some of his neighbours and tenants. I entered the drawing-room rather
late, and saw that, though there were many guests, not one was talking
to Lady Alice. She appeared, however, altogether unconscious of neglect.
Presently dinner was announced, and the company marshalled themselves,
and took their way to the dining-room. Lady Alice was left unattended,
the guests taking their cue from the behaviour of their entertainers. I
ventured to go up to her, and offer her my arm. She made me a haughty
bow, and passed on before me unaccompanied. I could not help feeling
hurt at this, and I think she saw it; but it made no difference to her
behaviour, except that she avoided everything that might occasion me the
chance of offering my services.

Nor did I get any further with Lady Hilton. Her manner and smile
remained precisely the same as on our first interview. She did not even
show any interest in the fact that her daughter, Lady Lucy, had joined
her brothers in the schoolroom. I had an uncomfortable feeling that the
latter was like her mother, and was not to be trusted. Self-love is the
foulest of all foul feeders, and will defile that it may devour. But I
must not anticipate.

The neglected library was open to me at all hours; and in it I often
took refuge from the dreariness of unsympathetic society. I was never
admitted within the magic circle of the family interests and enjoyments.
If there was such a circle, Lady Alice and I certainly stood outside of
it; but whether even then it had any real inside to it, I doubted much.
Nevertheless, as I have said, our common exclusion had not the effect of
bringing us together as sharers of the same misfortune. In the library I
found companions more to my need. But, even there, they were not easy to
find; for the books were in great confusion. I could discover no
catalogue, nor could I hear of the existence of such a useless luxury.