J. Storer Clouston

“ Men will be men, and women will be women—"
"Yes, women will be women:—that's the rub!" exclaimed his lordship, bitterly. "Literally, Jeenes, my coat was creased beyond recognition in the course of one—pah!—she would insist upon dubbing it a 'hug'! It suggests an orgy of winkles—a 'high tea' in the suburbs— Gad! Jeenes, it's as bad as dissent or labor members; 'pon my word it is!"
"My lord," said Jeenes, in a low voice, "had that been my coat I should never have permitted those creases to be ironed out."
The Marquis raised his finely pencilled eyebrows. ”

“ I destined you for immortality as the embodiment of all a Marquis ought to be. From my earliest youth it has been my dream to know and to worship a Great Aristocrat. At the age of twenty I had completed in my own mind the portrait of the nobleman I required. He was to be a mixture of George IV., Charles II., Sir Philip Sydney, and the nobleman of the contemporary novel as purveyed for the consumption of the more credulous and imaginative classes. Need I say I allude to such as have never had the acute disappointment of meeting a living nobleman? ”

“ Of a good height and shape, and with good features, he was endowed besides with the eye of an enthusiast burning beneath the brow of a philosopher. Evidently he was a privileged valet, for Fabrigas, passing without remark his presence and occupation in the smoking-room, fell into a chair and pulled thoughtfully at his mustache.
"Jeenes," said he in a moment, "I think I'll have this thing shaved off. I saw a fellow in the club with a mustache almost the identical same. If they are all going to grow 'em again, there's nothing for it but clean shaving." ”

“ Look at him as he reclines (neither "lounge" nor "sit" would meet the nicety of the case) in an easy chair within the smoking-room of his club. It is an afternoon in early summer, in the very height of the season, and so appropriately does Fabrigas dress that had you the requisite sensibility you could toll the month by his trousers, the day by his waistcoat, and the time, within a couple of hours, by his tie. All the while he smokes with a characteristically graceful indolence, unconscious (apparently) of the glances of two admiring fellow members. ”

“ SOME men were born to point the world's morals, others to adorn its tales, and the Marquis of Fabrigas to justify civilization. A Velasquez or Titian among the artists in life, he confounded pessimism by his very presence. ”

“ To think that my hero could not treat one woman in the spirit in which Rochester treated the entire sex without arousing in me a desire to punch his head! Fabrigas, the fault is very probably my own, but on the first occasion when I—attired in your cast-off clothing and answering to the name and title of Mr. Montague-Jeenes, secretary to his lordship—presented your bouquet to Miss Wimberley that was" (the Marquis started violently) "I secretly abjured your service. That you should not appreciate such a jewel! ”

“ She is now aware of my true profession, which, however, she is perfectly ready to forgive, since at one period of his career the late Mr. Wimberley himself carried a basket;—when full, at his elbow; when empty, over his head. ”

“ His lordship lit a cigarette, and ruminated for a minute or two, while his valet watched him with a slight shade of anxiety. That it was not concerned, however, with the Marquis's temporary displeasure appeared when he at length gave voice to this dictum:
"The rich women bore me; and I can't afford the poor ones."
Jeenes appeared only partially satisfied.
"Rich women bore me: poor would bust me—or words to that effect:—how's that, my lord, as a trifling verbal amendment—the sentiment of course remaining your own?"
"Yes, yes," said Fabrigas, a trifle impatiently ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1944, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 78 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”