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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Visits of Elizabeth, by Elinor Glyn
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Visits of Elizabeth
+
+Author: Elinor Glyn
+
+Release Date: February 6, 2004 [EBook #10959]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE VISITS OF ELIZABETH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell and PG Distributed Proofreaders
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Elizabeth]
+
+
+THE VISITS OF ELIZABETH
+
+_By_ ELINOR GLYN
+
+
+
+TWENTY SECOND EDITION.
+
+Cambridge U.S.A.
+
+MDCCCI (1901)
+
+
+
+
+Contents
+
+
+NAZEBY HALL
+300 EATON PLACE
+HEAVILAND MANOR
+HAZELDENE COURT
+CHATEAU DE CROIXMARE
+YACHT "SAUTERELLE"
+CAUDEBEC
+HOTEL FRASCATI, HAVRE
+CHATEAU DE CROIXMARE
+CHAMPS ELYSEES
+CHATEAU DE CROIXMARE
+RETBY
+CARRISTON TOWERS
+CHEVENIX CASTLE
+FOLJAMBE PLACE
+
+
+
+
+NAZEBY HALL
+
+
+It was perhaps a fortunate thing for Elizabeth that her ancestors went
+back to the Conquest, and that she numbered at least two Countesses and
+a Duchess among her relatives. Her father had died some years ago, and,
+her mother being an invalid, she had lived a good deal abroad. But, at
+about seventeen, Elizabeth began to pay visits among her kinsfolk. It
+was after arriving at Nazeby Hall, for a Cricket Week, that she first
+wrote home.
+
+
+Nazeby Hall, _26th July_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I got here all right, without even a smut on my face,
+for Agnes tidied me up in the brougham before we arrived at the gate.
+The dust in the train was horrid. It is a nice house. They were at tea
+when I was ushered in; it was in the hall--I suppose it was because it
+was so windy outside. There seemed to be a lot of people there; and
+they all stopped talking suddenly, and stared at me as if I were a new
+thing in the Zoo, and then, after a minute, went on with their
+conversations at the point they had left off.
+
+[Sidenote: _Afternoon Tea_]
+
+Lady Cecilia pecked my cheek, and gave me two fingers; and asked me, in
+a voice right up at the top, how were you. I said you were better,
+and--you know what you told me to say. She murmured something while she
+was listening to what a woman with a sweet frock and green eyes was
+saying at the other end of the table. There was heaps of tea. She waved
+vaguely for me to sit down, which I did; but there was a footstool
+near, and it was half dark, so I fell over that, but not very badly,
+and got safely to my seat.
+
+Lady Cecilia--continuing her conversation across the room all the
+time--poured out a cup of tea, with lumps and _lumps_ of sugar in it,
+and lots of cream, just what you would give to a child for a treat! and
+she handed it to me, but I said, "Oh! please, Lady Cecilia, I don't
+take sugar!" She has such bulgy eyes, and she opened them wide at me,
+perfectly astonished, and said, "Oh! then please ring the bell; I don't
+believe there is another clean cup." Everybody stopped talking again,
+and looked at me, and the green-eyed lady giggled--and I rang the bell,
+and this time didn't fall over anything, and so presently I got some
+tea. Just as I was enjoying such a nice cake, and watching all the
+people, quite a decent man came up and sat down behind me. Lady Cecilia
+had not introduced me to anybody, and he said, "Have you come a long
+way?" And I said, "Yes." And he said, "It must have been dusty in the
+train," and I said it was--and he was beginning to say something more,
+when the woman with the green eyes said, "Harry, do hand me the
+cucumber sandwiches," and so he had to get up, and just then Sir Trevor
+came in, and he was glad to see me. He is a jolly soul, and he said I
+was eight when he last saw me, and seemed quite surprised I had grown
+any taller since! Just as though people could stay at eight! Then he
+patted my cheek, and said, "You're a beauty, Elizabeth," and Lady
+Cecilia's eyes bulged at him a good deal, and she said to me, "Wouldn't
+you like to see your room?" and I said I wasn't a bit in a hurry, but
+she took me off, and here I am; and I am going to wear my pink silk for
+dinner, and will finish this by-and-by.
+
+12.30.--Well, I have had dinner, and I found out a good many of their
+names--they mostly arrived yesterday. The woman with the green eyes is
+Mrs. de Yorburgh-Smith. I am sure she is a _pig_. The quite decent man,
+"Harry," is a Marquis--the Marquis of Valmond--because he took Lady
+Cecilia in to dinner. He is playing in the Nazeby Eleven.
+
+There is a woman I like, with stick-out teeth; her name is Mrs.
+Vavaseur. She knows you, and she is awfully nice, though so plain, and
+she never looks either over your head, or all up and down, or talks to
+you when she is thinking of something else. There are heaps more women,
+and the eleven men, so we are a party of about twenty-five; but you
+will see their names in the paper.
+
+Such a bore took me in! He began about the dust again, but I could not
+stand that, so I said that every one had already asked me about it. So
+he said "Oh!" and went on with his soup.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Cricket Talk_]
+
+At the other side was another of the Eleven, and he said, Did I like
+cricket? And I said, No, I hated always having to field (which was what
+I did, you know, when I played with the Byrne boys at Biarritz); and I
+asked him if he was a good player, and he said "No," so I said I
+supposed he always had to field too, then; and he said, No, that
+sometimes they allowed him a bat, and so I said I was sure that wasn't
+the same game I played; and he laughed as if I had said something
+funny--his name is Lord George Lane--and the other one laughed too, and
+they both looked idiots, and so I did not say any more about that. But
+we talked on all the time, and every one else seemed to be having such
+fun, and they all call each other by pet names, and shorten up all
+their adjectives (it _is_ adjectives I mean, not adverbs). I am sure
+you made a mistake in what you told me, that all well-bred people
+behave nicely at dinner, and sit up, because they don't a bit; lots of
+them put their elbows on the table, and nearly all sat anyhow in their
+chairs. Only Lady Cecilia and Mrs. Vavaseur behaved like you; but then
+they are both quite old--over forty.
+
+They all talk about things that no stranger could understand, but I
+dare say I shall pick it up presently. And after dinner, in the
+drawing-room, Lady Cecilia did introduce me to two girls--the Roose
+girls--you know. Well, Lady Jane is the best of the two; Lady Violet is
+a lump. They both poke their heads, and Jane turns in her toes. They
+have rather the look in their eyes of people with tight boots. Violet
+said, "Do you bicycle?" and I said, "Yes, sometimes;" and she said,
+with a big gasp: "Jane and I adore it. We have been ten miles since tea
+with Captain Winchester and Mr. Wertz."
+
+[Sidenote: _An African Millionaire_]
+
+I did not think that interesting, but still we talked. They asked me
+stacks of questions, but did not wait for the answers much. Mr. Wertz
+is the African millionaire. He does not play cricket, and, when the men
+came in afterwards, he crossed over to us, and Jane introduced him to
+me when he had talked a little. He is quite a sort of gentleman, and is
+very much at home with every one. He laughed at everything I said. Mrs.
+Smith (such bosh putting "de Yorburgh" on!) sat on a big sofa with Lord
+Valmond, and she opened and shut her eyes at him, and Jane Roose says
+she takes every one's friend away; and Lord George Lane came up, and we
+talked, and he wasn't such an idiot as at dinner, and he has nice
+teeth. All the rest, except the Rooses and me, are married--the women,
+I mean--except Miss La Touche, but she is just the same, because she
+sits with the married lot, and they all chat together, and Violet Roose
+says she is a cat, but I think she looks nice; she is so pretty, and
+her hair is done at the right angle, because it is like Agnes does
+mine, and she has nice scent on; and I hope it won't rain to-morrow,
+and good-night, dear Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--Jane Roose says Miss La Touche will never get married; she is
+too smart, and all the married women's men talk to her, and that the
+best tone is to look rather dowdy; but I don't believe it, and I would
+rather be like Miss La Touche. E.
+
+
+Elizabeth received an immediate reply to her letter, and the next one
+began:
+
+Nazeby Hall, _28th July_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I _am_ sorry you find I use bad grammar and write
+incoherently, and you don't quite approve of my style; but you see it
+is just because I am in a hurry. I don't speak it; but if I must stop
+to think of grammar and that, I should never get on to tell you what I
+am doing here, so do, dear Mamma, try and bear it bravely. Well,
+everybody came down to breakfast yesterday in a hat, and every one was
+late--that is, every one who came down at all, the rest had theirs
+upstairs.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Cricket Match_]
+
+The cricket began, and it was really a bore. We sat in a tent, and all
+the nice men were fielding (it is always like that), and the married
+lot sat together, and talked about their clothes, and Lady Doraine read
+a book. She is pretty too, but has big ears. Her husband is somewhere
+else, but she does not seem to miss him; and the Rooses told me her
+hair used to be black, and that they have not a penny in the world, so
+I think she must be clever and nice to be able to manage her clothes so
+well. They are perfectly lovely, and I heard her say her maid makes
+them.
+
+Miss La Touche happened to be next me, so she spoke to me, and said my
+hat was "too devey for words" (the blue one you got at Caroline's); and
+by-and-by we had lunch, and at lunch Lord Valmond came and sat by me,
+and so Mrs. Smith did too, and she gushed at me. He seemed rather put
+out about something--I suppose it was having to field all the
+time.--and she talked to him across me, and she called him "Harry"
+lots of times, and she always says things that have another meaning.
+But they all do that--repeat each other's Christian names in a
+sentence, I mean--just like you said that middle-class people did when
+you were young, so I am sure everything must have changed now.
+
+Well, after lunch, all the people in the county seemed to come; some of
+them had driven endless miles, and we sat apart, I suppose to let them
+see how ordinary we thought them; and Lady Cecilia was hardly polite,
+and the others were more or less rude; but presently something
+happened--I don't know what--and the nice men had not to field any
+more. Perhaps they could not stand it any longer, and so every one who
+had been yawning woke up, and Mr. Wertz, who had been writing letters
+all this time, appeared, and Lady Doraine made room for him beside her,
+and they talked; and when our Eleven had drunk something they came and
+lay on the grass near us, and we had such a nice time. There is a
+beautiful man here, and his name is Sir Dennis Desmond, and his
+grandfather was an Irish King, and he talks to me all the time, and
+his mother looks at him and frowns; and I think it silly of her, don't
+you? And if I were a man I wouldn't visit with my mother if she frowned
+at me. Do you know her? She dresses as if she were as young as I am.
+She had a blue muslin on this morning, and her hair is red with green
+stripes in it, and she is all white with thick pink cheeks, and across
+the room she doesn't look at all bad; but close! Goodness gracious she
+looks a hundred! And I would much sooner have nice white hair and a cap
+than look like that, wouldn't you? I'll finish this when I come to bed.
+
+[Sidenote: _Sir Dennis Desmond_]
+
+12.30.--What _do_ you think has happened? Sir Dennis sat beside me on
+the sofa just as he did last night--but I forget, I have not yet told
+you of yesterday and last night; but never mind now, I must get on.
+Well, he said I was a perfect _darling_, but that he never could get a
+chance to say a word to me alone, but that if I would only drop my
+glove outside my door it would be all right; and I thought that such a
+_ridiculous_ thing to say, that I couldn't help laughing, and Lady
+Cecilia happened to be passing, and so she asked me what I was laughing
+at, and so I told her what he had said, and asked why? There happened
+to be a pause just then and, as one has to speak rather loud to Lady
+Cecilia to attract her attention, every one heard, and they all looked
+_flabergasted;_ and then all shrieked with laughter, and Sir Dennis
+said so crossly, "Little fool!" and Lady Desmond simply glared at me,
+and Lady Cecilia said, "Really, Elizabeth!" and Sir Dennis got purple
+in the face, and Jane Roose whispered, "How could you dare with his
+wife listening!" and every one talked and chaffed. It was too stupid
+about nothing; but the astonishing part is, that funny old thing I
+thought was the mother turns out to be _his wife!_
+
+Imagine! years and years older than him! Jane Roose said he had to
+marry her because her husband died; but I think that the most absurd
+reason I ever heard, don't you? Lots of people's husbands die, and they
+don't have to get married off again at once--so why should that ugly
+old thing, specially when there are such heaps of nice girls about?
+
+[Sidenote: _A Man of Honour_]
+
+Jane Roose said it was so honourable of him, but I call it
+crazy--unless, perhaps, he was a great friend of the husband's, who
+made him promise when he was dying, and he did not like to break his
+word. How he must have hated it! I wonder if he had ever met her
+before, or if the husband made him take her, a pig in a poke. I expect
+that was it, because he never could have done it if he had ever seen
+her.
+
+I can't think why he is so cross with me, but I am sorry, as he is such
+a nice man. Now I am sleepy, and it is frightfully late, so I suppose I
+had better get into bed. Agnes came up, and has been fussing about for
+the last hour. Best love from your affectionate daughter,
+
+Elizabeth.
+
+
+Nazeby Hall, _30th July_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--Yesterday was the best day we have had yet; the nice
+men had not to field at all, and the stupid cricket was over at four
+o'clock, and so we went into the gardens and lay in hammocks, and Miss
+La Touche had such nice shoes on, but her ankles are thick.
+
+[Sidenote: _Ghosts in the Corridor_]
+
+The Rooses told me it wasn't "quite nice" for girls to loll in hammocks
+(and they sat on chairs)--that you could only do it when you are
+married; but I believe it is because they don't have pretty enough
+petticoats. Anyway, Lady Doraine and that horrid Smith creature made a
+place for me in the empty hammock between them, and, as I knew my
+"frillies" were all right, I hammocked too, and it was _lovely_. Lord
+Valmond and Mr. Wertz were lying near, and they said agreeable things,
+at least I suppose so, because both of them--Lady Doraine and Mrs.
+Smith--looked purry-purry-puss-puss. They asked me why I was so sleepy,
+and I said because I had not slept well the last night--that I was
+sure the house was haunted. And so they all screamed at me, "Why?" and
+so I told them, what was really true, that in the night I heard a noise
+of stealthy footsteps, and as I was not frightened I determined to see
+what it was, so I got up--Agnes sleeps in the dressing-room, but, of
+course, _she_ never wakes--I opened the door and peeped out into the
+corridor. There are only two rooms beyond mine towards the end, round
+the corner, and it is dimly lit all night. Well, I distinctly saw a
+very tall grey figure disappear round the bend of the hall! When I got
+thus far every one dropped their books and listened with rapt
+attention, and I could see them exchanging looks, so I am sure they
+know it is haunted, and were trying to keep it from me. I asked Mrs.
+Smith if she had seen or heard anything, because she sleeps in one of
+the rooms. She looked perfectly green, but she said she had not heard a
+sound, and had slept like a top, and that I must have dreamt it.
+
+Then Lady Doraine and every one talked at once, and Lord Valmond asked
+did any one know if the London evening papers had come. But I was not
+going to be put off like that, so I just said, "I know you all know it
+is haunted and are putting me off because you think I'll be frightened;
+but I assure you I am not, and if I hear the noise again I am going to
+rush out and see the ghost close."
