The more Lady Arthur thought of having sent away such a matrimonial prize from her house, the more she was chagrined; the more Miss Garscube tried not to think of Mr. Eildon, the more her thoughts would run upon him; and even Miss Adamson, who had nothing to regret or reproach herself with, could not help being influenced by the change of atmosphere.

Lady Arthur’s thoughts issued in the resolution to re-enter society once more; which resolution she imparted to Miss Adamson in the first instance by saying that she meant to go to London next season.

“Then our plan of life here will be quite broken up,” said Miss A.

“Yes, for a time.”

“I thought you disliked society?”

“I don’t much like it:  it is on account of Alice I am going.  I may just as well tell you:  I want to bring her and George together again if possible.”

“Will she go if she knows that is your end?”

“She need not know.”

“It is not a very dignified course,” Miss Adamson said.

“No, and if it were an ordinary case I should not think of it.”

“But you think him a very ordinary man?”

“A duke is different.  Consider what an amount of influence Alice would have, and how well she would use it; and he may marry a vain, frivolous, senseless woman, incapable of a good action.  Indeed, most likely, for such people are sure to hunt him.”

“I would not join in the hunt,” said Miss Adamson.  “If he is the man you suppose him to be, the wound his self-love got will have killed his love; and if he is the man I think, no hunters will make him their prey.  A small man would know instantly why you went to London, and enjoy his triumph.”

“I don’t think George would:  he is too simple; but if I did not think it a positive duty, I would not go.  However, we shall see:  I don’t think of going before the middle of January.”

Positive duties can be like the animals that change color with what they feed on.

VI.

When the middle of January came, Lady Arthur, who had never had an illness in her life, was measuring her strength in a hand-to-hand struggle with fever.  The water was blamed, the drainage was blamed, various things were blamed.  Whether it came in the water or out of the drains, gastric fever had arrived at Garscube Hall:  the gardener took it, his daughter took it, also Thomas the footman, and others of the inhabitants, as well as Lady Arthur.  The doctor of the place came and lived In the house; besides that, two of the chief medical men from town paid almost daily visits.  Bottles of the water supplied to the hall were sent to eminent chemists for analysis:  the drainage was thoroughly examined, and men were set to make it as perfect and innocuous as it is in the nature of drainage to be.

Lady Arthur wished Miss Adamson and Alice to leave the place for a time, but they would not do so:  neither of them was afraid, and they stayed and nursed her ladyship well, relieving each other as it was necessary.