"
Gerald pulled his moustaches, looking hard at the advancing pair.
"A pretty little minx--I must have it out with Victoria." But his tone
was doubtful. It was not easy to have things out with Victoria.
* * * * *
The dinner under the loggia went gaily. Not many courses; much fruit; a
shimmer of tea-roses before the guests; and the scent of roses blowing in
from the garden outside.
Victoria had Delorme on her right, and Lydia sat next the great man.
Tatham could only glance at her from afar. On his right, he had his
cousin, Lady Barbara, whom he cordially disliked. Her yearly visit,
always fixed and announced by herself, was a time of trial both for him
and his mother, but they endured it out of a sentimental and probably
mistaken belief that the late Lord Tatham had--in her youth--borne her a
cousinly affection. Lady Barbara was a committee-woman, indefatigable,
and indiscriminate. She lived and gloried in a chronic state of overwork,
for which no one but herself saw the necessity. Her conversation about it
only confirmed the frivolous persons whom she tried to convert to "social
service," in their frivolity. After a quarter of an hour's conversation
with her, Tatham was generally dumb, and as nearly rude as his
temperament allowed. While, as to his own small efforts, his cottages,
County Council, and the rest, no blandishments would have drawn from him
a word about them; although, like many of us, Lady Barbara would gladly
have purchased leave to talk about her own achievements by a strictly
moderate amount of listening to other people's.
Pages:
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225