Dunstane: and were furnishing their London
house. Her first letters from Italy appeared to have a little bloom of
sentiment. Augustus was mentioned as liking this and that in the land of
beauty. He patronized Art, and it was a pleasure to hear him speak upon
pictures and sculptures; he knew a great deal about them. 'He is an
authority.' Her humour soon began to play round the fortunate man,
who did not seem, to the reader's mind, to bear so well a sentimental
clothing. His pride was in being very English on the Continent, and
Diana's instances of his lofty appreciations of the garden of Art and
Nature, and statuesque walk through it, would have been more amusing if
her friend could have harmonized her idea of the couple. A description
of 'a bit of a wrangle between us' at Lucca, where an Italian
post-master on a journey of inspection, claimed a share of their
carriage and audaciously attempted entry, was laughable, but jarred.
Would she some day lose her relish for ridicule, and see him at a
distance? He was generous, Diana, said she saw fine qualities in him.
It might be that he was lavish on his bridal tour. She said he was
unselfish, kind, affable with his equals; he was cordial to the
acquaintances he met. Perhaps his worst fault was an affected
superciliousness before the foreigner, not uncommon in those days.
'You are to know, dear Emmy, that we English are the aristocracy of
Europeans.' Lady Dunstane inclined to think we were; nevertheless,
in the mouth of a 'gentlemanly official' the frigid arrogance added a
stroke of caricature to his deportment. On the other hand, the reports
of him gleaned by Sir Lukin sounded favourable. He was not taken to be
preternaturally stiff, nor bright, but a goodish sort of fellow; good
horseman, good shot, good character. In short, the average Englishman,
excelling as a cavalier, a slayer, and an orderly subject. That was a
somewhat elevated standard to the patriotic Emma. Only she would never
have stipulated for an average to espouse Diana. Would he understand
her, and value the best in her? Another and unanswered question was,
how could she have condescended to wed with an average? There was
transparently some secret not confided to her friend.

He appeared. Lady Dunstane's first impression of him recurred on his
departure. Her unanswered question drummed at her ears, though she
remembered that Tony's art in leading him out had moderated her rigidly
judicial summary of the union