham is staying with
your sister in Grosvenor Place. I saw her yesterday."
"She is in London?"
"I tell you that I saw her yesterday."
"Very well, my lord. Then I will do the best I can. Laura will tell
you of the result."
The father would have given the son some advice as to the mode in
which he should put forward his claim upon Violet's hand, but the son
would not wait to hear it.
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