"You talk as if Ella had a political _salon_and
distributed _lettres de cachet!_I'm glad she approves of Ashford;
but if you think my wife makes my appointments for me--" He broke
off with a laugh at the superfluity of such a protest.
Mrs. Nimick reddened. "One never knows how you will take the
simplest thing. What harm is there in my saying that Ella approves
of Mr. Ashford? I thought you liked her to take an interest in your
work."
"I like it immensely. But I shouldn't care to have it take that
form."
"What form?"
"That of promising to use her influence to get people appointed. But
you always talk of politics in the vocabulary of European courts.
Thank Heaven, Ella has less imagination. She has her sympathies, of
course, but she doesn't think they can affect the distribution of
offices."
Mrs. Nimick gathered up her furs with an air at once crestfallen and
resentful. "I'm sorry--I always seem to say the wrong thing. I'm
sure I came with the best intentions--it's natural that your sister
should want to be with you at such a happy moment.
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