+
+Then every one looked simply _ahuri_. So I mean to get the ghost story
+out of Sir Trevor to-night after dinner--I had not a chance
+yesterday--as I am sure it is interesting. Mrs. Smith looked at me as
+if she wanted to poison me, and I can't think why specially, can you?
+
+_Twelve p.m._--I asked Sir Trevor if the house is haunted, and he said,
+"God bless my soul, no!" and so I told him, and he nearly had a fit; so
+I _know_ it is, but I am not a bit frightened.--Your affectionate
+daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Nazeby Hall, _Sunday._
+
+Dearest Mamma,--Agnes and I go to Aunt Mary's by the 10:30 train
+to-morrow, and I am not a bit sorry, although I have enjoyed myself,
+and now I begin to feel quite at home with every one--at least, some of
+them; but such a tiresome thing happened last night. It was like this:
+After dinner it was so hot that we all went out on the terrace, and, as
+soon as we got there, Mrs. Smith and Lady Doraine and the rest said it
+was too cold, and went in again; but the moon was pretty, so I stayed
+alone, and presently Lord Valmond came out, and stood beside me. There
+is such a nice view, you remember, from there, and I didn't a bit want
+to talk.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Kiss and a Blow_]
+
+He said something, but I wasn't listening, when suddenly I did hear him
+say this: "You adorable _enfant terrible_, come out and watch for
+ghosts to-night; and I will come and play the ghost, and console you if
+you are frightened!" And he put his horrid arm right round my waist,
+and kissed me--somewhere about my right ear--before I could realise
+what he was at!
+
+I _was_ in a rage, as you can fancy, Mamma, so I just turned round and
+gave him the hardest slap I could, right on the cheek! He was furious,
+and called me a "little devil," and we both walked straight into the
+drawing-room.
+
+I suppose I looked _savage_, and in the light I could see he had great
+red finger marks on his face. Anyway, Mrs. Smith, who was sitting on
+the big sofa near the window alone, looked up, and said in an odious
+voice, that made every one listen, "I am afraid, Harry, you have not
+enjoyed cooing in the moonlight; it looks as if our sweet Elizabeth had
+been difficult, and had boxed your ears!"
+
+That made me _wild_, the impudence! That _parvenue_ calling me by my
+Christian name! So I just lost my temper right out, and said to her,
+"It is perfectly true what you say, and I will box yours if you call me
+'Elizabeth' again!"
+
+_Tableau!_ She almost fainted with astonishment and fury, and when she
+could get her voice decent enough to speak, she laughed and said--
+
+"What a charming savage! How ingenuous!"
+
+[Sidenote: _Lord Valmond in Disgrace_]
+
+And then Lady Cecilia did a really nice thing, which shows that she is
+a brick, in spite of having bulgy eyes, and being absent and tiresome.
+She came up to me as if nothing had happened, and said, "Come,
+Elizabeth, they are waiting for you to begin a round game," and she put
+her arm through mine and drew me into the billiard-room, and on the way
+she squeezed my arm, and said, in a voice quite low down for her, "She
+deserved it," and I was so touched I nearly cried. From where I sat at
+the card-table I could see Mrs. Smith and Lord Valmond, and they were
+quarrelling. She looked like green rhubarb juice, and he had the
+expression of "Damn!" all over him.
+
+Of course I did not say good-night to him, and I hope I shall never see
+him again.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+300 EATON PLACE
+
+
+300 Eaton Place,
+
+_Tuesday, 2nd August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _London out of Season_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--The train from Nazeby was so late and Aunt Mary seemed
+to think it was my fault--so unreasonable of her, just because they had
+waited lunch for me. I don't believe I like visiting very near
+relations as much as ones further off. They feel they can say anything
+to you. I am glad I have only got to sleep here the one night. I had
+not eaten my omelette before Aunt Mary began about my hair. She said of
+course it was very nice curling like that, but it was a pity I did not
+wear a net over it all to keep it more tidy. She was sure you spoilt
+me, even though we are rich, letting me have such smart clothes. She
+had heard from Nazeby, that I had had on a fresh frock every day. I
+don't know who could have written to her. She has got to look much
+older in the two years we have been abroad and the corners of her mouth
+shut with a snap. Perhaps it is having to spend part of the year with
+her mother-in-law.
+
+[Sidenote: _Cousinly Curiosity_]
+
+Lettice and Clara are just the same as they were, not a bit of
+difference since they came out. They are as tidy as can be, not a hair
+escapes from their nets! and their heads look as if they had dozens of
+hairpins in them, and because it is out of the season they have gone
+back to their country high linen collars, and they look as if they were
+choking. I hate linen collars, don't you, Mamma? Two Ethridge aunts are
+staying here besides me, and we all have to sit together in the
+morning-room, as everything is covered up in the drawing-rooms, ready
+for being shut up next week, when they go to Scotland. After lunch the
+girls did nothing but question me about what we had done at Nazeby.
+They said Lady Cecilia only asks them to the dullest parties. They knew
+every one's name, they had carefully read them in the _Morning Post_.
+They wanted especially to know about Lord Valmond because Lettice had
+danced with him once this season. They thought him awfully
+good-looking. I said he was an odious young man and very rude. So
+Lettice said she supposed he had not spoken to me, as he never speaks
+to girls. I told them that was quite a mistake as he had spoken to me
+all the time, but I hated him. And do you know, Mamma, they looked as
+if they did not believe a word I was saying; which was not very polite
+I think.
+
+When we got upstairs they wanted to see all my clothes, but fortunately
+Agnes had only taken out one or two things, and they asked me to let
+their maid take patterns of everything. Of course I could not refuse,
+but I hate my things being mauled over by strange females, and Agnes
+was simply furious. I am sure she will scratch the maid when she comes
+to ask for a frock. They tried on my hats all at the wrong angle, first
+Clara, then Lettice, and made faces and gave little screams at
+themselves in the glass, and no wonder, for they looked perfect guys in
+them, with their tight "tongy" hair. Then they tossed them on to the
+bed as they finished with them, and Agnes kept muttering to herself
+like distant thunder. Finally Lettice danced a _pas seul_ with the
+white rose toque perched on the back of her head, and she made such
+kicks and jumps that it lurched off, and landed in the water jug! At
+that Agnes got beside herself.
+
+"Fi! donc, Mademoiselle!" she screamed, "ca c'est trop fort!"
+
+[Sidenote: _On the Water Shoot_]
+
+The hat is quite spoilt, so please write and order me another one from
+Caroline's, like a nice, sweet, pretty, darling Mamma. At tea they were
+all so interested when I told them I was going to stay in France with
+the de Croixmares. One of the Ethridge aunts (Rowena) pricked up her
+ears at once, and asked me if Madame de Croixmare was not my godmother,
+and had she not been a great friend of poor papa's. So I told her yes,
+and that I was going there for three weeks. She and Aunt Mary exchanged
+looks, I don't know why, but it irritated me, Mamma, and I rather
+snapped at Aunt Mary when she began about my hair again. And presently
+I heard her saying to the other aunt that it was a pity girls nowadays
+were allowed to be impertinent to their elders.
+
+Of course there was not a thing to do, every one having left Town, so
+in the evening Uncle Geoffrey took us to the Exhibition to go down in
+the Water Shoot. That is _lovely_, Mamma, only I had to sit beside
+Lettice, because Clara was frightened and would be with her father. A
+horrid man behind, who, I suppose, was not holding on, flopped right on
+to us at the bump in the water, and then said, "Beg pardon, dears," and
+it made Uncle Geoffrey so cross he would not let us go down any more,
+and we had to go home and to bed. I am just scribbling this before
+breakfast.
+
+We go on to Great-aunt Maria's by the eleven train. I am glad Cousin
+Octavia is going to take me out next season instead of Aunt Mary, which
+was first suggested. I know I should not have been good with her. She
+is not a bit like you, darling Mamma. I hope you are better; I shan't
+see you again until next Saturday, when I leave Heaviland Manor. It is
+a long time.--With love from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+HEAVILAND MANOR
+
+
+Heaviland Manor,
+
+_Wednesday, August 3rd_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I can't think why you made me come here! Agnes has been
+so sniffy and condescending ever since this morning; but I have
+remarked that Uncle John's valet is only about forty and has a roving
+eye! so perhaps by to-morrow morning I shan't have my hair screwed off
+my head! But I feel for Agnes, only in a different way.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Quiet Evening_]
+
+It is a stuffy, boring place. You remember the house--enormous, tidy,
+hideous, uncomfortable. Well, we had _such_ a dinner last night after I
+arrived--soup, fish, everything popped on to the table for Great-uncle
+John to carve at one end, and Great-aunt Maria at the other! A regular
+aquarium specimen of turbot sat on its dish opposite him, while Aunt
+Maria had a huge lot of soles. And there wasn't any need, because
+there were four men-servants in the room who could easily have done it
+at the side; but I remember you said it was always like that when you
+were a little girl. Well, it got on to puddings. I forgot to tell you,
+though, there were plenty of candles on the table, without shades, and
+a "bouquet" of flowers, all sorts (I am sure fixed in sand), in a gold
+middle thing. Well, about the puddings--at least four of them were
+planted on the table, awfully sweet and jammy, and Uncle John was quite
+irritated with me because I could only eat two; and Aunt Maria, who has
+got as deaf as a post, kept roaring to old Major Orwell, who sat next
+her, "Children have no healthy appetites as in our day. Eh! what?" And
+I wanted to scream in reply, "But I am grown up now, Aunt Maria!"
+
+Uncle John asked me every question over and over, and old Lady
+Farrington's false teeth jumped so once or twice that I got quite
+nervous. That is the party, me, Major Orwell, Lady Farrington, and
+Uncle and Aunt.
+
+When dessert was about coming, _everything_ thing got lifted from the
+table, and before you could say "Jack Robinson" off whisked the cloth.
+I was so unprepared for it that I said "Oh!" and ducked my head, and
+that made the cloth catch on old Lady Farrington's cap--she had to sit
+on my side of the table, to be out of the draught--and, wasn't it
+_dreadful_, it almost pulled it off, and with it the grey curls fixed
+at the side, and the rest was all bald. So that was why it was so
+loose--there was nothing to pin it to! And she glared at me, and fixed
+it as straight as she could, but it had such a saucy look all the rest
+of the evening.
+
+I did apologise as well as I could, and there was such an awkward
+pause; and after dinner we had coffee in the drawing-room, and then in
+a little time tea, and between times they sat down to whist, all but
+Aunt Maria--so they had to have a dummy. She wanted to hear all about
+you, she said, and my going to visit in France; and so I had to bellow
+descriptions of your neuralgia, and about Mme. de Croixmare being my
+godmother, &c., and Aunt Maria says, "Tut, tut!" as well as "Eh!
+what?" to everything. I had not remembered a bit what they were like;
+but I was only six, wasn't I, when we came last?
+
+After she had asked every sort of thing about you under the sun, she
+kept giving longing glances at the dummy's cards; so I said, "Oh! Aunt
+Maria, I am afraid I am keeping you from your whist." As soon as I
+could make her hear, you should have seen how she hopped up like a
+two-year-old into the vacant seat; and they were far more serious about
+it than any one was at Nazeby, where they had hundreds on, and Aunt
+Maria and the others only played for counters--that long
+mother-o'-pearl fish kind. I looked at a book on the table, Lady
+Blessington's "Book of Beauty," and I see then every one got born with
+champagne-bottle shoulders. Had they been paring them for generations
+before, I wonder? Because old John, the keeper at Hendon, told me once
+that the best fox-terriers arrive now without any tails, their mothers'
+and grand-mothers' and great-grandmothers' having been cut off for so
+long; but I wonder, if the fashion changed, how could they get long
+tails again? There must be some way, because all of us now have square
+shoulders. But what was I saying? Oh! yes, when I had finished the
+"Beauty Book," I heard Aunt Maria getting so cross with the old boy
+opposite her. "You've revoked, Major Orwell," she said, whatever that
+means.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Old English Dinner_]
+
+Then hot spiced port came in--it was such a close night--and they all
+had some, and so did I, and it was good; and then candles came. _Such_
+lovely silver, and so beautifully cleaned; and Aunt and Uncle kissed
+me. I dodged Lady Farrington's false teeth, because, after her cap
+incident, she might have bitten me. And Uncle said, "Too late, too late
+for a little one to sit up--no beauty sleep!" And Aunt Maria said,
+"Tut, tut!" and I thought it must be the middle of the night--it felt
+like it. But do you know, Mamma, when I got upstairs to my room it was
+only _half-past ten!_
+
+I have such a huge room, with a four-post feather bed in it. I had let
+Agnes go to bed directly after her supper, with a toothache, so I had
+to get undressed by myself; and I was afraid to climb in from the side,
+it was so high up. But I found some steps with blue carpet on them, as
+well as a table with a Bible, and a funny old china medicine spoon, and
+glass and water-jug on it; and the steps did nicely, for when I got to
+the top, I just took a header into the feathers. It seemed quite comfy
+at first, but in a few minutes, goodness gracious, I was suffocated!
+And it was such a business getting the whole mass on the floor; and
+then I did not know very well how to make the bed again, and I had not
+a very good night, and overslept myself in the morning. So I got down
+late for prayers. Uncle John reads them, and Aunt Maria repeats
+responses whenever she thinks best, as she can't hear a word; but I
+suppose she counts up, and, from long habit, just says "Amen" when she
+gets to the end of--thirty, say--fancying that will be right; and it is
+generally. Only Uncle John stopped in the middle to say, "Damn that
+dog!" as Fido was whining and scratching outside, so that put her out
+and brought in the "Amen" too soon.
+
+[Sidenote: _Family Prayers_]
+
+After breakfast Aunt Maria jingled a large bunch of keys and said it
+was her day for seeing the linen-room, and wouldn't I like to go with
+her, as all young people should have "house-wifely" ideas? So I went.
+It is so beautifully kept, and such lovely linen, all with lavender
+between it; and she talked to the housekeeper, and looked over
+everything--she seemed to know each sheet by name! Then we went to the
+storeroom, all as neat as a new pin; and from there to interview all
+the old people from the village, who were waiting with requests, and
+some of them were as deaf as she is. So the housekeeper had to scream
+at both sides, and I _was_ tired when we got back, and did want to rush
+out of doors; but I had to wait, and then walk between Lady Farrington
+and Aunt Maria up and down the path in the sun till lunch at one
+o'clock; and after that we went for a drive in the barouche, with the
+fattest white horses you ever saw, and a coachman just like
+Cinderella's one that had been a rat. He seemed to have odd bits of
+fur on his face and under his chin, and Aunt Maria said that he
+suffered from a sore throat, that was why, which he caught at Aunt
+Mary's wedding; and so I counted up--and as Aunt Mary is your eldest
+sister, it must have been more than twenty years ago. I do call that a
+long sore throat, don't you? and I wouldn't keep a coachman with a
+beard, would you?
+
+We went at a snail's pace, and got in at four o'clock, and then there
+was tea at half-past, with the nicest bread-and-butter you ever tasted.
