You will find that poor Lord Chiltern
is not so black as he is painted."
"But why take anybody that is black at all?"
"I like a little shade in the picture, aunt."
"Look at Lord Fawn."
"I have looked at him."
"A young nobleman beginning a career of useful official life, that
will end in--; there is no knowing what it may end in."
"I daresay not;--but it never could have begun or ended in my being
Lady Fawn."
"And Mr. Appledom!"
"Poor Mr. Appledom. I do like Mr. Appledom. But, you see, aunt, I
like Lord Chiltern so much better. A young woman will go by her
feelings."
"And yet you refused him a dozen times."
"I never counted the times, aunt; but not quite so many as that."
The same thing was repeated over and over again during the month that
Miss Effingham remained at Baddingham, but Lady Baldock had no power
of interfering, and Violet bore her persecution bravely. Her future
husband was generally spoken of as "that violent young man," and
hints were thrown out as to the personal injuries to which his wife
might be possibly subjected. But the threatened bride only laughed,
and spoke of these coming dangers as part of the general lot of
married women. "I daresay, if the truth were known, my uncle Baldock
did not always keep his temper," she once said.
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