[Evan Harrington by George Meredith]@TWC D-Link bookEvan Harrington CHAPTER XXIX 11/40
He, however, was subdued by her calmness; and she, with ten times the weight of brain, was manoeuvred by the wonderful dash of General Rose Jocelyn. For her ladyship, thinking, 'I shall get the blame of all this,' rather sided insensibly with the offenders against those who condemned them jointly; and seeing that Rose had been scrupulously honest and straightforward in a very delicate matter, this lady was so constituted that she could not but applaud her daughter in her heart.
A worldly woman would have acted, if she had not thought, differently; but her ladyship was not a worldly woman. Evan's bearing and character had, during his residence at Beckley Court, become so thoroughly accepted as those of a gentleman, and one of their own rank, that, after an allusion to the origin of his breeding, not a word more was said by either of them on that topic.
Besides, Rose had dignified him by her decided conduct. By the time poor Sir Franks had read himself into tranquillity, Mrs. Shorne, who knew him well, and was determined that he should not enter upon his usual negociations with an unpleasantness: that is to say, to forget it, joined them in the library, bringing with her Sir John Loring and Hamilton Jocelyn.
Her first measure was to compel Sir Franks to put down his book.
Lady Jocelyn subsequently had to do the same. 'Well, what have you done, Franks ?' said Mrs.Shorne. 'Done ?' answered the poor gentleman.
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