Atterbury,--keeping a stable full of horses, for which he could not
afford to pay; and he was, moreover, the most insufferably idle man
who ever wandered about the world without any visible occupation
for his hours. "But he hunts," said Adelaide. "Do you call that an
occupation?" asked Mrs. Atterbury with scorn. Now Mrs. Atterbury
painted pictures, copied Madonnas, composed sonatas, corresponded
with learned men in Rome, Berlin, and Boston, had been the intimate
friend of Cavour, had paid a visit to Garibaldi on his island with
the view of explaining to him the real condition of Italy,--and was
supposed to understand Bismarck. Was it possible that a woman who so
filled her own life should accept hunting as a creditable employment
for a young man, when it was admitted to be his sole employment? And,
moreover, she desired that her sister Adelaide should marry a certain
Count Brudi, who, according to her belief, had more advanced ideas
about things in general than any other living human being. Adelaide
Palliser had determined that she would not marry Count Brudi; had,
indeed, almost determined that she would marry Gerard Maule, and
had left her brother-in-law's house in Florence after something
like a quarrel.
Pages:
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292