Miss Pink's asthma, developed by the unfavorable weather, set the
doctor's art at defiance, and threatened to keep that unfortunate lady
a prisoner in her room on the day of the party. Hardyman's invitations
were in some cases refused; and in others accepted by husbands with
excuses for the absence of their wives. His elder brother made an
apology for himself as well as for his wife. Felix Sweetsir wrote, "With
pleasure, dear Alfred, if my health permits me to leave the house." Lady
Lydiard, invited at Miss Pink's special request, sent no reply. The one
encouraging circumstance was the silence of Lady Rotherfield. So long as
her son received no intimation to the contrary, it was a sign that Lord
Rotherfield permitted his wife to sanction the marriage by her presence.
Hardyman wrote to his Imperial correspondent, engaging to leave England
on the earliest possible day, and asking to be pardoned if he failed to
express himself more definitely, in consideration of domestic affairs,
which it was necessary to settle before he started for the Continent. I
f there should not be time enough to write again, he promised to send
a telegraphic announcement of his departure. Long afterwards, Hardyman
remembered the misgivings that had troubled him when he wrote that
letter. In the rough draught of it, he had mentioned, as his excuse
for not being yet certain of his own movements, that he expected to
be immediately married. In the fair copy, the vague foreboding of some
accident to come was so painfully present to his mind, that he struck
out the words which referred to his marriage, and substituted the
designedly indefinite phrase, "domestic affairs.
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