Marie Belloc Lowndes

“ I shouldn't care to have the Duke for a father-in-law—"
"Neither should I!" And then both ladies tittered.
"Listeners never hear any good of themselves."
The Duchess ruefully reminded herself of the old saying, as she unwillingly overheard the short conversation between two of her guests; one, Lady Brislington, known since her girlhood, and the other, Mrs. Chichester, a new acquaintance who was a friend of Lady Brislington. The gossips were sunning themselves on the terrace of the Castle, and a large screen had been put up to shelter them from the east wind. ”

“ And I do hope that you've put me next to Lord Elstone at dinner, mother?"
The Duchess felt a pang of regret. "I wish I had," she said vexedly. "But you yourself told me Lady Brislington regards him as what we old fogies call a great parti so I've put little Rosie next to him."
And then, to Lady Hilda's surprise, her mother went off into a peal of rather hysterical laughter. "Oh, my dear," she exclaimed, "I can't tell you what Lord Elstone's like! He's frighteningly ugly. I can't think what silly little Rosie will make of him."
"I don't mind a bit how ugly he is. He's a wonderful actor. ”

“ She began to nibble daintily at a sandwich, and then she turned to him, piteously, "I don't think I can eat this. It seems to choke me. I'm not a bit hungry."
"Of course you can eat a sandwich—and I'll have one too, to keep you company! I know exactly how you feel, for I felt exactly like that on my first night."
He poured out a half-glass of champagne. The glass was of generous size, and had been made a hundred years ago, when Lady Hilda's great-grandfather and great-grandmother had married. Into the glass Lord Elstone poured a little water. ”

“ And as for Lord Elstone, his earnestness—they called it his slave-driving qualities—induced in some members of his company something like hatred. Indeed, as the Duchess once observed to the Duke, the state of the younger members of their house-party was far too like that supposed to be displayed in the play they were engaged in rehearsing, to be altogether pleasant.
But, as Rosie Brislington once muttered to the young man who played the part of "Captain Tom Robinson," even the most tiresome house-party comes to an end at last. ”

“ She took the cutting out of the girl's hand, and this is what she read:
"It is whispered that Lady Hilda Ardvilly, the third daughter of the Duke and Duchess of St. Andrews, will shortly become a pupil at the Royal School of Dramatic Art. Though not yet out, she is one of the cleverest amateur actresses in society. Should she follow out her present intention she will be the first duke's daughter to adopt the profession, though of course the beautiful Lady Mona—no need to give her surname—has been acting for some years the part that she has made famous in two continents." ”

“ It's all right—isn't it?" The girl laughed. "Your dear Lady Brislington will be delighted——"
"Why should she be? I shouldn't think Lord Elstone, from what I've heard of him, is her sort at all."
"Can't you guess, mother? The Weekly Rattle said last week that he was the richest bachelor in England! What a chance for Rosie Brislington!"
"I certainly shouldn't ask Lord Elstone to join our party to please Rosie's mother," and the Duchess spoke in so sharp a tone that her daughter felt surprised. ”

“ Anxiously the Duchess ran over in her mind the names of the young men who were now staying in the Castle in connection with a charity performance of that old favourite, "A Pantomime Rehearsal," which was to be acted in what was called the big ballroom in about ten days. With a certain shock of surprise she realised that not one of them could be regarded as being, matrimonially speaking, eligible. When she had talked the party over with her son Algy, all she had stipulated was that the young men invited for what must be an exceptionally long visit should be "nice." ”

“ But as soon as she saw who stood looking through the door, the girl hopped off the ladder, and rushed across to her mother.
"Bob Walleston has telephoned to say that he can't come; but that if we don't mind, his greatest friend, Lord Elstone, will take his place, and be our producer. Now that would be simply splendid, for Lord Elstone has even produced a real play! May I send a telephone message saying that we shall be delighted to have him? And, mother? I should like him to come to-day if he can—it's so important; we can't make a real start without a producer! ”

“ Elstone's the sort of chap who's badly wanted in modern politics."
About seven o'clock that same evening the Duchess went down to the long library to greet her new guest; and, after a while, rather to her annoyance, Lady Brislington wandered in.
"I've got a lot of letters to write, Laura—I mean before dressing for dinner." And then she waited uncertainly, as a certain type of woman is apt to do. "Aren't you coming upstairs?" she asked.
"I'm coming up presently, but I'm expecting a new young man from London. Bob Walleston has fallen out, and Lord Elstone is coming to take his place." ”

“ I'd like a word or two with young Elstone. He's at the parting of the ways, just twenty-seven."
"He ought to marry."
"Only a blind girl would have him," observed the Duke.
Illustration: "To-night every member of the cast, as well as the producer himself, felt very nervous."
"A good many girls would give their eyes to have him—if he's even a quarter as rich as he's said to be."
"I think that young man has his own weather eye very much open. Luckily there'll be nothing of the kind going on here—and I shall be able to talk to him seriously." ”

“ It seems to me that Laura falls between two stools. Her daughters aren't the demure, old-fashioned girls that some modern men fancy, and neither are they like the naughty, bold young minxes that carry off all the elder sons."
"Young men are so spoilt nowadays. ”

“ He held open the door for her to pass through, and when they were in the stone-paved passage she said eagerly, "Perhaps mother will let me go sometimes with you to the play, if you tell her it's a nice play. She's rather old-fashioned, you know, though she's very much more advanced than father. Heaps of my friends go about alone with young men, and I don't see why they shouldn't! ”

“ They both made very bad marriages; Lettice to that pompous young M.P. from the north; and Susie, who is really very pretty, is in India, married to a penniless soldier."
"What an odd thing."
"All their mother's fault! ”