+And after that I said I must write to you, and so here I am, and I feel
+that if it goes on much longer I shall do something dreadful. Now
+good-bye, dearest Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Heaviland Manor,
+
+_Friday, August 5th_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I am glad to-morrow will soon be here, and that I can
+come home, but I must tell you about yesterday. First, all the morning
+it rained, and what with roaring at Aunt Maria and holding skeins of
+wool for Lady Farrington, I got such jumps that I felt I should scream
+unless I got out; so after lunch, while they were both having a nap in
+their chairs, I slipped off for a walk by myself--it was still raining,
+but not much; I took Fido, who is generally a little beast, and far too
+fat.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lord Valmond Reappears_]
+
+We had had a nice scamper, and had turned to come back not far from the
+Park, when who do you think came riding up?--Lord Valmond! The last
+person one expected to see down here! He never waited a second when he
+saw me, but jumped off his horse and beamed--just as if we had parted
+the best of friends!!! _Did_ you ever hear such impudence? Of course I
+should have walked on without recognising him, if I had been left to
+myself, but he took me so by surprise that I had shaken hands before I
+knew, and then it was too late to walk on. It appears he has a place
+down here which he never comes to generally, but just happened to
+now--to see how the young pheasants were doing. He began at once to
+talk, as if I had never been angry or boxed his ears at all! It really
+exasperated me, so at last I said he had better get on his horse again,
+as I wanted to run on with Fido; so then he said he had just been on
+his way to call on Aunt Maria, and would come with me.
+
+I said I was sure that wasn't true, as he was going the other way. So
+he said that he had only been going that way to give his horse a little
+exercise, and that he intended to go in at the other gate.
+
+I said I was sure that wasn't true either, as there was no way round
+that way, unless one jumped the park palings. So he said that was what
+he had intended to do. Just then we came to the turnstile of the
+right-of-way, so I slipped through and called out, "Then I won't keep
+you from your exercise," and walked on as fast as I could.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lady Farrington's Nap_]
+
+What do you think he did, Mamma? Simply got on his horse, and jumped
+those palings there and then! I can't think how he wasn't killed. There
+was almost no take-off, and the fence is so high. However, there he
+was, and I could not get away again, because, if I had run, the horse
+could easily have kept up with me. But I only said "Yes" and "No" all
+the way to the house, so he could not have enjoyed it much. We went
+straight to the drawing-room, where tea was almost up, and there was
+Lady Farrington alone--still asleep, and her cap had fallen right back,
+and all the bald was showing; and just then a carriage drove up to the
+door, and we heard visitors and the footsteps in the hall. I had just
+time to cry to Lord Valmond, "Keep them back while I wake her!" and
+then I rushed to Lady Farrington, and shouted in her ear, "Visitors!
+and--and--your cap is a little crooked!" "Eh! what?" she screamed, and
+her teeth as nearly as possible jumped on to the carpet. She simply
+flew to the mirror, but, as you know, it is away so high up she
+couldn't see, so she made frantic efforts with her hands, and just got
+it to cover the bald, in a rakish, one-sided way, when the whole lot
+streamed into the room. Lord Valmond looked awfully uncomfortable.
+Goodness knows what he had said to them to keep them back! Anyway,
+Harvey announced "Mrs. and the Misses Clarke," and a thin, very
+high-nosed person, followed by two buffish girls, came forward. Lady
+Farrington said, "How d'ye do?" as well as she could. They were some
+friends of hers and Aunt Maria's, who are staying with the Morverns, I
+gathered from their conversation. They _must_ have thought she had been
+on a spree since last they met! I could hardly behave for laughing, and
+did not dare to look at Lord Valmond.
+
+They had not been there more than five minutes when another carriage
+arrived, and two other ladies were announced. "The Misses Clark!" The
+other Clarkes glared like tigers, and Lady Farrington lowered her chin
+and eyelashes at them (she has just the same manners as the people at
+Nazeby, although she is such a frump--it is because she is an earl's
+daughter, I suppose), and she called out to Harvey at the top of her
+voice, "Let Lady Worden be told at once there are visitors." The poor
+new things looked so uncomfortable, that I felt, as I was Aunt Maria's
+niece, I at least must be polite to them; so I asked them to sit down,
+and we talked. They were jolly, fat, vulgar souls, who have taken the
+Ortons' place they told me, and this was their return visit, as the
+Ortons had asked Aunt Maria to call. They were quite old maids, past
+thirty, with such funny, grand, best smart Sunday-go-to-meeting looking
+clothes on.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Afternoon Call_]
+
+It appears that Harvey had sent a footman up to Aunt Maria's door, to
+tell of the first Clarkes' arrival, and then, terrified by Lady
+Farrington's voice, had rushed up himself to announce the second lot,
+and he met Aunt Maria on the stairs coming down, and of course she
+never heard the difference between "Mrs." and the "Misses," and thought
+he was simply hurrying her up for the first set. So in she sailed all
+smiles, and as Mrs. Clarke was nearest the door, she got to her first,
+and _was_ so glad to see her.
+
+"Dear, dear, _years_ since we met, Honoria," she said; "and these are
+all your bonny girls, tut, tut!" and she looked at the fat Clarks who
+came next. "Ah! yes I can see! What a wonderful likeness to poor dear
+Arthur!"
+
+Furious glances from Mrs. Clarke, whose daughters are my age!
+
+"And this must be Millicent," she went on, taking the second fat
+Clark's hand. "Yes, yes; why, she takes after you, my dear Honoria,
+tut, tut!" and she squeezed hands, and beamed at them all in the
+kindest way. Mrs. Clarke, bursting with fury, tried to say they were no
+relations of hers; but, of course, Aunt Maria could not catch all that,
+only the word "relations," and she then caught sight of the buff
+Clarklets in the background.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Friendly Invitation_]
+
+"Ah, yes! I see, these are your girls; I have mistaken your other
+relations for them." Then she turned again to the fat Clarks, evidently
+liking their jolly faces best. "But one can see they are Clarkes. Let
+me guess. Yes, they must be poor Henry's children!" At this, Lord
+Valmond had such a violent fit of choking by the tea-table, that Aunt
+Maria, who hears the oddest, most unexpected things, caught that, and
+saw him, and saying, "Howd' ye do?" created a diversion. Presently I
+heard Lady Farrington roaring in a whisper into her ears the difference
+between the Clarkes and the Clarks, and the poor dear was so upset; but
+her kind heart came up trumps, and she was awfully nice to the two
+vulgar Clarks, who had the good sense to go soon, and then the others
+went. Then she got Lord Valmond on to her sofa, and he screamed such
+heaps of nice things into her ear, just as if she had been Mrs. Smith,
+and she was _so_ pleased. And Uncle John came in, and they talked about
+the pheasants, and he asked Lord Valmond to dinner on Saturday night
+(to-morrow), and he looked timidly at me, to see if I was still angry
+with him and wanted him not to come, so I smiled _sweetly_, and he
+accepted joyfully. Isn't it lovely, Mamma? I shall be home with you by
+then, and Lady Farrington and Major Orwell are going too! So he will
+have to play dummy whist all the evening with Uncle and Aunt, and eat
+his dinner at half-past six! Now, good-night.--Your affectionate
+daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+HAZELDENE COURT
+
+
+Hazeldene Court,
+
+_Tuesday, 9th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Horse Show_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--There is a huge party here for the Horse Show, and I
+daresay I shall enjoy myself. We had no sooner got into the station at
+Paddington than in the distance I caught sight of Lord Valmond. I
+pretended not to see him, and got behind a barrow of trunks, and then
+slipped into the carriage and made Agnes sit by the door. We saw him
+walking up and down, and, just before the train started, he came and
+got into our carriage. He seemed awfully surprised to see me, said he
+had not an idea he should meet me, and apologised for disturbing me,
+but he said all the other carriages were full. He seemed so uppish and
+unconcerned that I felt obliged to ask him how he enjoyed his dinner
+with Aunt Maria on Saturday. He said he had enjoyed it awfully, and
+that Aunt Maria was a charming hostess. He asked me if I was going far
+down the line, or only just on the river. I said not very far. I tried
+to be as stiff as possible and not speak, and I did not tell him where
+I was going, but, do you know, Mamma, there is no snubbing him. He said
+at once that he was going to Hazeldene Court, to stay with his cousins
+the Westaways. I said, "Indeed!" and he said, "Yes, aren't they cousins
+of yours too?" and when I said "Yes," he said he felt sure we were
+related, and mightn't he call me Elizabeth!!! I just told him I thought
+him the rudest, most detestable man I had ever met; and if he spoke to
+me again at all, I should ask the guard to find me another carriage.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lord Valmond Presumes_]
+
+He was awfully surprised, and said he had not meant to be the least
+rude; he thought it was the custom for cousins to call each other by
+their Christian names, and _his_ name was Harry. (Just as if I did not
+know that, after hearing Mrs. Smith calling him every few minutes!) I
+said in a freezing tone we were not related in any way, and I wished to
+read the paper, upon which he produced every imaginable kind, lots of
+ladies' papers that he could not possibly have wanted for himself. I
+don't know who he expected to meet. However, I would not have any of
+them, but looked at a _Punch_ I had bought myself. You know that
+uncomfortable feeling one has when some one is staring at one--it makes
+one obliged to look up--so after a while our eyes met over the _Punch_,
+and he smiled, and his teeth are so white. All he said was, "I was
+thinking of the Clarkes and Clarks." And in spite of my being indignant
+with him I could not help laughing, when I remembered about them, and
+then it was hard to be very stiff again at once.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Offending Dimple_]
+
+Just about this time Agnes went to sleep in the other corner, and the
+moment Lord Valmond saw she was really off, he bent forward and said in
+such a humble voice, that he was sorry he had offended me at Nazeby; he
+had yielded to a sudden temptation, and he could only ask me to forgive
+him. He had quite mistaken my character he said, he now saw I was a
+serious person, but he had been deceived by the dimple in my left
+cheek. (Now isn't it provoking, Mamma, to have a dimple like that, that
+gives people the impression they may treat you with want of respect?)
+I said I did not believe a word of it, and, as we were only the merest
+acquaintances, it did not matter whether I forgave him or not, and I
+hoped he would not mention the subject again. He then asked me if I was
+going to stop at Hazeldene until Saturday. So you see, Mamma, he must
+have known I was going there all along; aren't men odd? You can't trust
+them one minute not to be deceiving you, only I think on the whole I
+prefer them to women, they can't copy your clothes at all events. After
+that he seemed to think we had quite made everything up, and went on
+talking in the friendliest way, but I _would not_ thaw; he shall not
+have the chance of blaming my dimple again for any of his misconduct!
+At last I said I hated talking in the train, and pretended to go to
+sleep. But I could not get really off, because every time I opened my
+eyes just to see where we were, I found him looking at me. A huge
+omnibus was waiting for us when we arrived, and several more guests had
+come by the same train and we all drove to the house together. They
+were having tea on the croquet lawn--Lady Westaway and some other
+people, and the eldest son's wife. You remember what a fuss there was
+when he married, how Lady Westaway had hysterics for three days. Well,
+she looks as if she could have them again any moment.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Attractive Woman_]
+
+Mrs. Westaway is awfully pretty. She was lying in a swing chair,
+showing lots of petticoat and ankle. The ankle isn't bad, but the
+petticoat had common lace on it. She has huge turquoise earrings, and
+very stick-out hair arranged to look untidy with tongs. She smiles all
+the time, and wears lots of different colours. She calls every one by
+their Christian name, and always catches hold of the men's coats, or
+fixes their buttonholes or ties, or holds their arms and whispers: and
+every one is in love with her, and she has the greatest success. So I
+can't think, Mamma, why you have always told me never to do any of
+these things, when you want me to be a success so much. Her voice is
+dreadfully shrill, and such an odd pronunciation, but no one seems to
+mind that. I rather like her, she is so jolly but some of the women of
+the party won't speak to her, except to say disagreeable things. Jane
+Roose is here, she has been here since she left Nazeby (Violet is at
+the sea), and she came up to my room as we were going to dress, and I
+have only just got rid of her. She told me Mrs. Westaway was a
+"dreadful creature," and that no one would know her, if it was not for
+her mother-in-law receiving her, so they can't help it. And she could
+not understand what the men saw to admire in a low person like that.
+But I can see very well, Mamma, she is as pretty as can be, and
+probably the men don't notice about the lace being common, and all the
+colours, and those things. I must go down to dinner now, so good-bye,
+dear Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Hazeldene Court,
+
+_Thursday, 11th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lady Bobby's Diversions_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I shall be home with you almost as soon as you get
+this. But I must tell you about these last two days. The man I went in
+to dinner with the first night was so nice-looking, only he did not
+seem as if he could collect his thoughts enough to finish his
+sentences, and it left them sounding so silly sometimes, but I found
+out before we had begun the entrees that it was because Mrs. Westaway
+was sitting opposite, and he was gazing at her. She looked lovely, but
+not like any one I have seen yet since I stayed out. She had a diamond
+collar and two ropes of pearls (Jane Roose said they were imitation),
+and her arms quite bare and very white, but her skin must come off,
+because I could see a patch of white on a footman's coat where she
+accidentally touched when helping herself to potatoes. She had a huge
+tulle bow in her hair, and her earrings were as big as shillings. Lady
+Bobby Pomeroy said afterwards in the drawing-room to Jane Roose that
+she should not take any more of her meals downstairs with this
+"creature;" and she would not have come only that Bobby insisted, as he
+was showing some horses, and it is convenient. And so, do you know,
+Mamma, Lady Bobby has never come out of her room since, except just to
+go to the Horse Show, which she drove to with Mrs. Mannering in a hired
+fly. I don't call it very polite to the hostess, do you? This afternoon
+she amused herself from her bedroom window by shooting at rabbits just
+beyond the wire fence of the lawn with a rook rifle; she did not hit
+any rabbits, but she got a gardener in the leg, and the man was very
+angry, and bled a great deal, and had to be taken away, and I think it
+was very careless of her, don't you?
+
+[Sidenote: _Two is Company_]
+
+Lord Valmond was on his way to the window seat where Jane Roose and I
+were sitting the first night after dinner, but Mrs. Westaway caught
+hold of her husband's coat-tails as he passed and said quite loud,
+"Duckie, you must bring Lord Valmond and introduce him to me, we
+haven't met yet, and I want to know all your friends." So Billy
+Westaway, who is as obedient as a spaniel, secured Lord Valmond, and
+presently we saw them comfortably tucked into a small settee together,
+and there they stayed all the evening. She kept licking her lips as if
+he was something good to eat, and the next morning she fixed a rose in
+his buttonhole at breakfast and called him "Cousin Val," and by lunch
+time it was plain "Val," and now it is "Harry." I do call it bad taste,
+don't you, Mamma? and she isn't half so pretty in broad daylight, and I
+don't like her at all now. Only I can't help laughing at Lady
+Westaway's face when "Phyllis" (that is Mrs. Westaway's name) says
+anything especially vulgar; Lady Westaways shudders, and takes a huge
+sniff at her smelling salts. She keeps them always with her in a long
+gold-topped bottle, and she has to use them almost every few minutes
+when Mrs. Westaway is in the room.
