Beauty led one into strange
situations; advice could never come amiss. And should none of them,
neither parents nor daughter nor any of their brilliant sons, need him
in his professional capacity, it yet was obviously a most valuable
acquaintance to make. It opened up vistas. It swelled with
possibilities. He might go on living in Hampstead for years, and not
again come across such another chance.
Directly his wife's letter reached him he telegraphed and packed.
This was business. He was not a man to lose time when it came to
business; nor was he a man to jeopardize a chance by neglecting to be
amiable. He met his wife perfectly amiably, aware that amiability
under such circumstances was wisdom. Besides, he actually felt
amiable--very. For once, Lotty was really helping him. He kissed her
affectionately on getting out of Beppo's fly, and was afraid she must
have got up extremely early; he made no complaints of the steepness of
the walk up; he told her pleasantly of his journey, and when called
upon, obediently admired the views. It was all neatly mapped out in
his mind, what he was going to do that first day--have a shave, have a
bath, put on clean clothes, sleep a while, and then would come lunch
and the introduction to Lady Caroline.
In the train he had selected the words of his greeting, going
over them with care--some slight expression of his gratification in
meeting one of whom he, in common with the whole world, had heard--but
of course put delicately, very delicately; some slight reference to her
distinguished parents and the part her family had played in the history
of England--made, of course, with proper tact; a sentence or two about
her eldest brother Lord Winchcombe, who had won his V.
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