Anne already knew that her brother and her brother's guide and controller, his countess, would not fail to resent so open a defiance of their advice, as must be implied by her invitation of a woman whose conduct drew upon her the animadversions of all her acquaintance, and who had openly discarded her only brother for making a connexion to which they had given decided approbation, and, which, being with the daughter of Lady Anne, could hardly be considered as respectful to her rank and connexions.
On the other hand, although she had not to thank Lady Penrhyn's kindness for any thing, she was obliged to her situation for great conveniences of many kinds. Lady Penrhyn's horses saved post-horses, her tickets of all kinds were convenient passports to the opera and the theatre, and the recherché dinners which preceded those amusements, and almost always happened when the cold leg of mutton would do very well for the girls and the servants, but would compel her to have recourse to the hotel, were by no means matters to be slighted. When to this was added the state dinners, to which she was always regularly invited, and held as a distinguished guest, and it was remembered how seldom this occurred in other houses since her widowhood, the vacillating mind took a new direction, and it was voted an impracticable thing to part with the baroness and her atmosphere of agrémens.
"You appear to be thinking very deeply, dear mamma," said Helen; "suppose we go over the way.