+
+The Horse Show was rather nice; it is held in the park fairly close,
+and most of us strolled there in the morning before lunch to see the
+judging. Lord Valmond joined us, I was walking with Lord George Lane
+(you remember he was one of the Eleven at Nazeby). I was in a very good
+temper, Mamma, and we had been laughing at everything we said. He is
+quite a nice idiot, but, when Lord Valmond came, of course I talked as
+stiffly as possibly, and presently Lord George told him that he was
+singularly backward in copybook maxims, and that there was one he ought
+to write out and commit to memory, and it began with "Two's Company,"
+upon which Lord Valmond stalked on in a rage.
+
+The seats at the show were very hard boards, and the sun made one
+awfully drowsy; but about half-an-hour before lunch Lord Valmond came
+up again, and asked me if I should not like to go for a turn. I thought
+I had better, so as not to get cramp. He said he had been afraid he
+would never get the chance of speaking to me, I was always so
+surrounded. I told him I had only come now because of the cramp. I am
+quite determined, Mamma, not to unbend to him at all. I was not once
+agreeable, or anything but stiff and snubbing, and I am sure he has
+never been treated like that before, but it is awfully hard work
+keeping it up all the time, and when we got in to lunch I was quite
+tired.
+
+[Sidenote: _On the Lake_]
+
+There were numbers of people at the show in the afternoon, and all in
+their best clothes. Lady Grace Fenton was showing two of her hunters,
+and she kept shouting to the grooms, and I did not think it was very
+attractive behaviour. She takes such strides you would think her muslin
+dress would split. I don't know why it is that so many people in the
+country are ugly and weather-beaten, and all their clothes hanging
+wrong.
+
+Except the house party here, and a few from other big places, there was
+not a pretty person to be seen. We had a special reserved tent for tea,
+and Mrs. Westaway seemed to have every man in the place round her, and
+I heard one man come up and say, "Well, Phyllis, this is a joke to find
+you in this respectable hole; how do you like solid matrimony, old
+girl?" and I do think that sounded familiar and rude, don't you,
+Mamma? but Mrs. Westaway wasn't a bit angry. She calls Billy "Duckie,"
+and continually pats and caresses him; he does look such a fool, and I
+should hate to be fingered like that if I were a man, one must feel
+like a bunch of grapes with the bloom being rubbed off. Mrs. Westaway
+kept Lord Valmond with her all the rest of the time at the show, and
+then took him on the lake while we played croquet.
+
+Lady Bobby went straight to her room and sat by the window, and every
+now and then shouted advice to Lord George who was playing with me.
+When we had finished, Lady Westaway took me to see the conservatories,
+and there we were joined by old Colonel Blake and Lord Valmond, I don't
+know how he had torn himself away from Mrs. Westaway! Jane Roose says
+Mrs. Smith would be mad if she was here. He asked me why I had walked
+on ahead so fast on the way back from the Show as he wanted me to go on
+the lake with him instead of Mrs. Westaway. When he had suggested going
+on it he had looked at me, but I would take no notice, and so he was
+obliged to go with Mrs. Westaway when she offered to come, and I was
+very unkind and disagreeable. I just said if he found me so, he need
+not speak to me at all, I did not care. We looked at one another like
+two wild cats for a moment. I am sure he wanted to slap me, and I
+should like to have scratched him, and then Lady Westaway diverted the
+conversation by asking me if I thought I should enjoy my French visit
+(how every one knows one's affairs!). I said I hoped I should, and I
+was starting next week. Lord Valmond at once pricked up his ears, and
+said he would be running over to Paris about then, as he was not going
+to Scotland till September, and he hoped I would let him look after me
+on the way. I said I did not know which day I was going, probably
+Wednesday, so as I am starting on Monday, Mamma, there will be no
+chance of his coming with me, which would annoy you very much I am
+sure. To-day we have done nothing but loll about and play croquet. Lady
+Bobby and the men and some other women went to the Show again in the
+morning, but I was having a match with Jane Roose, and so we did not
+bother to go.
+
+[Sidenote: _Paul and Virginia_]
+
+This afternoon when Lady Bobby began her rabbit shooting it seemed so
+dangerous on the croquet lawn, especially after she hit the gardener,
+that we all went on the lake in the launch. We landed on the island,
+and somehow or other Lord Valmond and I got left alone in the Belvedere
+looking at the view. The others went off without us, which made me
+furious, as I am sure he did it on purpose. But when I accused him of
+it, he said such a thing would never have entered his head. He had a
+nasty smile all the time in the corner of his eye, and did not take the
+least pains about trying to undo the other little boat which we found
+at last, although I kept telling him we should be late for dinner. He
+said he wished we had not to go back at all, that he thought we should
+be very happy together on this little island like Paul and Virginia. I
+can't tell you, Mamma, what a temper I was in.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Hardships of a Marquis_]
+
+I wish I had never met him--or that he had not been rude at Nazeby--it
+_is_ so difficult to behave with dignity when a person has a nice voice
+and makes you laugh, although you are awfully cross with him inside.
+Then I have to be thinking all the time about my dimple not to let it
+come out, as that is what caused his rudeness, and with one thing and
+another it upsets me so, that my cheeks are always burning when I am
+with him, and I feel as if I should like to box his ears or cry; and I
+hope after to-morrow I shall never see him again. He rowed so slowly
+when we did get into the boat that I offered to do it, but he would not
+let me. I would not talk to him at all. When we got to the landing I
+jumped out so that he should not help me, and gave my head a crack
+against the pole in the boat house. I fancied I heard him saying,
+"Darling! have you hurt yourself? What a brute I am to tease you!" but
+I did not wait for any more. I ran to the house as fast as I could, and
+as he had to tie up the boat, I was just getting into the hall when he
+caught me up. My head hurt dreadfully, and I was so tired and cross,
+and everything, that the tears would come into my eyes. I did not want
+him to see, but I am afraid he did, so before he could speak I rushed
+on again and got safely to my room. I am sure it is very rude to call
+people "darling" without their leave, isn't it, Mamma?
+
+I went in to dinner with a sporting curate who lives near, and he kept
+making his bread into crumbs on the cloth and then sweeping them up
+with his knife into a heap, between every course. What strange habits
+people have! After dinner Mrs. Westaway took Lord Valmond and sat in
+the window seat, and when he did get away, and was coming over to me, I
+said my head was aching from the knock I gave it, and came up to bed,
+and as he has to catch an early train in the morning I shan't come down
+until he has gone. I don't want to see him any more, it is too
+fatiguing quarrelling all the time, and one could not forgive him and
+be friends I suppose after such behaviour as his at Nazeby--could one,
+Mamma?
+
+Now good-night; I am sleepy.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--I should hate to be a marquis always having to take the
+hostess in to dinner no matter how old and ugly she is, just because a
+duke isn't present.
+
+
+
+
+CHATEAU DE CROIXMARE
+
+
+Chateau De Croixmare,
+
+_16th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Formidable Godmother_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--What a crossing we had, perfectly disgusting! The sky
+was without a cloud, but such a wind that every one was sick, so one
+could not enjoy oneself. Agnes became rapidly French too directly we
+landed at Dieppe, and the carriage was full of stuffy people, who would
+not have a scrap of window open; however, Jean was waiting for us at
+Paris. We snatched some food at the restaurant, and then caught the
+train to Vinant. Jean is quite good-looking, but with an awfully
+respectable expression. Any one could tell he was married even without
+looking at his wedding ring. He was polite, and made conversation all
+the time in the train, and as the engine kept puffing and shrieking I
+was obliged to continually say "_Pardon?_" so it made it rather heavy.
+I think he has changed a good deal since their wedding--let me
+see--that must be eight years ago, as I was nine then; I hardly
+remembered him.
+
+Godmamma was waiting for us in the hall when we arrived. Chateau de
+Croixmare is a nice place, but I _am_ glad I am not French. It was the
+hottest night of the year almost, and not a breath of air in the house,
+every shutter closed and the curtains drawn. Heloise had gone to bed
+with a _migraine_, Godmamma explained, but Victorine was there. She has
+grown up plain, and looks much more than five years older than me. They
+weren't in evening dress, or even tea-gowns like in England--it did
+seem strange.
+
+Mme. de Croixmare looks a dragon! I can't think how poor papa insisted
+upon my having such a godmother. Her face is quite white, and her hair
+so black and drawn off her forehead, and she has a bristly moustache.
+She is also very up right and thin, and walks with an ebony stick, and
+her voice is like a peacock's. She looked me through and through, and I
+felt all my French getting jumbled, and it came out with such an
+English accent; and after we had bowed a good deal, and said heaps of
+Ollendorfish kind of sentences, I was given some "sirop" and water, and
+conducted to bed by Victorine. She is a big dump with a shiny
+complexion, and such a very small mouth, and I am sure I shall hate
+her, she isn't a bit good-natured-looking like Jean. The house is
+really fine Louis XV., and my bedroom and cabinet de toilette are
+delicious, so is my bed; but the attitude of Agnes--such a conscious
+pride in the superiority of France--nearly drove me mad.
+
+There isn't a decent dressing-table mirror, only one in an old silver
+frame about eight inches square, and that is sitting on the
+writing-table--or what would be the writing-table, if there happened to
+be any pens and things, which there aren't. All the hanging places open
+out of the panels of the wall, there are no wardrobes, only beautiful
+marble-topped _bureaux_; but I was so tired.
+
+[Sidenote: _A French Family at Home_]
+
+I left Agnes to settle everything and jumped into bed. This morning I
+woke early, and had the loveliest cup of chocolate, but such a silly
+bath, and almost cold water. There are no housemaids, and nothing is
+done with precise regularity like at home, although they are so rich.
+Agnes had to fish for everything of that sort herself, and such a lot
+of talking went on in the passage between her and the _valet de
+chambre_, before I even got this teeny tiny tray to splash in. However,
+I did get dressed at last, and went for a walk in the garden--not a
+soul about but a few gardeners. The begonias are magnificent, but there
+is no look of park beyond the garden, or nice deer and things that we
+would have for such a house in England. It is more like a sort of big
+villa.
+
+I saw Jean at last in the distance, going round and round a large pond
+on his bicycle. He did look odd! in a thick striped jersey, and the
+tightest knickerbockers; almost as low as a "scorcher." He jumped off
+and made a most polite bow, and explained he was doing it for
+exercise. But I do think that an idiotic reason--don't you, Mamma? It
+would be just as much exercise on a road. However, he assured me that,
+like that, he knew exactly how many miles he went on the flat before
+breakfast, so I suppose it was all right.
+
+I saw he wanted to continue his ride, so I walked on, and presently
+came to a summer-house, where Victorine and the _dame de compagnie_
+were doing their morning reading. There were also the two little girls
+building castles out of a heap of sand, and with them the most hideous
+German maid you ever saw. They are queer-looking little monkeys,
+Yolande is like Jean, but Marie--there are three years between them--is
+as black as ink--but where was I? Oh, yes!--well, by this time I was so
+hungry I could have eaten them, German _bonne_ and all! Fortunately
+Godmamma turned up, and we strolled back to _dejeuner_. Heloise was in
+the salon, and she is charming, such a contrast to the rest of the
+party. She was beautifully dressed and so _chic_. We took to each
+other at once, she has not picked up that solid married look like Jean,
+so perhaps it is only the husbands who get it in France.
+
+There was a good deal of ceremony going in to breakfast. Jean gave his
+mother his arm, and we trotted behind. The dining-room is a perfect
+room, except there is no carpet, and the food was lovely, only I do
+hate to see a great hand covered with a white cotton glove, plopping a
+dish down on the lighted thing in the middle, so that one has to look
+at the next course all the time one is finishing the last one. The way
+in which the two little monkeys and the German maid devoured their
+breakfast quite took one's appetite away. There seemed to be numbers of
+men-servants, who wore white cotton gloves, and their liveries buttoned
+up to the throat, which takes away that nice clean-shirt-look of our
+servants at home.
+
+[Sidenote: _French Servants_]
+
+This afternoon we are going to pay a visit of ceremony to the Comte and
+Comtesse de Tournelle; we are going with them on their yacht down the
+Seine to-morrow. It is Jean and Heloise who have arranged to take
+me--it is kind of them, and it will be fun; and I am glad it is not
+considered proper for young French girls to go without their mothers,
+because we shall get rid of Victorine, and the voyage will be more
+agreeable. Agnes and the other maids and valets are going by train, and
+will meet us with the luggage at the different places we stop at each
+night, as the _Sauterelle_ is too small to carry everything. I must go
+and get ready now, so good-bye, dear Mamma.--Your affectionate
+daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+YACHT "SAUTERELLE"
+
+
+Yacht _Sauterelle_,
+
+_17th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Yacht "Sauterelle"_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I am writing as we float down the Seine, it is too
+enchanting. We are a party of ten. The Comte and Comtesse de Tournelle;
+her mother, the Baronne de Larnac, and her uncle, the Baron de Fremond,
+Jean, Heloise, and me; the Marquise de Vermondoise, and two young men,
+officers in the Cavalry, stationed at Versailles. One is the Vicomte
+Gaston de la Tremors, and the other's name is so long that I can't get
+it, so you must know him by "Antoine"--he is some sort of a relation of
+Heloise's. The Baronne is a delightful person, the remains of extreme
+good looks and distinction. She was a beauty under the Empire, and her
+feet are so small, she is just as _soignee_ as if she was young, and so
+vain and human. She lives with her daughter while they are in the
+country--it seems the custom here, these huge family parties living
+together all the summer.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Visit of Ceremony_]
+
+The young people have their _appartement_ in the Champs Elysees in
+Paris, and the old ones go to the family hotel in the _Faubourg St.
+Germain._ We _did_ say a lot of polite things when we went to pay our
+visit yesterday, and although they know one another so well--as it was
+a "visit of ceremony" to introduce me--we all had our best clothes on,
+and sat in the large salon--(there are four Louis XVI. arm chairs,
+sticking out each side of the fireplaces, in all the salons here).
+Heloise and the Comtesse de Tournelle are great friends. The Comte de
+Tournelle is charming, he is like the people in the last century
+Memoirs, he ought to have powdered hair, and his manners have a
+distinction and a wit quite unlike anything in England. One can see he
+is descended from people who had their heads cut off for being
+aristocrats. Jean says he does not belong to _le Sporting_, and is
+fearfully effeminate. He can't even put on his own socks without his
+valet, and he never rides or bicycles or anything, but just does a
+little motor-carring, and fights a few duels.
