It may be
uncharitable, but I think it is most safe so to consider."
"As far as I have heard the circumstances, Lady Laura was quite
right," said Phineas.
"It may be so. Gentlemen will always take the lady's part,--of
course. But I should be very sorry to have a daughter separated from
her husband,--very sorry."
Phineas, who had nothing now to gain from Lady Baldock's favour, left
her abruptly, and went on again. He had a great desire to see Lady
Laura and Violet together, though he could hardly tell himself why.
He had not seen Miss Effingham since his return from Ireland, and he
thought that if he met her alone he could hardly have talked to her
with comfort; but he knew that if he met her with Lady Laura, she
would greet him as a friend, and speak to him as though there were no
cause for embarrassment between them. But he was so far disappointed,
that he suddenly encountered Violet alone. She had been leaning on
the arm of Lord Baldock, and Phineas saw her cousin leave her. But
he would not be such a coward as to avoid her, especially as he knew
that she had seen him. "Oh, Mr. Finn!" she said, "do you see that?"
"See what?"
"Look; There is Mr. Kennedy. We had heard that it was possible, and
Laura made me promise that I would not leave her.
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