"And Mr. Ashe--do you know if he is going, after all?" she asked of the
maid as the latter was retreating.
"Mr. Ashe says he will, if he may wear just court-dress," said the maid,
smiling. "Not unless. And her ladyship's afraid it won't be allowed."
"She'll make him go in costume," thought Lady Tranmore. "And he will do
it, or anything, to avoid a scene."
The maid retired, and Lady Tranmore was left alone. As she sat waiting,
a thought occurred to her. She rang for the butler.
"Where is the
Times?" she asked, when he appeared. The man replied
that it was no doubt in Mr. Ashe's room, and he would bring it.
"Kitty has probably not looked at it," thought the visitor. When the
paper arrived she turned at once to the Parliamentary report. It
contained an important speech by Ashe in the House the night before.
Lady Tranmore had been disturbed in the reading of it that morning, and
had still a few sentences to finish. She read them with pride, then
glanced again at the leading article on the debate, and at the
flattering references it contained to the knowledge, courtesy, and
debating power of the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
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