be
piercingly sarcastic. Her vocabulary in irony was a quiverful. He admired her
and liked her immensely; complaining only of her turn for unfeminine topics. He
pardoned her on the score of the petty difference rankling between them in
reference to his abandonment of his Profession, for here she was patriotically
wrong-headed. Everybody knew that he had sold out in order to look after his
estates of Copsley and Dunena, secondly: and in the first place, to nurse and be
a companion to his wife. He had left her but four times in five months; he had
spent just three weeks of that time away from her in London. No one could doubt
of his having kept his pledge, although his wife occupied herself with books and
notions and subjects foreign to his taste - his understanding, too, he owned.
And Redworth had approved of his retirement, had a contempt for soldiering.
»Quite as great as yours for civilians, I can tell you,« Sir Lukin said, dashing
out of politics to the vexatious personal subject. Her unexpressed disdain was
ruffling.
    »Mr. Redworth recommends work: he respects the working soldier,« said Diana.
    Sir Lukin exclaimed that he had been a working soldier; he was ready to
serve if his country wanted him. He directed her to anathematize Peace, instead
of scorning a fellow for doing the duties next about him: and the mention of
Peace fetched him at a bound back to politics. He quoted a distinguished Tory
orator, to the effect, that any lengthened term of peace bred maggots in the
heads of the people.
    »Mr. Redworth spoke of it: he translated something from Aristophanes for a
retort,« said Diana.
    »Well, we 're friends, eh?« Sir Lukin put forth a hand.
    She looked at him surprised at the unnecessary call for a show of
friendship; she touched his hand with two tips of her fingers, remarking, »I
should think so, indeed.«
    He deemed it prudent to hint to his wife that Diana Merion appeared to be
meditating upon Mr. Redworth.
    »That is a serious misfortune, if true,« said Lady Dunstane. She thought so
for two reasons: Mr. Redworth generally disagreed in opinion with Diana, and
contradicted her so flatly as to produce the impression of his not even sharing
the popular admiration of her beauty; and, further, she hoped for Diana to make
a splendid marriage. The nibbles threatened to be snaps and bites. There had
been a proposal, in an epistle, a quaint effusion, from a gentleman avowing that
he