Lord de Mowbray was profuse of praise and compliments. His
lordship was apt to be too civil. The breed would come out
sometimes. To-day he was quite the coffee-house waiter. He
praised everything: the machinery, the workmen, the cotton
manufactured and the cotton raw, even the smoke. But Mrs
Trafford would not have the smoke defended, and his lordship
gave the smoke up, but only to please her. As for Lady de
Mowbray, she was as usual courteous and condescending, with a
kind of smouldering smile on her fair aquiline face, that
seemed half pleasure and half surprise at the strange people
she was among. Lady Joan was haughty and scientific, approved
of much, but principally of the system of ventilation, of
which she asked several questions which greatly perplexed Mrs
Trafford, who slightly blushed, and looked at her husband for
relief, but he was engaged with Lady Maud, who was full of
enthusiasm, entered into everything with the zest of sympathy,
identified herself with the factory system almost as much as
she had done with the crusades, and longed to teach in singing
schools, found public gardens, and bid fountains flow and
sparkle for the people.
"I think the works were very wonderful," said Lord Milford, as
he was cutting a pasty; "and indeed, Mrs Trafford, everything
here is quite charming; but what I have most admired at your
place is a young girl we met--the most beautiful I think I
ever saw.
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