+
+The Comtesse de Tournelle is small and young and rather dull; she
+reads a great deal. The old boy, the Baron de Fremond (he owns the
+_Sauterelle_) is a jolly old soul, and chaffs his sister and niece, and
+every one, all the time, and thinks it so funny to talk fearful
+English. The two young men haven't looked at me much. They are in
+uniform! and they put their heels together and bowed deeply when they
+were introduced, but we haven't spoken yet. The Marquise de Vermondoise
+is perfectly lovely, so fascinating, with such a queer deep voice, and
+one tooth at the side of the front missing; and her tongue keeps
+getting in there when she speaks, which gives her a kind of lisp, and
+it is awfully attractive. I think de Tournelle would like to kiss her,
+by the way he looked at her when she thanked him for handing her on
+board.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Invaluable Hippolyte_]
+
+It is a steam yacht with a wee cabin, and a deck above that, with seats
+looking out each side, like old omnibuses, and in the stern (if that
+means the back part) are the sailors and the engines, and the oddest
+arrangement of cooking apparatus. You should just taste the exquisite
+breakfasts that Hippolyte (the Baronne de Larnac's _maitre d'hotel_)
+cooked for us this morning after we started. He is the queerest
+creature, with a face like a baboon, and side whiskers, and the rest a
+deep blue from shaving. The Baronne says she could not live without
+him; he is a splendid cook, and a perfect _femme de chambre_, and ready
+for anything. He is much more familiar than we should ever let a
+servant be in England. It was rough all the morning, quite waves. The
+Seine is only half a mile from the Chateau de Croixmare, and runs past
+the Tournelles' garden, so they have a private landing stage, and we
+all embarked from there. Jean and the Comte are dressed in beautiful
+English blue serges, and look neat enough to be under a glass case. The
+old Baron does not care what he wears, and this morning while he was
+working with the sailors had on a black Sunday coat!
+
+The Baronne kept screaming when the boat rocked a little. "Nous ferons
+naufrage! Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu!" and the Vicomte tried to comfort her,
+but she did not stop till Hippolyte popped his head out of the cabin
+and said, "Pas de danger! et il ne faut pas que Mme. la Baronne fasse
+la Bebete!"
+
+At _dejeuner_ we had only one plate each, and one knife and fork. It
+was so windy we could not have it under the awning in the bows, and the
+cabin is so narrow that the seats are against the wall, and the table
+in the middle. No one can pass to wait, so between the courses we
+washed our plates in the Seine, out of the window. It _was_ gay! They
+are all so witty, but it is not considered correct to talk just to
+one's neighbour, a conversation _a deux_. Everything must be general,
+so it is a continual sharpening of wits, and one has to shout a good
+deal, as otherwise, with every one talking at once, one would not be
+heard. I know French pretty well as you know, but they say a lot of
+strange things I can't understand, and whenever I answer or ask why,
+they go into fits of laughter and say, "Est elle gentille l'enfant!
+hein!"
+
+We are going to stop at the next small village to post the letters, so
+good-bye, dear Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--I hope you won't get muddled, Mamma, with all their names, it
+takes so long writing the whole thing, so please remember Mme. de
+Larnac is the "Baronne," Monsieur de Fremond is the "Baron," Monsieur
+de Tournelle is the "Comte," Mme. de Tournelle is the "Comtesse," Mme.
+de Vermondoise is the "Marquise," Monsieur de la Tremors is the
+"Vicomte," and "Antoine" is the other officer. So if I haven't always
+time to put their names you will know now which they are.
+
+
+Vernon, Yacht _Sauterelle_,
+
+_Thursday morning_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Vernon_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--The scenery we came through yesterday is quite
+beautiful, but I did not pay so much attention to it as I might have
+done, because Jean and the Comte would talk to me. You would be amused
+at Vernon, where we stayed the night in _such_ an inn! I believe it is
+the only one in the place, and as old as the hills. You get at the
+bedrooms from an open gallery that runs round the courtyard, and that
+smells of garlic and stables. We got here about six, and started _en
+masse_ to inspect the rooms. Hippolyte had engaged them beforehand, and
+seemed rather apologetic about them, and finally, when there did not
+appear half enough to go round, he shrugged his shoulders almost up to
+his ears and said, "Que voulez vous!" and that "Ces Messieurs" would
+have to be "tres bourgeois en voyage," and that there was nothing for
+it but that Mme. la Comtesse de Tournelle should "partager
+l'appartement de Monsieur le Comte de Tournelle," and that Monsieur le
+Comte de Croixmare would have to extend like hospitality to Mme. la
+Comtesse de Croixmare. This caused shrieks of derision. Heloise said
+she would prefer to sleep on the dining-room table, and "Antoine" said
+he thought people ought to be a little more careful of their
+reputations even _en voyage_. Finally they unearthed a baby's cot in
+the room that Hippolyte had designed for the Croixmare menage, and de
+Tournelle said it was the very thing for me, but Jean replied, "Mon
+cher ami c'est une Bebe beaucoup trop emoustillante," which I thought
+very rude, just as if I snored, or something dreadful like that. Then,
+after a further prowl, a fearful little hole was discovered beyond,
+with no curtains to the windows, or blinds, or shutters, just a scrap
+of net. The face of Agnes when she saw it!
+
+[Sidenote: _A Necessary Precaution_]
+
+Dinner was not until seven, so Jean and I went out for a walk; as
+Hippolyte advised us to try and find a chemist and buy some flea
+powder. "Je trouverai ca plus prudent," he said. Jean is getting quite
+natural with me now, and isn't so awfully polite. The chemist took us
+for a honeymoon couple (as, of course, if I had been French I could not
+have gone for a walk with Jean alone). He--the chemist--was so
+sympathetic, he had only one packet of powder left, he said, as so much
+was required by the _voyageurs_ and inhabitants that he was out of it
+(that did not sound a pleasant prospect for our night)--"Mais, madame"
+(that's me), "n'est pas assez grasse pour les attirer," he added by way
+of consolation.
+
+It was spitting with rain when we got back, and they all made such a
+fuss for fear I had got wet, and they would not for worlds stir out of
+doors to see the church or anything, which I heard is very picturesque.
+We had such an amusing dinner, the food was wonderful, considering the
+place, but a _horrible_ cloth and pewter forks and spoons. There were
+two _officiers_ at another table (only infantry), and they were _so_
+interested in our party.
+
+[Sidenote: _Close Quarters_]
+
+"Antoine" sat next to me, and in a pause in the general conversation he
+said to me (it is the first time he has addressed me directly), "Il
+fait mauvais temps, mademoiselle." I have heard him saying all kinds of
+_drole_ things to the others, so it shows he can be quite intelligent.
+It is just because I am not married I suppose, so I said that is what
+English people always spoke about--the weather--and I wanted to hear
+something different in France. He seemed perfectly shocked, and hardly
+spoke to me after that, but the Vicomte, who was listening, began at
+once to say flattering things across the table. They all make
+compliments upon my French, and are very gay and kind, but I wish they
+did not eat so badly. The Comte and the Marquise, who are cousins, and
+of the very oldest noblesse, are the worst--one daren't look sometimes.
+The Comtesse is a little better, but then her family is only Empire,
+and Jean and Heloise are fairly decent.
+
+I could bear most of it, if it wasn't for the peppermint glasses at the
+end, which the men have. The whole party are very French, not a bit
+like the people we see at Cannes, who have been much with the English.
+It is a different thing altogether. When dinner was over the rain
+stopped, and after a lot of talk--as to whether the ground would be too
+damp or not--we at last ventured for a walk down to the bridge and
+back. Then we returned and commenced a general powdering of the beds,
+beginning with the de Tournelles' apartment; next we went to the
+Marquise's--she had such an exquisite nightgown laid out, it was made
+of pink chiffon. When we got to my room they made all kinds of
+sympathies for me having such a small and stuffy place. The powder was
+all gone before we could sprinkle the Baronne's bed. Agnes was not
+quite so uppish undressing me as usual. Perhaps she realised this part
+of her France was not so good as England.
+
+Next morning when I got down--we had arranged to have our _premier
+dejeuner_ all together, not in our rooms, as we were to make such an
+early start--"Antoine" and Heloise were already there. The Vicomte and
+the Baronne came in soon after; he at once began: "Comme Mlle. est
+ravissante le soir! un petit ange a son deshabille! Une si eblouissante
+chevelure!"
+
+[Sidenote: _A Conjugal Experiment_]
+
+The wretch had been watching me from the opposite gallery, wasn't it
+_odious_ of him, Mamma? No Englishman would have done such a thing. I
+_was_ angry, but Heloise said it was no use, that I must get accustomed
+to "les habitudes de voyage," and that she did not suppose he had
+really looked, it was only to tease me. _But I believe he had_--anyway
+from that moment de la Tremors has been always talking to me. Presently
+while we were eating our rolls, the garcon, a Parisian (who was also
+the ostler), came in and said: Would Madame--indicating the
+Baronne--come up to "Mademoiselle," who wished to speak to her? We
+could not think who he could mean, as I was the only "Mademoiselle" of
+the party. The Baronne told him so. "Mais non!" he said, jerking his
+thumb in the direction of upstairs, "La demoiselle dans la chambre de
+Monsieur."
+
+"Mais que dites vous mon brave homme!" screamed the Baronne and
+Heloise together. The man was quite annoyed.
+
+"Je dis ce que je dis et je m'en fiche pas mal! la petite demoiselle
+blonde, dans la chambre de Monsieur le Comte de Tournelle."
+
+At that moment the Comtesse came in, so with another jerk of his thumb
+at her, "Comment! vous ne me croyez pas?" he said, "tiens--la voila!"
+and he bounced out of the room.
+
+"Antoine" said it served them perfectly right, that he had warned them
+their reputations would suffer if husbands and wives camped together.
+Even a place like Vernon, he said, was sufficiently enlightened to find
+the situation impossible.
+
+I don't know what it all meant, but the Comtesse de Tournelle is now
+called "la demoiselle!"
+
+The two young men leave us for the day, to do their duty at Versailles,
+but are to meet us again at Rouen in the evening, with leave for a few
+days. We are just going on board, so I will finish this presently.
+
+_5 p.m._--The scenery is too beautiful after you pass Vernon, and it
+was so interesting getting in and out of the locks. The Baronne and I
+and Jean talked together on the raised deck, while de Tournelle read to
+the Marquise in the bows. The old Baron is mostly with the sailors, and
+Heloise slept a good deal. Every now and then Hippolyte came out from
+his cooking place, and one saw his baboon face appearing on a level
+with the deck floor, and he would explain all the places we passed, and
+it always ended with: "Il ne faut pas que Mme. La Baronne pionce c'est
+tres tres interessant."
+
+I can't tell you what a _drole_ creature he is. Heloise woke up
+presently and talked to me; she said if it was not for the Tournelles
+she could not stand the Chateau de Croixmare and Victorine. It appears
+too, that when in Paris, Godmamma always drives in the Bois at the
+wrong times, and will have her opera box on the nights no one is there,
+and that irritates Heloise.
+
+I can't think why papa and she were such friends. I don't believe if he
+had been alive now, and accustomed to really nice people like you and
+me, he would have been able to put up with her.
+
+I shall post this directly we land, I am writing on the cabin table,
+and now good-bye.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+CAUDEBEC
+
+
+Caudebec,
+
+_Saturday, 20th August._
+
+[Sidenote: _A Visit to Rouen_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--To-day has been the loveliest I ever remember, not a
+cloud in the sky. We landed at Rouen the day before yesterday about
+six, and the hotel we stopped at was quite decent, and although the
+windows of my room looked upon the inner courtyard they at least had
+shutters. I wanted to go and see the marks the flames of Joan of Arc's
+burning had made on the wall, but every one was so hungry, we had to
+have dinner so early, there wasn't time. _Canard a la Rouennaise is_
+good, it is done here with a wine called _Grenache_. I had two
+helpings, and just as we were finishing, the Vicomte and "Antoine" came
+in from the station. They aren't in uniform now, but their hair does
+stick up so, and somehow their clothes don't look comfortable. I liked
+them in uniform best. Madame de Vermandoise talked to "Antoine" across
+the table quite a lot. That is the only way one may speak directly to a
+person, it seems. After dinner we went in search of some place of
+amusement, but there was no theatre open, so we had to content
+ourselves with a walk along the quay, and then we came back and drank
+_sirop_. It _is_ sweet and nice, and you can have it raspberry, or
+gooseberry, or what you like, and I am sure if the people in England
+who drink nasty old ports and things could have it they would like it
+much better. The Baronne calls all the men by their end names like
+"Tournelle," "Croixmare," "Tremors," &c., and every one is very devoted
+to her, and I daresay she is even older than you, mamma; isn't it
+wonderful? Jean now always sits beside me, I suppose he thinks he is my
+host, but I would rather have the Vicomte de la Tremors, who is very
+amusing. But to go back to Rouen. It was a treat to sleep fearlessly in
+a clean bed after Vernon, and I actually had a bath in the morning. I
+don't know where Agnes retrieved it from.
+
+[Sidenote: _"Coiffer St. Catherine"_]
+
+You can see Joan of Arc's flames quite plain, we went there as soon as
+we were dressed. "Antoine" would insist it was only the black from a
+smoky chimney, but I paid no attention to him. The _Horloge_ is nice,
+and we did a lot of churches, but they always look to me just the same,
+and any way they all smell alike, and I don't think I shall bother with
+any more. We had breakfast on the _Sauterelle_, but it was so fine
+after we left Vernon, and yesterday, that we could have it each day in
+the bows under the awning, and so had not to wash our forks and plates.
+The Chateaux are so picturesque, and such woods! after you leave Rouen.
+Heloise did not sleep yesterday. "Antoine" talked so much, no one could
+really have had a comfortable nap. In the afternoon the Marquise told
+us our fortunes; she said Heloise would marry twice, which made her
+look as pleased as Punch, but Jean did not think it at all funny,
+though every one else laughed She told me I should probably be an old
+maid ("_Coiffer St. Catherine_"), and so I said in that case I should
+run pins into the horrid old saint's head: I simply _won't_ be an old
+maid, Mamma, so they need not make any more predictions. However, it
+would be worse to be one here than at home, because even up to forty,
+if you aren't married, you mayn't go to the nice theatres, or talk to
+people alone, or even speak much more than "Yes" and "No," and you
+generally get a nasty moustache or something. We saw a whole family of
+elderly girls at our hotel at Rouen, and they all had moustaches or
+moles on the cheek.
+
+We got here (Caudebec) yesterday soon after four. Our inn looks right
+on to the Seine, and is as old nearly as the one at Vernon, but
+fortunately beautifully clean. Only you have to get at your room
+through somebody else's. Mine is beyond the Baronne's and Madame de
+Vermandoise gets at hers through the Comtesse de Tournelle's. Hers is
+the most ridiculous place, with a red curtain hanging across so that
+sometimes it can be turned into two; and such a thing happened last
+night. "Antoine" went in with the Comte de Tournelle to help him to
+shut the window, as Madame de Tournelle couldn't, when a gust of wind
+blew the door shut, and whether there was a spring lock or not I don't
+know, but any way nothing would induce it to open again. So there they
+were. We had stayed up rather late; the landlord and the servants were
+in bed. They rattled and shook and pushed, but to no purpose.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Misadventure_]
+
+There was only a board partition between my room and Madame de
+Vermandoise's, so I could hear everything, and Tournelle said there was
+nothing for it but that "Antoine" would have to sleep in the other bed
+in her room. She screamed a great deal, and they all laughed very much,
+and all talked at once, so I suppose that was why I could not
+understand quite everything they were saying. At last the Baronne
+rushed into my room to discover what the noise was. She looks perfectly
+_odd_ when going to bed; a good deal seemed to have come off; she is as
+thin as a lath; and on the dressing table was such a sweet lace
+nightcap, with lovely baby curls sewed to its edge, and when she put
+that on she did look sweet. It isn't that she has no hair herself, it's
+thick and brown; but she explained that having to wear a nightcap
+because of ear-ache, she found it more becoming with the curls. I
+suppose it is on account of the waiters coming in with the breakfast
+that they have to be so particular in France how they look in bed.
