Sir George Tressady, vol 2

Sir George Tressady, Vol. II, by Mrs. Humphry Ward

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Title: Sir George Tressady, Vol. II
Author: Mrs. Humphry Ward
Release Date: January, 2006 [EBook #9634] [This file was first posted on October 11, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Note: This book was originally published as two separate volumes. This Project Gutenberg edition preserves the two-volume format primarily because of the length of the novel. This is Volume II. Volume I can be found at http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext05/7sgt110.txt http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext05/7sgt110.zip http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext05/8sgt110.txt http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext05/8sgt110.zip

SIR GEORGE TRESSADY, VOLUME II
IN TWO VOLUMES
BY
MRS. HUMPHRY WARD
AUTHOR OF "MARCELLA," "THE HISTORY OF DAVID GRIEVE," "ROBERT ELSMERE," ETC.

VOLUME II.


CHAPTER XIII
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PART II
CHAPTER XIII
On a hot morning at the end of June, some four weeks after the Castle Luton visit, George Tressady walked from Brook Street to Warwick Square, that he might obtain his mother's signature to a document connected with the Shapetsky negotiations, and go on from there to the House of Commons.
She was not in the drawing-room, and George amused himself during his minutes of waiting by inspecting the various new photographs of the Fullerton family that were generally to be found on her table. What a characteristic table it was, littered with notes and bills, with patterns from every London draper, with fashion-books and ladies' journals innumerable! And what a characteristic room, with its tortured decorations and crowded furniture, and the flattered portraits of Lady Tressady, in every caprice of costume, which covered the walls! George looked round it all with an habitual distaste; yet not without the secret admission that his own drawing-room was very like it.
His mother might, he feared, have a scene in preparation for him.
For Letty, under cover of some lame excuse or other, had persisted in putting off the visit which Lady Tressady had intended to pay them at Ferth during the Whitsuntide recess, and since their return to town there had been no meeting whatever between the two ladies. George, indeed, had seen his mother two or three times. But even he had just let ten days pass without visiting her. He supposed he should find her in a mood of angry complaint; nor could he deny that there would be some grounds for it.
"Good morning, George," said a sharp voice, which startled him as he was replacing a photograph of the latest Fullerton baby. "I thought you had forgotten your way here by now."
"Why, mother, I am very sorry," he said, as he kissed her. "But I have really been terribly busy, what with two Committees and this important debate."
"Oh! don't make excuses, pray. And of course--for Letty--you won't even attempt it. I wouldn't if I were you."
Lady Tressady settled herself on a chair with her back to the light, and straightened the ribbons on her dress with hasty fingers. Something in her voice struck George. He looked at her closely.
"Is there anything wrong, mother? You don't look very well."
Lady Tressady got up hurriedly, and began to move about the room, picking up a letter here, straightening a picture there. George felt a sudden prick of alarm. Were there some new revelations in store for him? But before he could speak she interrupted him.
"I should be very well if it weren't for this heat," she said pettishly. "Do put that photograph down, George!--you do fidget so! Haven't you got any news for me--anything to amuse me? Oh! those horrid papers!--I see. Well! they'll wait a little. By the way, the 'Morning Post' says that young scamp, Lord Ancoats, has gone abroad. I suppose that girl was bought off."
She sat down again in a shady corner, fanning herself vigorously.
"I am afraid I can't tell you any secrets," said George, smiling, "for I don't know any. But it looks as though Mrs. Allison and Maxwell between them had somehow found a way out."
"How's