And she had been taken abroad--for Sir Hugh did not love Clavering Park, except during six weeks of partridge shooting; and she had been at Newmarket with them, and at the house of a certain fast hunting duke with whom Sir Hugh was intimate; and at Brighton with her sister, when it suited Sir Hugh to remain alone at the duke's; and then again up in London, where she finally arranged matters with Lord Ongar.

It was acknowledged by all the friends of the two families, and indeed I may say of the three families now--among the Brabazon people, and the Clavering people, and the Courton people--Lord Ongar's family name was Courton--that Julia Brabazon had been very clever.

Of her and Harry Clavering together no one had ever said a word.
If any words had been spoken between her and Hermione on the subject, the two sisters had been discreet enough to manage that they should go no further.
In those short months of Julia's romance Sir Hugh had been away from Clavering, and Hermione had been much occupied in giving birth to an heir.

Julia had now lived past her one short spell of poetry, had written her one sonnet, and was prepared for the business of the world..