If
Douglas Dale's "almost" proposal meant nothing more than that he would
be glad, or implied that he would be glad to be off with Paulina and on
with Lydia, he did not think very highly of the chances of the latter.
A man of the world, in the worst sense of that widely significant word,
Gordon Graham was inclined to think that Douglas Dale was merely
trifling with his sister, indulging in a "safe" flirtation, under the
aegis of an avowed engagement. Graham felt very anxious to know the
particulars of the conversation between Dale and his sister, in order
to discover how far they bore out his theory; but he knew Lydia too
well to place implicit reliance on any statement of them he might
elicit from her.
"Well, but," said he, "supposing you are right in all this, the
'entanglement,' as you call it, exists. How did he explain, or excuse
it?"
Lydia smiled, a self-satisfied, contemptuous smile. She was not jealous
of Madame Durski; she despised her. "He did not excuse it; he did not
explain; he knows he has no severity to fear from me. All he needs is
to induce me to acknowledge my affection for him, and then he will soon
rid himself of all obstacles. Don't be afraid, Gordon; this is a great
falling off from the ambitions I once cherished, the hopes I once
formed; this is a very different kind of thing from Sir Oswald
Eversleigh and Raynham Castle, but I have made up my mind to be content
with it.
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