She had said not a word
of Violet, but had spoken of Lord Chiltern,--mentioning his name in
bitter wrath. "But he is a friend of mine," said Phineas, smiling.
"A friend indeed! Mr. Finn. I know what sort of a friend. I don't
believe that you are his friend. I am afraid he is not worthy of
having any friend." Phineas did not quite understand from this
that Lady Baldock was signifying to him that, badly as she had
thought of him as a suitor for her niece, she would have preferred
him,--especially now when people were beginning to speak well of
him,--to that terrible young man, who, from his youth upwards, had
been to her a cause of fear and trembling. Of course it was desirable
that Violet should marry an elder son, and a peer's heir. All that
kind of thing, in Lady Baldock's eyes, was most desirable. But,
nevertheless, anything was better than Lord Chiltern. If Violet would
not take Mr. Appledom or Lord Fawn, in heaven's name let her take
this young man, who was kind, worthy, and steady, who was civilised
in his manners, and would no doubt be amenable in regard to
settlements. Lady Baldock had so far fallen in the world that she
would have consented to make a bargain with her niece,--almost any
bargain, so long as Lord Chiltern was excluded.
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