A pretty winsome creature it
was, and an heiress in a moderate sort of way, and poor old Redge,
after all his little affairs, and he had had his share of them, was
evidently in for it at last. Victoria thought, as well as myself, it
was the best thing for them both. He was the sound-hearted, good
fellow to keep her matters straight, and she had enough for comfort
without overweighting the balance. So they were engaged but unluckily
they had to wait till she was of age, about eight months off, and they
were both ridiculously shy, and would not have the thing known, though
Victoria said it was unwise. I don't think even Jane suspected it.'
'No; I don't think she could have done so.'
'Well, there was the season, and Victoria was not in condition for
going out, and Maude was all for staying quietly with her; but old Lady
Conway came about--a regular schemer--a woman I never could abide. She
had married off her own daughters, and wanted her niece to practise on,
that was the fact. Victoria says she always knew that she, Maude I
mean, was very impressionable and impulsive, and so she wanted to have
her out of harm's way; but one could not prevent her aunt from getting
hold of her and taking her out. Then people told us of her goings on
with that scamp Clanmacklosky and that sister of his. Victoria talked
to her by the yard, but she denied it, and we thought it all gossip.
Regie came up for a couple of nights, and she was as sweet on him as
ever, and sent him away thinking it all right; but the end of it was,
she fought off going down to Rotherwood with us, but went to Brighton
with Lady Conway, and the next thing we heard was that she wrote to
throw Reginald over, and she married Clanmacklosky a month after she
was twenty-one! I don't think I ever saw Victoria so cut up, for we had
really liked the girl and thought well of her.
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