The Major is the Mr Worldly-Wise-man who won't let
Christian go to the Straight Gate. I am afraid he hasn't read his
Pilgrim's Progress. But we shall prevail, Lady Mary, and he will
get to the beautiful city at last.'
'What is the beautiful city?' he asked.
'A seat in the Cabinet, I suppose;--or that general respect which a
young nobleman achieves when he shows himself able to sit on a
bench for six consecutive hours without appearing to go to sleep.'
Then they went to lunch, and Lady Mary found herself to be happy
with her new acquaintance. Her life since her mother's death had
been so sad, that this short escape from it was a relief to her.
Now for awhile she found herself almost gay. There was an easy
liveliness about Lady Mabel,--a grain of humour and playfulness
conjoined,--which made her feel at home at once. And it seemed to
her as though her brother was at home. He called the girl Lady
Mab, and Queen Mab, and once plain Mabel, and the old woman he
called Miss Cass. It surely, she thought, must be the case that
Lady Mabel and her brother were engaged.
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