would not have wished to meet, had one thought of it," said Lady Lufton, mindful of her late engagement.
"But it must be all right, for I walked up the stairs with the archdeacon. That is an absolute proof; is it not, Miss Grantly?"
"I have no fears. When I am with your mother I know I must be safe."
"I am not so sure of that," said Lord Lufton, laughing. "Mother, you hardly know the worst of it yet. Who is here, do you think?"
"I know whom you mean; I have seen him," said Lady Lufton, very quietly.
"We came across him just at the top of the stairs," said Griselda, with more animation in her face than ever Lord Lufton had seen there before.
"What, the duke?"
"Yes, the duke," said Lady Lufton. "I certainly should not have come had I expected to be brought in contact with that man. But it was an accident, and on such an occasion as this it could not be helped."
Lord Lufton at once perceived by the tone of his mother's voice and by the shades of her countenance that she had absolutely endured some personal encounter with the duke, and also that she was by no means so indignant at the occurrence as might have been expected. There she was, still in Miss Dunstable's house, and expressing no anger as to Miss Dunstable's conduct. Lord Lufton could hardly have been more surprised had he seen the duke handing his mother down to supper; he said, however, nothing farther on the subject.
"Are you going to dance, Ludovic?" said Lady Lufton.
"Well, I am not sure that I do not agree with Mrs. Proudie in thinking that dancing would contaminate a conversazione. What are your ideas, Miss Grantly?"
Griselda was never very good at a joke, and imagined that Lord Lufton wanted to escape the trouble of dancing with her. This angered her. For the only species of love-making, or flirtation, or sociability between herself as a young lady, and any other self as a young gentleman, which recommended itself to her taste, was to be found in the amusement of dancing. She was altogether at variance with Mrs. Proudie on this matter, and gave Miss Dunstable great credit for her innovation. In society Grisel-
