He reminded her that he had danced
with her the year before, and he mentioned that he knew her brother.
His mother had lately been to see old Mrs. Tramore, but this he did
not mention, not being aware of it. That visit had produced, on Lady
Maresfield's part, a private crisis, engendered ideas. One of them
was that the grandmother in Hill Street had really forgiven the
wilful girl much more than she admitted. Another was that there
would still be some money for Rose when the others should come into
theirs. Still another was that the others would come into theirs at
no distant date; the old lady was so visibly going to pieces. There
were several more besides, as for instance that Rose had already
fifteen hundred a year from her father. The figure had been betrayed
in Hill Street; it was part of the proof of Mrs. Tramore's
decrepitude. Then there was an equal amount that her mother had to
dispose of and on which the girl could absolutely count, though of
course it might involve much waiting, as the mother, a person of
gross insensibility, evidently wouldn't die of cold-shouldering.
Equally definite, to do it justice, was the conception that Rose was
in truth remarkably good looking, and that what she had undertaken to
do showed, and would show even should it fail, cleverness of the
right sort.
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