"
"No disgrace, certainly," said Phineas.
"But I am nobody,--or worse than nobody."
"And I also am going to be a nobody," said Phineas, laughing.
"Ah; you are a man and will get over it, and you have many years
before you will begin to be growing old. I am growing old already.
Yes, I am. I feel it, and know it, and see it. A woman has a fine
game to play; but then she is so easily bowled out, and the term
allowed to her is so short."
"A man's allowance of time may be short too," said Phineas.
"But he can try his hand again." Then there was another pause. "I had
thought, Mr. Finn, that you would have married," she said in her very
lowest voice.
"You knew all my hopes and fears about that."
"I mean that you would have married Madame Goesler."
"What made you think that, Lady Laura?"
"Because I saw that she liked you, and because such a marriage would
have been so suitable. She has all that you want. You know what they
say of her now?"
"What do they say?"
"That the Duke of Omnium offered to make her his wife, and that she
refused him for your sake."
"There is nothing that people won't say;--nothing on earth," said
Phineas. Then he got up and took his leave of her. He also wanted to
part from her with some special expression of affection, but he did
not know how to choose his words.
Pages:
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048
1049
1050
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
1063
1064