+
+But to go on about the door. We sent the Baronne's maid and Agnes to
+try and find the landlord; but, after exploring untold depths below and
+above, they only succeeded in unearthing Hippolyte. He came up from his
+bed looking just like that very clever Missing Link that was at
+Barnum's, do you remember?--the one that sometimes was an Irishwoman,
+and could do housework in a cage by itself. I don't know exactly what
+Hippolyte had on, but it ended up with a petticoat of red and black
+plaid, and a pair of grey linen trousers over his shoulders; his
+whiskers and hair were standing straight on end, and his shaved bits
+were bluer than ever at night. He said a good deal of the French
+equivalent of, "Here's a pretty kettle of fish," and shrugged so that I
+was afraid the petticoat would slip off; and finally, when all the
+pushing and pulling had no effect on the door, he said people must
+resign themselves to the accidents of travel, and as there were four
+beds, he did not see that they had too much to complain of.
+
+[Sidenote: _"Not Much to Complain of"_]
+
+At this moment Heloise came out of her room to see what the commotion
+was. She understood it was her husband locked in the room, and she
+laughed too very much, and said they must just stay there; but when she
+heard the voice of "Antoine" she seemed to think the situation grave--I
+suppose because he is not married--and she also did everything she
+could to open the door. Of course if they had been Englishmen they
+would have simply kicked it down, and got out without more ado, but the
+French aren't strong enough for that.
+
+Heloise became quite disagreeable about it, though as it wasn't Jean I
+can't think what business it was of hers. She said it was because
+"Antoine" did not really try, and she was sure he had done it on
+purpose, upon which Madame de Vermandoise gurgled with mirth. I could
+hear both sides you see, because of the wooden partition. "Antoine"
+came into the inner room and said he was "Doux comme un petit agneau,"
+but the Marquise said that he was "Un loup dans une peau de mouton,"
+and must go away. Finally the whole of the rest of the party in
+different stages of _deshabille_ got collected outside the door. No
+landlord was to be found anywhere. Then the old Baron suggested quite a
+simple plan, which was for Madame de Tournelle to share Madame de
+Vermandoise's room, and to leave the Comte and "Antoine" in her room.
+
+No one seemed to have thought of this before; and that is what they
+finally did, and at last we got to sleep. In the morning no landlord
+could still be found, and we had no coffee, but presently he arrived
+accompanied by two _gendarmes_ and goodness knows what other rabble
+armed with sticks, and they wanted to proceed upstairs. We heard every
+sort of "_Sacres!_" going on between them and Hippolyte, and eventually
+the landlord almost crawled up apologising, and opened the door with
+his key.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Cautious Landlord_]
+
+It appears that hearing the noise of the door being tried to be opened
+and Madame de Vermandoise's screams, he had thought it wiser to decamp
+for the night, as two years ago there had been a murder there, and he
+had had "beaucoup d'embetement," he said, on account of it, and was
+determined not to be mixed up in one again, "En ces affaires la, il est
+bien assez tot d'arriver le lendemain," he said.
+
+Everybody was still laughing too much over the situation to be angry
+with him; and the coffee, which we got at last, was so good it made up
+for it; but you should have heard the _plaisanteries_ they made over
+the night's adventure!
+
+Caudebec is an odd place; it used to be inhabited by hundreds of
+Protestant beaver hat-makers, who fled from there after the Edict of
+Nantes' affair, and so there are streets of deserted houses still, and
+so old, one has a stream down the middle. I would not go into the
+church: the usual smell met me at the door; so the Vicomte and Jean and
+I went for a walk, and now we are just going to start on the
+_Sauterelle_ again, and this must be posted. I have managed to write it
+on my knee, sitting on a stone bench outside the inn door.--Good-bye,
+dear Mamma, with love from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+HOTEL FRASCATI, HAVRE
+
+
+Hotel Frascati, Havre,
+
+_Sunday, 21st August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Havre to Trouville_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I am sorry our nice voyage is nearly finished, for we
+go over to Trouville this evening, and from there by train back to
+Vinant. The river is not nearly so pretty after you leave Caudebec, but
+Tancarville is fine, and looks very imposing sitting up so high. The
+Vicomte has been talking to me all the time, but Jean stays by. We were
+dusty and sun-burnt by the time we got to Havre, and Heloise and the
+Marquise and I started at once for the big baths. They do not quite
+join the hotel, so we covered a good deal of absence, in the way of
+dress, by our faithful mackintoshes and trotted across. On the steps we
+met de Tournelle just coming out from the baths; he laughed when he saw
+us, and said he had never before realised that garments of so much
+respectability could have such possibilities! Oh! how nice to have a
+real bath again!
+
+[Sidenote: _A Gay Dinner_]
+
+Agnes hasn't enjoyed this trip much, I can see. Heaven knows where she
+has slept! I thought it wiser not to ask. We had such a gay dinner. I
+am getting accustomed to shouting across the table at every one; it
+will feel quite queer just talking to one's neighbour when I get back
+to England. The restaurant at Frascati isn't at all bad, and it was
+agreeable to have proper food again.
+
+Hippolyte thinks we are awfully greedy; he was heard yesterday
+grumbling to the Baronne's maid, "Mais ou diable est-ce que ces dames
+mettent tout ce qu'elles mangent? Elles goblottent toute la journee!"
+
+After dinner we drank our coffee on the terrace and listened to the
+band. Heloise would hardly speak to "Antoine" all day, and he looked
+perfectly miserable, and Madame de Vermandoise every now and then
+laughed to herself--I don't know what at. However we took a walk on the
+pier presently, and as there was such a crowd we weren't able to walk
+all together as usual, but had to go two and two. "Antoine" walked with
+Heloise, and I suppose they made it up. I just caught this: "N'oubliez
+jamais, bien chere Madame, qu'une eglise a deux portes." Heloise said
+she would not forget, and he thanked her rapturously; but what it meant
+I don't know. They have both smiled often since so I expect it is some
+French idiom for reconciliation.
+
+The crowd on the pier was common, and we returned to Frascati's garden.
+It was so fearfully hot, that beyond wondering if the dew was falling,
+no one suggested we should get cold, as they always do. It really has
+been a delightful trip, and I have enjoyed it so. They are all
+charming. They seem to have kinder hearts than some of the people at
+Nazeby, but what strikes one as quite different is that every one is
+witty; they are making epigrams or clever _tournures de phrases_ all
+the time, and don't seem to talk of the teeny weeny things we do in
+England. They have most exquisite manners, and extraordinarily
+unpleasant personal habits, like eating, and coughing, and picking
+their teeth, etc.; but they do have nice under-clothes, and lovely
+soaps and scents and things.
+
+[Sidenote: _Views for Victorine_]
+
+The Frascati beds were comfortable, and I could not wake in the
+morning, in spite of Agnes fussing about. The Vicomte has awakened
+every one each day by rapping at their doors, but this morning I was at
+last aroused by Heloise, who had the next room, and we had our coffee
+together. She says she does hope soon to get Victorine married, and
+that they have a nephew of the Baronne's in view, but he has not seen
+her yet. It appears it is easier to get them off if they are quiet
+looking and dowdy, but not so aggressive as Victorine. You haven't much
+chance if you are very pretty and lively; as she says, the men only
+like you to be that when you are married to some one else. Heloise
+wishes to have everything smart as the Tournelles have, but Godmamma
+and Victorine are always against her. She says life there is for ever
+eating _galette de plomp_, which I suppose means a suet pudding
+feeling. We all went to High Mass at eleven; it was very pretty, and
+such a good-looking priest handed the bag. I should hate to be a
+priest; shouldn't you, Mamma? You mayn't even look at any one nice.
+
+We breakfasted at Frascati, but we were a little bit gloomy at our trip
+being over. This afternoon they have nearly all gone for a drive in hired
+motor cars, but I haven't a hat here that would stay on, so I am writing
+to you instead, and we cross over to Trouville at five o'clock in the
+ordinary boat, as it is too rough for the _Sauterelle_.--Good-bye, dear
+Mamma, your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Full-blown Bride_]
+
+_P.S._--I forgot to tell you the story of the "_Cote des deux
+Amants._" You know the fearfully straight, steep hill we have often
+noticed from the train if you go to Paris from Dieppe. Well, Hippolyte
+told us the story when we passed it. It is quite close from the river,
+and looks as if it had been cut with a knife, it is so steep. It
+appears that in the Middle Ages there was a castle on the top, and
+there lived a Comte who had a tremendously stout daughter. He said no
+one should have her and her fortune unless he was strong enough to
+carry her from the bottom to the top of the hill. Hundreds tried--it
+was a beauty then to be fat--but every one dropped her half-way, and
+the poor thing got "tres fatiguee d'etre plantee comme ca," when a
+handsome cavalier came along, and he succeeded. His snorts of
+out-of-breathness could be heard for miles, but he got her to the top
+and then fell dead at her feet; and she went into a convent and died.
+Hippolyte said also that the other ending of the story was, that she
+got so thin from pining for the knight that the next one who came along
+had no difficulty, and so they married and lived happy ever after. But
+I like the tragic end best. And he said that the peasants still declare
+they can hear the knight wheezing on moonlight nights, but "Antoine"
+said it was probably a traction engine. And I don't think it nice of
+him; do you, Mamma?
+
+
+
+
+CHATEAU DE CROIXMARE
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_24th August_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I am quite sure I shall never be able to stand the
+whole fortnight more here. We got back on Monday evening, and Godmamma
+was as disagreeable as could be. She said all sorts of spiteful things
+about the Tournelles, and especially the Baronne; and Jean looked
+nervous and uncomfortable, and Heloise like a mule; and Victorine said
+I had no doubt enjoyed myself, but for her part she would be sorry to
+be taken for a "young married woman," which was what Madame de Visac (a
+woman who came to call after we left) had said--"Qui est cette jeune
+femme avec votre belle soeur?"
+
+[Sidenote: _Modest Maidens_]
+
+She had seen us embarking. So I said I was flattered, as that seemed to
+mean in France all that was attractive in contrast to the girls. Did
+you ever hear of such a _cat_, Mamma? and considering that I am only
+seventeen, and she is an old maid of twenty-two; I think it too
+ridiculous. She need not fear, no one would ever think she was
+married, she looks like a lumping German governess. Two of her girl
+friends came to breakfast yesterday, of course with their mothers, and
+you should have heard the idiot conversation we had! All plopped down
+on the great sofa in the big salon, like a row of dolls. The two
+friends were simply gasping with excitement at the idea of my having
+gone on the _Sauterelle_. They asked me endless questions, and giggled,
+and I _did_ tell them some things!
+
+They asked also about England, and was it really true that when we went
+to a ball we stayed with our _danseurs_ till the next dance? I said I
+had not been to a ball yet, but had always heard that is what one did.
+One of the friends is quite nice-looking, but with such dirty nails. It
+appears you don't wash much till you are married, it is not considered
+_bien vu_, in fact rather _lance_, and you can't have fine
+under-clothes, it has all got to be as unattractive as possible, and
+that shows you are as good as gold and will make a nice wife.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Trouville Casino_]
+
+But it must be a bother picking up a taste for having baths and things
+afterwards, if it isn't from instinct, don't you think so, Mamma? And
+I am glad I am not French. It is even eccentric if you sleep with your
+window open; Heloise screamed at me for that. They all assure me it
+gives sore eyes, besides encouraging an early grave. I said at last
+that in England we slept the whole summer in the open air. I was so
+exasperated, and they would believe anything.
+
+Oh, I wish we were back on the _Sauterelle!_--which reminds me I have
+never told you anything about Trouville. The whole place was full of
+such beautiful ladies, and such nice clothes. They must all have been
+married, their things were so becoming. The Vicomte seemed to know them
+well, and they all spoke of them by their Christian names, such as,
+_Voila Blanche d'Antin!_ or _Emilie_ something else, as we passed them,
+but none of our party bowed to the really pretty ones, which I thought
+very queer if they knew them well enough to speak of them by their
+Christian names. I remember you always told me never to do that--I mean
+to use people's first names in speaking of them if you are not
+acquainted with them--but evidently it is different here. The
+Tournelles and all the others did stop to speak to heaps of duller
+looking people, and every one tried to persuade us to stay and go to
+the races.
+
+We went to the Casino in the evening and saw a piece; it was boring. We
+had two boxes, and they kept talking to me all the time, so I really
+could not pay much attention to the acting.
+
+Down below us was the Marquise de Vermandoise's brother-in-law, with a
+rather dowdy little woman. They talked a great deal about him, and the
+Marquise said it was just like his economy to go to Trouville with such
+"une espece de petite fagottee bon marche." So I suppose it was some
+poor relation he was treating, but they seemed very good friends, as he
+held her hand all the time, quite forgetting the people up above could
+see. Then we played "Petits Chevaux," and I won every time; I do like
+it very much.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Bathing Party_]
+
+We came back to Vinant by the two o'clock train, but first we went to
+bathe. I was really annoyed at having to have a hired dress, a
+frightful thing, and weighing a ton. The Marquise and the others had
+brought theirs on the chance of our having time for a dip. The
+Baronne's and Heloise's were too sweet. The Baronne's cap had the same
+kind of lovely little curls round it that she wears at night; but she
+is a great coward, and hardly went in deeper than her ankles, in spite
+of all the entreaties of "Antoine" and the Vicomte. The Marquise de
+Vermandoise looks splendid in the water, just like a goddess, and her
+bathing-dress was thin enough red silk for us to see how beautifully
+she is made. The splashing about seemed to make her so gay, she kept
+putting her tongue into the gap where her tooth is gone, and looked so
+wicked they would all have swam anywhere after her. She and de
+Tournelle went out a long way to a boat, and they did seem to be having
+a good time. I wish I could swim like that.
+
+Heloise and "Antoine" made _la planche_ together; it is simply
+floating, only you have some one to hold you up in case you float out
+too far. The Vicomte wanted to teach me, and as I was getting rather
+tired of pretending to swim with one leg down, I tried, and it feels
+lovely, and we did laugh so over it. At last the Baronne came out quite
+up to her knees to call to us "Tremors, c'est defendu de faire des
+betises." I suppose she thought he would let me drown.
+
+Jean and the Comtesse de Tournelle watched us from the _plage_. The old
+Baron swims splendidly, and went quite out of sight. Hippolyte was
+waiting among the other servants with our _peignoirs_, and presently he
+clapped his hands to insure attention, and shouted, "Il ne faut pas que
+Madame la Baronne reste trop longtemps se mouillant les pieds, elle
+prendrait froid, mieux vaut sortir de l'eau!"
+
+[Sidenote: _End of the Trip_]
+
+I am glad my hair curls naturally, because I laughed so at the face of
+Hippolyte, gesticulating at the Baronne, that I did not pay attention
+to a wave, and it threw me over, and I went right under water. The
+Vicomte pulled me up, but there was no need of him to have been so
+long about it, and I told him so. He apologised, and said it was his
+fear that I should drown, but we were only up to our chests in water,
+so I don't believe it a bit. After that we came out, and it is just as
+well one has a _peignoir_ to put on immediately, as the bathing gowns
+are so tight and thin, when wet they look quite odd. There were
+hundreds of other people bathing too, and some of the dresses were so
+pretty. One was all black and very tight, with red dragons running over
+it, and she had a gold bangle on her ankle. I wish we could have stayed
+longer, it was so gay.
