She would have gone on much longer, but for the gong, which reminded her that it was time to dross for dinner.
Half-an-hour later Lady Kirkbank was in the drawing-room, where Mary had retired to the most shadowy corner, anxious to escape the gaze of the fashionable visitor.
But Lady Kirkbank was not inclined to take much notice of Mary.

Lesbia's brilliant beauty, the exquisite Greek head, the faultless complexion, the deep, violet eyes, caught Georgina Kirkbank's eye the moment she had entered the room, and she saw that this girl and no other must be the beauty, the beloved and chosen grandchild.
'How do you do, my dear ?' she said, taking Lesbia's hand, and then, as if with a gush of warm feeling, suddenly drawing the girl towards her and kissing her on both cheeks.

'I am going to be desperately fond of you, and I hope you will soon contrive to like me--just a little.' 'I feel sure that I shall like you very much,' Lesbia answered sweetly.
'I am prepared to love you as grandmother's old friend.' 'Oh, my dear, to think that I should ever be the old friend of anybody's grandmother!' sighed Lady Kirkbank, with unaffected regret.

'When I was your age I used to think all old people odious.

It never occurred to me that I should live to be one of them.' 'Then you had no dear grandmother whom you loved,' said Lesbia, 'or you would have liked old people for her sake.' 'No, my love, I had no grandparents.