She had as
good as forgotten the irregularity of Piers Otway's birth. Whom,
indeed, did it or could it concern? Her father, least of all men,
would dwell upon it as a subject of reproach. But her father was
very capable of pointing to Daniel and Alexander, with a shake of
the head. He had a prejudice against Piers--this letter reminded
her of it only too well. It might be feared that he was rather glad
than otherwise of the "sheer scandal" Olga had conveyed to him.
Confident in his love of her, which would tell ill on the side of
his reasonableness, his justice, she had not, during these crucial
days, thought much about her father. She saw his face now, if she
spoke to him of Piers. Dr. Derwent, like all men of brains, had a
good deal of the aristocratic temper; he scorned the vulgarity of
the vulgar; he turned in angry impatience from such sorry creatures
as those two men; and often lashed with his contempt the ignoble
amusements of the crowd. Olga doubtless had told him of the singer
in short skirts----
She shed a few tears. The very meanness of the injury done her at
this crisis of emotion heightened its cruelty.
Piers might come to the Castle this morning. Now and then she
glanced from her window, if perchance she should see him
approaching; but all she saw was a group of holiday-makers, the
happily infrequent tourists who cared to turn from the beaten track
up the dale to visit the Castle.
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