+
+In the train coming back we played all sorts of games. Jean and the old
+Baron went "smoking," and we eight squashed into the same carriage, so
+as not to be separated. We had to go right up to Paris (as the express
+does not stop at Vinant), and then back again. One can just see the
+high roof of Croixmare from the train. Yesterday those tiresome girls
+came to _dejeuner_, and to-day we go to pay another visit of ceremony
+at the Tournelles', to thank them for our nice trip. I shall be glad
+to see them again after looking at Godmamma for two whole days.
+
+The evenings are awful. Although it is so warm no one thinks of walking
+in the garden, or even sitting out on the _perron_. When we come out
+from dinner, though it is broad daylight, every shutter is shut and
+curtains drawn, and there we sit in the salon, all arranged round in a
+semi-circle, and make conversation, and _sirop_ comes at nine, and,
+thank goodness, we get off to bed at ten! But even if you wanted to
+talk nicely to the person sitting by you you couldn't, because every
+one would at once stop what they were saying and listen. There is going
+to be an entertainment at the Tournelles' in about a week, a kind of
+_fete champetre_. We are to dine in a pavilion in the garden, and then
+have a _cotillon_.-Good-bye, dear Mamma, with love from your
+affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_25th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Croixmare again_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--The longer I stay, here the more glad I am that I am
+not French! Victorine is going to be shown to her future _fiance_
+to-day, but I must first tell you how it came about. We went to Chateau
+de Tournelle yesterday to pay our visit, Godmamma, Victorine, and I in
+the victoria, and Jean and Heloise in the phaeton. They were in the
+garden playing tennis with a party of friends from Versailles, and
+among them, of course, the Vicomte and "Antoine." They were all so glad
+to see me, and the Baronne called me her "_chere petite_," and kissed
+me on both cheeks, as if we had been parted for months. The
+Vicomte--when he had done putting his heels together and bowing to
+Victorine and me, and kissing Heloise's and Godmamma's hands--managed
+to get in, in a lower voice, that his ride from Versailles now seemed
+to him to have been very short. Upon which Victorine at once said,
+"_Comment?_" with the expression of a terrier whose ears are suddenly
+cocked up on the alert. He bowed more deeply than ever, and said that
+he was saying it was a long ride from Versailles! So you see that
+Frenchmen are not truthful, Mamma! Well--then we were sent to look at
+the gardens, accompanied by Jean and the Cure.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Untruthful Frenchman_]
+
+The Comtesse "adores" _le tennis_, and plays very well, it quite
+animates her. The Baronne plays too, but she doesn't hit the ball much,
+and screams most of the time; she was in the middle of a game when we
+arrived, and only stopped to pay all kinds of civilities to our party.
+Her pretty feet show when she runs about, but she wears a large black
+tulle hat with fluffy strings, and it does not seem very suitable for
+tennis. I had to walk with the old Cure when the path was not wide
+enough to trot all together. The gardens really are lovely, with all
+kinds of strange shrubs and trees, and _fontaines_ and _bosquets_, and
+nooks, but I don't see the least use in them if one has always to walk
+three in a row, if not more, do you, Mamma? The Cure was a charming old
+fellow, and explained all the plants to me. We had no sooner got back
+to the tennis ground than one felt something momentous was taking place
+between Godmamma and the Baronne. She had finished her tennis, and they
+were sitting away from the others, nodding their heads together.
+Victorine at once put on a conscious air, and minced more than usual.
+"Antoine" and Heloise seemed speaking seriously, while she examined his
+new racket. The Vicomte had begun a game, so could not talk to us, but
+some more officers were introduced, and, after the usual bowing, we
+began to talk.
+
+"Vous aimez le tennis, mademoiselle?"
+
+"Oui, monsieur," from Victorine. "Moi, je le deteste," from me.
+
+"Pas possible!" from every one.
+
+"Je vous assure on ne joue que le croquet chez nous."
+
+"Le croquet," from Victorine, "un jeu de Couvent!"
+
+"Le croquet! Et les anglais qui n'aiment que l'exercice!" from the
+officers, &c., &c.
+
+Very interesting, you see, one's conversations here!
+
+[Sidenote: _A Marriage Arranged_]
+
+All this time the Baronne and Godmamma were nodding their heads, and
+when Jean and Heloise joined them, they looked like those sets of
+mandarins that used to be on Uncle Charles's mantelpiece, and as we
+said Good-bye, the Baronne said to Godmamma, "Bien, chere madame, c'est
+entendu alors c'est pour demain."
+
+All the way home in the carriage, Victorine simpered. I felt I could
+have slapped her.
+
+In the evening there was an air of mystery about them all, and, quite
+unlike her usual custom, Heloise came into my room to chat when I was
+going to bed. Of course Agnes stayed as long as she could, but no
+sooner had we got rid of her, than Heloise told me what it was all
+about. It appears the Baronne has a nephew, who has made a heap of
+debts; he is a Marquis, and he wants to "redorer le blason." It is
+necessary for him to secure a large dot, but he is "si terriblement
+volage," that the extreme plainness of Victorine may put him off. The
+Baronne has been arranging it, and he is to be brought with his parent
+to breakfast, to sample her!
+
+They have not seen one another yet, and it has been difficult to get
+him to face the situation seriously. Victorine has been dragging on so,
+that the family will be delighted to let her go, even to a less fortune
+than she has. "Ils devraient etre joliment contents, un gros paquet
+comme ca!" as Hippolyte, who knows every one's business, said to the
+Baronne's maid--Heloise told me--and that explains it; she said it
+would be such a _mercy_ if he will settle the affair at once. She had
+come to ask me a favour. I did wonder what it was! And you will laugh,
+Mamma, when you hear! Victorine is sure to be nervous, Heloise said,
+and in that case her face gets red, and it would be a pity to distract
+his attention in any way, and in short would I mind putting on my most
+unbecoming dress, and not speaking while the Marquis is here?
+
+[Sidenote: _The Fiance Appears_]
+
+So here I am, Mamma, writing to you up in my room, dressed in that
+horrid _beige_ linen that we chose at night, and I shan't go down till
+_dejeuner_ is ready, pouf! I can hear a carriage coming, I must go to
+the window. Yes, it is the _fiance_, accompanied by his mother and
+aunt. He is nice-looking, except that he has got a silly fair beard. I
+can hear them arriving in the hall; such a lot of talking!
+
+Heloise and Victorine have just been here. Heloise even has got an ugly
+dress on, and Victorine has scrubbed her face with soap--I suppose to
+get that greasy look off--until it shines like an apple, her nose is
+crimson, and her eyes look like two beads. They have gone downstairs.
+More talking--I am sure he is putting his heels together. I'll finish
+this after they have gone, so as to tell you what happens.
+
+_Evening_.--Such a day! After I had heard mumbling talking for quite a
+while--the windows were all open, and the salon is under me--suddenly
+the piano began. Victorine plays really well generally--that is, she
+has brilliant execution--but you should have heard the jumble! hardly a
+note right, and in the middle of it up rushed Heloise to me and sank
+into a chair. It was going as badly as it possibly could, she said.
+Victorine was so nervous that her voice was like a file, and her face
+so crimson that the Marquis must think she has erysipelas! And then, to
+complete matters, when she is told by Godmamma to show her
+accomplishments, to think that she should play like this! Especially as
+the Marquis is very musical! Heloise said she could see he was quite
+"degoute," and the only thing for it now, was for me to change my frock
+instantly, and to put on a becoming one, and to go down and talk. Then
+he would go away having enjoyed his visit, he won't reason why, and
+will come again; and then when I am gone, he can be pushed into the
+marriage with Victorine!
+
+She rang for Agnes while she spoke, and I was simply pitched into the
+blue _batiste_, and hustled downstairs.
+
+Such a scene in the salon! The Baronne seated on the large sofa with
+Jean; Godmamma and the mother of the young man in two of the armchairs;
+while Victorine fumbled with some music on the piano with the _dame de
+compagnie_, whom Heloise calls "_le Remorqueur_," because she looks
+like a teeny tug pulling along a coal barge (Victorine). The Marquis
+was standing up by himself--with his hat and gloves in his hand--first
+on one foot, then on the other; and Marie and Yolande were making
+horrid, shuffling, squeaking noises, sliding on the _parquet_ by the
+window.
+
+[Sidenote: _Wandering Glances_]
+
+When I was introduced and had made a reverence to the old ladies, the
+Marquis was presented, and when we had done bowing, he said: "Vous etes
+anglaise, mademoiselle?" and, even for that, Victorine's eyes shot two
+yellow flames at me! Heloise nipped my arm to tell me to talk, so of
+course everything went out of my head, and I could only think of "Oui,
+monsieur." Just then breakfast was announced, and we all went in
+arm-in-arm, Godmamma and the Marquis together. It is a huge round
+table, and I had done the flowers, because they wanted to be shown how
+we have tables in England. I was next but one to the Marquis, with
+Heloise between. We had scarcely sat down, when he began. How beautiful
+the table looked, and what taste in the flowers! Upon which Heloise
+said, that they _were_ lovely, and were the arrangement of her "_chere
+petite belle-soeur!_" and she smiled angelically at Victorine, who
+looked down with conscious pride. Then Heloise said that it was a great
+joy in life to have the absorbing love of flowers as Victorine had! and
+I could not help laughing, because Victorine doesn't know one from
+another, and would not even help me this morning. The Marquis looked
+and looked at me when I laughed, and then lifting his glass of _vin
+ordinaire_, he said: "Les belles dents rendent gai." Wasn't it nice of
+him? I think it is hard he should be tied to Victorine. He talked to me
+all the time after that, across Heloise, and considering she told me to
+be agreeable to him, I don't see why she should have been annoyed.
+
+After breakfast--which we left as usual arm-in-arm--we sat in the
+salon, while the Marquis and Jean went back to smoke. It was appalling!
+If Victorine had been a four-legged cat, she would have spit at me, but
+fortunately the two-legged ones can't spit in drawing-rooms, so I
+escaped. The Baronne, after a good deal of manoeuvring, got by me near
+the window, and then said in a distinct voice, "Ma petite cherie j'ai
+trop chaud, donnez-moi votre bras un instant;" and so we got outside on
+the terrace, where the huge orange trees in pots stand.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Lecture on Duty_]
+
+As soon as we were out of earshot, she began to scold me. Why had I
+attracted the Marquis? how naughty of me, when it was essential his
+debts should be paid, etc., etc. If she had not been so nice, I should
+have been furious, and you can see, Mamma, how impossible to understand
+them it is; to be told one moment to be nice, and then, when one is, to
+be scolded! I just said as respectfully as I could, that I had done
+nothing, and that Heloise had told me to do it, and the reason why.
+That made the Baronne think a little. I am sure she wished for the
+advice of Hippolyte; but the end of it was, that she asked me how much
+_dot_ you were going to allow me! I said I did not know, and that
+seemed to stump her. At last she said she supposed, as we were people
+of consideration, and that I was the only child, it would be something
+considerable. I do believe, Mamma, she was thinking that I might do
+for the Marquis! It was only a question of having his debts paid--any
+one who could do that would answer. It did make me _cross_, just as if
+I would dream of marrying into a nation that eats badly, and doesn't
+have a bath except to be smart. Think of always having to shout across
+the table, day after day, and never to be able to do anything except by
+rules and regulations; and the stuffy rooms and the eight armchairs! I
+saw myself! and probably ending up with a moustache, or an
+_embonpoint_, or something like that.
+
+The Baronne at last patted my hand, and said: Well, well, she supposed
+I had not meant anything, but that I _must_ leave the Marquis alone,
+and turn my attention to "Gaston" (the Vicomte), who was really in love
+with me. Then if I made him sufficiently miserable, he would be willing
+to fall in with another plan of hers, when I was gone, through sheer
+_desoeuvrement_. So you see, Mamma, they look upon me as a regular
+catspaw, and I won't put up with it. I shall just talk to the Marquis
+or "Gaston" whenever I like, I was quite polite to the Baronne,
+because she is such a dear; but I am afraid, if Godmamma had said it
+all, I should have been impudent.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Alternative Plan_]
+
+By this time the others had joined us on the terrace. They had all been
+up to fix their hats on, because even if you have been out, and are
+running out again just after, you always have to take your hat off, and
+make a _toilette_ for _dejeuner_; it does seem waste of time. The
+Baronne is considered quite eccentric because she keeps hers on
+sometimes. I had not even a parasol. Godmamma looked as if she thought
+it almost indecent. Presently Jean and the Marquis came out of the
+smoking-room and joined us. The Marquis at once began to pay
+compliments about the sun on my hair, and was really so clever in
+getting in little things, while he was talking to Godmamma, that I
+quite took to him. Victorine had to converse with her future
+_belle-mere_ all the time, and finally the carriage came round, and
+they went.
+
+They were no sooner out of sight, than Godmamma said, with a long
+rigmarole, that she felt it her duty to you to look after me, and she
+must tell me that it was _inconvenant_ for a young girl to smile or
+speak to a man as much as I had done to the Marquis. I was so furious
+at that, that I said, as I found it impossible to understand their
+ways, I would ask Agnes to pack my things at once, if she would kindly
+spare a servant to go with a telegram to you, to say I was coming home
+immediately. She was petrified at my answering her! It appears no one
+else ever dares to; and she at once tried to smooth me down, especially
+when I said I should just like time to write and tell the Baronne why I
+was leaving, as she had been so kind to me. After that they all tried
+to cajole me, except Victorine, who left the room and slammed the door.
+And so I have consented to stay, and here I am finishing my letter to
+you.--With best love, from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+CHAMPS ELYSEES
+
+
+Champs Elysees,
+
+_Friday, 26th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Visit to the Dentist_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--You will be surprised to see this address, but Heloise
+and I are only staying here for the night, and go back to Croixmare
+to-morrow. Early this morning she had bad toothache, and said she must
+go to Paris to see her dentist Godmamma and Jean made as much fuss
+about it as if the poor thing had suggested something quite unheard of;
+and one could see how she was suffering, by the way she kept her
+handkerchief up to her face. Godmamma said she could not possibly
+accompany her, as she had to pay some important calls; and Jean had
+promised to be at St. Germain to see some horses with the Vicomte, so
+Heloise suggested I should go with her; and that we should stay the
+night at the _appartement_ in the Champs Elysees, so that she could
+have two appointments with M. Adam, the dentist. She has such beautiful
+teeth, it seems hard that they should ache, and I felt very sorry for
+her. After a lot of talking it was arranged that we should go up by
+the 11 o'clock train, and accordingly we started with as much fuss as
+if we had been departing for a month. We had no sooner got to Paris
+than Heloise felt better. She left me to go on with the maids and
+luggage to the Champs Elysees, while she went to see M. Adam.
