One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

One of Our Conquerors
Colney Durance had told Dartrey that Victor was killing
her. She had little animation; her smiles were ready, but faint.
After her interview with Dudley, there had been a swoon at
home; and her maid, sworn to secrecy, willingly spared a
tender-hearted husband—so good a master.
CHAPTER XXVIII
MRS. MARSETT
LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS were not beyond the range of Colney
Durance, and he ran down to Brighton, to give the exiled
Nesta some taste of her friendly London circle. The Duvidney
ladies knew that the dreaded gentleman had a regard for the
girl. Their own, which was becoming warmer than they liked
to think, was impressed by his manner of conversing with
her. ‘Child though she was,’ he paid her the compliment of
a sober as well as a satirical review of the day’s political matter
and recent publications; and the ladies were introduced,
in a wonderment, to the damsel Delphica. They listened placidly
to a discourse upon her performances, Japanese to their
understandings.
At New York, behold, another adventurous representative
and advocate of the European tongues has joined the party:
Signor Jeridomani: a philologer, of course; a politician in
addition; Macchiavelli redivivus, it seems to fair Delphica.
The speech he delivers at the Syndicate Delmonico Dinner,
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