On his way home he had
wandered aside, and visited the fashionable wells of Buxton, intending a
three days' sojourn, to complete his bracing up for the winter. But the
Pool of Siloam did not work pleasantly in the case of the robust
general, who was attacked after his second dip with a smart fit of the
gout in his left great-toe, where it went on charmingly, without any
flickering upward, quite stationary and natural for three weeks.
About the end of which time the period of the annual ball given by the
officers of the Royal Irish Artillery arrived. It was a great event in
the town. To poor Mrs. Sturk, watching by her noble Barney, it seemed,
of course, a marvellous insensibility and an outrage. But the world must
follow its instinct and vocation, and attend to its business and amuse
itself too, though noble Barneys lie a-dying here and there.
Aunt Becky and Gertrude drew up at the Elms, the rector's house, with
everything very handsome about them, and two laced footmen, with
flambeaux, and went in to see little Lily, on their way to the ball, and
to show their dresses, which were very fine, indeed, and to promise to
come next day and tell her all the news; for Lily, as I mentioned, was
an invalid, and balls and flicflacs were not for her.
Pages:
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536