He was not quite convinced, for that matter,
that the American lady always went to that trouble.
She seemed to his observation a wilful sort of person,
who would not be restrained by small ordinary considerations
from doing the things she wanted to do. Her relations
with her companion afforded him food for much thought.
Without any overt demonstrations, she produced the
effect of ordering Lady Cressage about. This, so far
as it went, tended to prejudice him against her.
On the other hand, however, she was so good to Julia,
in a peculiarly frank and buoyant way which fascinated
the girl, that he could not but like her. And she was
very good to Alfred too.
There was, indeed, he perceived, a great deal of
individuality about the friendship which had sprung up
between Miss Madden and his nephew. She was years his
senior--he settled it with himself that the American
could not be less than seven-and-twenty,--yet Alfred
stole covert glances of admiration at her, and seemed
to think of nothing but opportunities for being in her
company as if--as if--Thorpe hardly liked to complete
the comparison in his own thoughts. Alfred, of course,
said it was all on account of her wonderful hair; he rather
went out of his way to dilate upon the enthusiasm her
"colour scheme"--whatever that might mean--excited in him
as an artist.
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