Then Miss Gertrude made Mr. Mervyn rather a haughty
and slight salutation, her aunt thought, and so dismissed him; he, too,
made a bow, but a very low one, and walked straight off to the first
lady he saw.
This happened to be mild little Mrs. Sturk, and he talked a good deal to
her, but restlessly, and, as it seemed, with a wandering mind; and
afterwards he conversed, with an affectation of interest--it was only
that--Aunt Becky, who observed him with some curiosity, thought--for a
few minutes with Lilias Walsingham; and afterwards he talked with an
effort, and so much animation and such good acceptance [though it was
plain, Aunt Becky said, that he did not listen to one word she said,] to
the fair Magnolia, that O'Flaherty had serious thoughts of
horse-whipping him when the festivities were over--for, as he purposed
informing him, his 'ungentlemanlike intherfarence.'
'He has got his quietus,' thought Aunt Becky, with triumph; 'this brisk,
laughing carriage, and heightened colour, a woman of experience can see
through at a glance.'
Yes, all this frisking and skipping is but the hypocrisy of bleeding
vanity--_haeret lateri_--they are just the flush, wriggle, and hysterics
of suppressed torture.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253