She tacitly assumed that her father would look after him.

On the two or three occasions when they had met during the last three months, including his luncheon at Mellor on the day after her engagement, her thoughts had been too full to allow her to take much notice of him--picturesque and amusing as he seemed to be.

Of late he had not been much in the neighbourhood.

There had been a slack time for both candidates, which was now to give way to a fresh period of hard canvassing in view of the election which everybody expected at the end of February.
But Aldous was to bring Edward Hallin! That interested her.

She felt an intense curiosity to see and know Hallin, coupled with a certain nervousness.