is tobacco were subjects whose interest was undying.

A great curiosity had been awakened in the county, and visitors came
from distances greater than such as ordinarily include usual calls.
Naturally, one was curious about the daughter of the Vanderpoel who was
a sort of national institution in his own country. His name had not been
so much heard of in England when Lady Anstruthers had arrived but
there had, at first, been felt an interest in her. But she had been a
failure--a childish-looking girl--whose thin, fair, prettiness had no
distinction, and who was obviously overwhelmed by her surroundings. She
had evidently had no influence over Sir Nigel, and had not been able to
prevent his making ducks and drakes of her money, which of course
ought to have been spent on the estate. Besides which a married woman
represented fewer potentialities than a handsome unmarried girl entitled
to expectations from huge American wealth.

So the carriages came and came again, and, stately or unstately far-off
neighbours sat at tea upon the lawn under the trees, and it was observed
that the methods and appointments of the Court had entirely changed.
Nothing looked new and American. The silently moving men-servants
could not have been improved upon, there was plainly an excellent
chef somewhere, and the massive silver was old and wonderful. Upon
everybody's word, the change was such as it was worth a long drive
merely to see!

The most wonderful thing, however, was Lady Anstruthers herself. She
had begun to grow delicately plump, her once drawn and haggard face had
rounded out, her skin had smoothed, and was actually becoming pink and
fair, a nimbus of pale fine hair puffed airily over her forehead, and
she wore the most charming little clothes, all of which made her look
fifteen years younger than she had seemed when, on the grounds of
ill-health, she had retired into seclusion. The renewed relations with
her family, the atmosphere by which she was surrounded, had evidently
given her a fresh lease of life, and awakened in her a new courage.

When the summer epidemic of garden parties broke forth, old Doby
gleefully beheld, day after day, the Court carriage drive by bearing her
ladyship and her sister attired in fairest shades and tints "same as if
they was flowers." Their delicate vaporousness, and rare colours,
were sweet delights to the old man, and he and Mrs. Welden spent happy
evenings discussing them as personal possessions.