"Accomplished?"
"Oh! far beyond that; I have heard even men say that no one
knew so much."
"A regular blue?"
"Oh! no; not at all a blue; not that kind of knowledge. But
languages and learned books; Arabic, and Hebrew, and old
manuscripts. And then she has an observatory, and was the
first person who discovered the comet. Dr Buckland swears by
her; and she corresponds with Arago."
"And her sister, is she the same?"
"Lady Maud: she is very religious. I do not know her so
well."
"Is she pretty?"
"Some people admire her very much."
"I never was at Mowbray. What sort of a place is it?"
"Oh! it is very grand," said Lady Marney; "but like all places
in the manufacturing districts, very disagreeable. You never
have a clear sky. Your toilette table is covered with blacks;
the deer in the park seem as if they had bathed in a lake of
Indian ink; and as for the sheep, you expect to see chimney-
sweeps for the shepherds."
"And do you really mean to go on Thursday?" said Egremont:
"I think we had better put it off."
"We must go," said Lady Marney, with a sort of sigh, and
shaking her head.
"Let me speak to Marney."
"Oh! no. We must go. I am annoyed about this dear little
Poinsett: she has been to stay with me so very often, and she
has only been here three days.
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