Anthony Trollope: The Belton Estate

7. CHAPTER VII: MISS AMEDROZ GOES TO PERIVALE (continued)

'Miss Amedroz! Dear me; how very odd! I had not the slightest expectation of meeting you here. The pleasure is of course the greater.'

'Nor I of seeing you. Mrs Winterfield has not mentioned to me that you were coming to Perivale.'

'I didn't know it myself till the day before yesterday. I'm going to give an account of my stewardship to the good-natured Perivalians who sent me to Parliament. I'm to dine with the Mayor tomorrow, and as some big-wig has come in his way who is going to dine with him also, the thing has been got up in a hurry. But I'm delighted to find that you are to be with us.'

'I generally go to my aunt about this time of the year.'

'It is very good-natured of you.' Then he asked after her father, and she told him of Mr Belton's visit, telling him nothing as the reader will hardly require to be told of Mr Belton's offer. And so, by degrees, they fell into close and intimate conversation.

'I am so glad, for your, father's sake!' said the captain, with sympathetic voice, speaking still of Mr Belton's visit.

'That's what I feel, of course.'

'I is just as it should be, as he stands in that position to the property. And so he is a nice sort of fellow, is he?

'Nice is no word for him. He is perfect!'

'Dear me! This is terrible! You remember that they hated some old Greek patriot when they could find no fault in him?'

'I'll defy you to hate my cousin Will.'

'What sort of looking man is he?'

'Extremely handsome at least I should say so.'