Chapter 21 - Page 2

bidden Mrs. Burnham
good-morning, Lucia went.

If Mrs. Burnham had expected any explanation of her ladyship's evident
displeasure, she was doomed to disappointment. That excellent and
rigorous gentlewoman had a stern sense of dignity, which forbade her
condescending to the confidential weakness of mere ordinary mortals.
Instead of referring to Lucia, she broached a more commonplace topic.

"I hope your rheumatism does not threaten you again, Mrs. Burnham,"
she remarked.

"I am very well, thank you, my dear," said Mrs. Burnham; "so well, that I
am thinking quite seriously of taking the dear girls to the garden-party,
when it comes off."

"To the garden-party!" repeated her ladyship. "May I ask who thinks of
giving a garden-party in Slowbridge?"

"It is no one in Slowbridge," replied this lady cheerfully. "Some one who
lives a little out of Slowbridge,--Mr. Burmistone, my dear Lady Theobald,
at his new place."

"Mr. Burmistone!"

"Yes, my dear; and a most charming affair it is to be, if we are to
believe all we hear. Surely you have heard something of it from Mr.
Barold."

"Mr. Barold has not been to Oldclough for several days."

"Then, he will tell you when he comes; for I suppose he has as much to do
with it as Mr. Burmistone."

"I have heard before," announced my lady, "of men of Mr. Burmistone's
class securing the services of persons of established position in society
when they wished to spend their money upon entertainments; but I should
scarcely have imagined that Francis Barold would have allowed himself to
be made a party to such a transaction."

"But," put in Mrs. Burnham rather eagerly, "it appears that Mr.
Burmistone is not such an obscure person, after all. He is an Oxford man,
and came off with honors: he is quite a well-born man, and gives this
entertainment in honor of his friend and relation, Lord Lansdowne."

"Lord Lansdowne!" echoed her ladyship, sternly.

"Son of the Marquis of Lauderdale, whose wife was Lady Honora Erroll."

"Did Mr. Burmistone give you this information?" asked Lady Theobald with
ironic calmness.

Mrs. Burnham colored never so faintly.

"I--that is to say--there is a sort of acquaintance between one of my
maids and the butler at the Burmistone place; and, when the girl was
doing Lydia's hair, she told her the story. Lord Lansdowne and his father
are quite fond of Mr. Burmistone, it is said."

"It seems rather singular to my mind that we should not have known of
this before."

"But