+
+Paris looked out-of-seasonish and full of Americans as we drove
+through. I am sitting in the little salon now, waiting for her to come
+in, and I have got awfully tired just looking out of the window.
+Everything is covered up with brown holland, but I dare say it is nice
+when they are here. The tapestries are beautiful, so is the furniture,
+judging by the piece I have lifted the coverings from. If she does not
+come in soon I shall go for a walk with Agnes.
+
+[Sidenote: _Paris in August_]
+
+_9 p.m._--Heloise came in just as I was writing this morning, and we
+had a scrappy kind of _dejeuner_ on the corner of the dining-room
+table. Then she said we had better go to her _couturier_ in the Rue de
+la Paix. She seemed all right now, and said M. Adam had not hurt her
+much, and that she was to go to him again to-morrow morning. I always
+like Paris even out of the season, don't you, Mamma? it is so gay. We
+had a little victoria and rushed along, not minding who we ran into, as
+is always the way with French cabs. When we got to Paquin's there were
+nobody but Americans there, and every one looked tired. Heloise tried
+on her things, and we went to Caroline's for some hats. They were too
+lovely, and Heloise gave me a dream; it's an owl lighting on a
+cornfield, which perhaps is a little incongruous as they only come out
+at night, but the effect is good.
+
+After that she said she felt she should like to go and see her
+_confesseur_ at the Madeleine, and we started there on the chance of
+finding him. She kept looking at her watch, so I suppose she was afraid
+he would be gone. We stopped at the bottom of the big steps, and she
+said if I would not mind waiting a minute she would go in and see. I
+always thought one only confessed in the morning, but she seemed so
+anxious about it that perhaps if you have anything particular on your
+mind you can get it off in the afternoon; it might have been the
+stories she told about Victorine's liking flowers. I thought she would
+never come back, she was such a time, quite three-quarters of an hour;
+and it was horrid sitting there alone, with every creature staring as
+they passed.
+
+Directly after she went in I caught a glimpse of "Antoine" in a
+_coupe_, going at a great pace, but I could not make him see me before
+he had turned down the street that goes to the back of the Madeleine. I
+wish he had seen me, for, although I never like him very much, he would
+have been better than nobody to talk to. I believe I should have even
+been glad to see Lord Valmond. At last I got so cross, what with the
+people staring, and the heat and the smells, that I jumped out and went
+to look for Heloise in the church. She was nowhere to be seen, and I
+did not like to peer into every box I came to, so at last I was going
+back to the cab again, when from the end door that leads out into the
+other street at the back, the rue Tronchet, she came tearing along
+completely _essoufflee_. So I suppose there must be some confessing
+place beyond. She seemed quite cross with me for having come to find
+her, and said it was not at all proper to walk about a church alone,
+which does seem odd, doesn't it, Mamma? As one would have thought if
+there was any place really respectable to stroll in, it would have been
+a church.
+
+[Sidenote: _Church Etiquette_]
+
+I told her how bored I was, and about "Antoine" passing, and how I had
+tried to make him see. She seemed more annoyed than ever, and said I
+_must_ have made some mistake, as "Antoine" was not in Paris. She was
+awfully shocked at the idea of my wanting to speak to him in the street
+anyway, and said I surely must know it was the custom here for the men
+to bow first. She was altogether so cross and excited and different
+that I felt sure her _confesseur_ must have given her some disagreeable
+penance. We went for a drive in the Bois after that, and Heloise
+recovered, and was nice to me. We met the Marquise de Vermandoise and a
+young man walking in one of the side _allees_, and when I wanted to
+wave to them Heloise pinched me, and made me look the other way; and
+when I asked why, she said it was not very good form to "see" people in
+Paris out of the Season--that one never was sure what they were there
+for--and that I was certainly not to mention it either at Tournelle or
+Croixmare! Isn't this a queer country, Mamma?
+
+[Sidenote: _Morals and Manners_]
+
+We drove until quite late, and just as we were arriving at the door,
+who should pass but the Marquis? He stopped at once and helped us out.
+Heloise told him directly that we were only up seeing the dentist, and
+seemed in a great hurry to get into the _porte cocher_; but he was not
+to be shaken off, and stopped talking to us for about five minutes. He
+is quite amusing; he looked at me all the time he was talking to
+Heloise. I am sure, Mamma, from what the people at Nazeby talked about,
+he would have asked us to dine and go to a play if he had been an
+Englishman, and I told Heloise so. She said no Frenchman would dream of
+such a thing--us two alone--it was unheard of! and she only hoped no
+one had seen us talking to him in the street as it was! I said I liked
+the English way best, as in that case we should be going out and
+enjoying ourselves, instead of eating a snatchy meal alone.
+
+It is now nine o'clock, and all the evening we have had to put up with
+just sitting on the balcony. It has been dull, and I am off to bed, so
+good-night, dear Mamma. I shan't come up to Paris with French people
+again in a hurry!--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+CHATEAU DE CROIXMARE
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Monday, 29th August_.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Sights of the Foire_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--Oh, we had such fun yesterday! After Mass the Baronne
+sent over to ask if Jean, Heloise, and I would go with them to the
+_Foire_ at _Lavonniere_, a village about ten miles off. It is a very
+celebrated _Foire_, and in the last century every one went from
+Versailles, and even now lots of people who spend the summer there
+attend. You go in the evening after dinner, and there are no horrid
+cows and things with horns rushing about, or tipsy people. Godmamma
+looked awfully severe when she heard of the invitation; but since the
+row, when they had to cajole me, she has been more civil, so she said I
+might go if Heloise would really look after me, although if I was
+Victorine she would not have permitted it for a moment.
+
+[Sidenote: _On a Motor Car_]
+
+We left here about six, and then picked up the party at Tournelle. They
+all went--the old Baron, and every one, except the Marquis's mother. We
+dropped the brougham there, and went on with them in a huge motor car
+(that is another fad of the Baron's). It is lovely motor-carring; you
+get quite used to the noise and smell, and you fly along so, it takes
+your breath away; even with your hat tied on with a big veil, you have
+rather the feeling you have got to screw up your eyebrows to keep it
+from blowing away. We seemed to be no time doing the ten miles. The
+Baronne and Heloise hate it, and never go in it except under protest.
+The _Foire_ is just one very long street, with booths and
+merry-go-rounds, and _Montagnes Russes_, and all sorts of amusing
+things down each side. There are rows of poplar trees behind them, and
+evidently on ordinary occasions it is just the usual French road, but
+with all the lights and people it was gay.
+
+We stopped at the village inn, the "_Toison d'Or_" which is famous for
+its restaurant and its landlady. In the season the Duc de Cressy's
+coach comes here from Paris every Thursday. Hippolyte was there
+already; he had been sent on to secure a table for us. We had no sooner
+sat down under the awning than the Vicomte and "Antoine" and two other
+officers turned up. They had ridden from Versailles, which is near.
+Such extraordinary people sat at some of the tables! Families of almost
+peasants at one, and then at the next perhaps two or three lovely
+ladies, with very smart dresses and big hats, and lots of pearls, and
+some young men in evening dress. And then some respectable _bourgeois_,
+and so on. I could hardly pay attention to what the Marquis, who sat
+next me, was saying, the sight was so new and entertaining.
+
+The tables had cloths without any starch in them, and the longest bread
+rolls I have ever seen. One of the beautiful ladies with the pearls
+used hers to beat the man next to her before they had finished dinner.
+We did not have fresh forks and knives for everything, but the famous
+dish of the place made up for it. It is composed of _poussins_--that
+is, very baby chickens--raw oysters, and cream and truffles. You get a
+hot bit of chicken into your mouth and think it is all right, and then
+your tongue comes against an iced oyster, and the mixture is so
+exciting you are stimulated all the time; and you drink a very fine old
+Burgundy with it, which is also a feature of the place. I am sure it
+ought to poison us, as oysters aren't in for another month, but it is
+awfully good.
+
+[Sidenote: _Chevaux au Galop_]
+
+One of the strange officers is so amusing; he looks exactly like the
+young man the Marquise de Vermandoise was walking in the Bois with, but
+it could not be he, as she seemed so surprised to see him at the
+_Foire_, and said they had not met for ages. The Comte sat on my other
+side; he said I would be greatly amused at the booths presently, and
+was I afraid of _Montagnes Russes_? That is only an ordinary
+switchback, Mamma, so of course I am not afraid. There were Tziganes
+playing while we dined, and it was all more amusing than anything I
+have done here yet. When we had drunk our coffee we started down the
+_Foire_. There were hundreds of people of every class, but not one
+drunk or rude or horrid.
+
+The first entertainment was the _Chevaux au Galop_, a delightful
+merry-go-round with the most fiery prancing horses, three abreast, and
+all jumping at different moments. The Marquis helped me up, and Jean
+got on the other side; we all rode except the Comtesse and the old
+Baron. It was _too_ lovely; you are bounced up and down, and you have
+to hold on so tight, and every one screams, and the band plays; and I
+wish you could do it, Mamma. I am sure the thorough shaking would
+frighten your neuralgia away. I could have gone on for an hour, but
+there was such a lot to see, we could not spare the time for more than
+one turn. The Marquis whispered when he helped me off that his walk
+down the Champs Elysees had indeed been fortunate, as he had seen me,
+and that it was he who had suggested to the Baronne to come to the
+_Foire_. So of course I felt grateful to him. We walked all together
+more or less, but Jean kept glued to my side, which was rather a bore,
+only the Marquis or the Vicomte were always at the other side.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Ennui of the Lions_]
+
+The next place we came to was a huge menagerie of clever animals, with
+their _Dompteurs_--cages of lions, bears, tigers, &c. There were sets
+of seats before the cages where anything interesting was going on, and
+the audience moved up as each new Dompteur came in to the animals. We
+sat down at first in front of the tigers' cage, the Baronne next to me
+this time. The creatures went through astonishing tricks, and looked
+such lazy great beautiful cats. The _Dompteur_ was a handsome man, just
+the type they always are, with a wide receding forehead and flashing
+eyes. They positively blazed at the brutes if they did not obey him
+instantly. I wonder why all "tamers" have this shape of head? I asked
+the Vicomte, but he did not know. The bears came next, horrid cunning
+white things, and turning in their toes like that does give them such a
+frumpish look.
+
+The attraction of the show was to see the great _Dompteur_, Pezon. He
+had been almost eaten by his lions a few months ago, and was to make
+his reappearance accompanied by a beautiful songstress who would charm
+the beasts to sleep. Pezon was just like the other _Dompteurs_, only
+older and fatter, and the beautiful lady was such a pet! _Enormously_
+stout, in pink satin, with quite bare neck and arms; the Vicomte said
+that the lions had to be surfeited with food beforehand, to keep them
+from taking their dessert off this tempting morsel. She began to sing
+through her nose about "_l'amour_," &c., and those lions did look so
+bored; the eldest one simply groaned with _ennui_. His face said as
+plainly as if he could speak, "At it again to-night!" and "Oh! que cela
+m'embete." When the song was finished, the _Belle Chanteuse_ stretched
+herself on two chairs, making herself into a sort of bridge for the
+animals to jump over. From our position we could only see mountains of
+pink satin _embonpoint_, and the soles of her feet. The lions had the
+greatest difficulty in jumping not to kick her. What a life, Mamma!
+Then Pezon put his head right into the old lion's mouth, and so ended
+the performance.
+
+[Sidenote: _Inspecting the Machinery_]
+
+When we got outside, a man was ringing a bell opposite, to invite every
+one in to see a woman with only a head; she could speak, he said, but had
+no body. The Baronne insisted upon going in. It was a tiny cell of a
+place and crammed full. Presently a head appeared on a pedestal and spoke
+in a subdued voice. All the others said it was a fraud, but I thought it
+wonderful. "Antoine" wanted to go beyond the barrier and touch it, which
+was mean of him, I think. Presently a villainous-looking old hag, who was
+exhibiting the creature, came over, and whispered in "Antoine's" ear. I
+only caught "_cinq francs_," but his face looked interested at once, and
+he and Jean disappeared behind the curtain and the head disappeared too,
+so we went outside, and bought "farings" at the next booth. There they
+joined us. "Alors, mes amis?" demanded every one. "Pas la peine, tres mal
+faite," said "Antoine"; so I suppose it was the machinery they had been
+examining. The next thing we came to was a sort of swing with flying
+boats, but no one was brave enough to try it except the Marquise and me,
+though all the men wanted to come with us. You sit opposite one another,
+and they are much higher than the ones in England. Jean would come with
+me, though I wanted the Vicomte--so I was glad it made him look quite
+green.
+
+It chanced that "Antoine" was beside me as we walked to the pistol
+booth, so I asked him if he had been in Paris on Friday, and he looked
+so hard at me, you would have thought I was asking a State secret; but
+he said that alas! no, he had been detained at Versailles. So it could
+not have been him after all; there must be a lot of French people
+exactly alike, I never keep making these mistakes in England.
+
+Have you ever fired off a pistol, Mamma? it is simply horrid. The
+pistol booth was next after the "farings" shop, and the prizes were
+china monsters and lanterns, &c. The Comtesse is a splendid shot, and
+hit the flying ball almost each time; she is such a quiet little thing,
+one would not expect it of her. The Baronne made a lot of fuss, and
+said she knew it would kill her, until Hippolyte, who was behind the
+party with her cloak, said: "Madame la Baronne doit essayer c'est
+necessaire que toutes les belles jeunes dames sachent comment se
+defendre." And she fired off the pistol at last with her eyes shut,
+and it was a mercy it did not kill the attendant, the ball lodged in
+the wall just beside him, so we thought we had better leave after that!
+
+[Sidenote: _The Montagnes Russes_]
+
+Next came the _Montagnes Russes_. How I love a switchback, Mamma! If I
+were the Queen I would have a private one for myself, and my particular
+friends, round Windsor Castle; I could go on all day. The Marquis and
+the Vicomte kept so close to me that Jean could not take the seat
+beside me, as I saw he intended to, and then the other two made quite a
+shuffle, but the Vicomte won. The person who sits next you is obliged
+to hold your arm to prevent your tumbling out. I looked round to see,
+and every one was having her arm held, but I don't believe the Vicomte
+need have gripped mine quite so tight as he did. We had three turns;
+next time the Marquis was beside me, and he was more violent than the
+Vicomte. So when it came to the last, and Jean scrambled in, and began
+to hold tighter than either of the others, I just said my arm would be
+black and blue, and I would rather chance the danger of falling out,
+in a seat by myself, than put up with it. That made him sit up quite
+straight. I can't see why people want to pinch one; can you, Mamma? I
+call it vulgar, and I am sure no Englishman would do it. It seems that
+Frenchmen are awfully respectful, and full of ceremony and politeness,
+and then every now and then--directly they get the opportunity--they do
+these horrid little tricks.
+
+The next entertainment was really very curious. It was a marble woman
+down to her waist, and as you looked, the marble turned into flesh, her
+eyes opened, and she spoke; then her colour faded, and she turned into
+marble again, and was handed round the audience; wasn't it wonderful,
+Mamma? I can't think how it was done, and as "Antoine" and Jean did not
+go behind the curtain to examine the machinery, I suppose we shall
+never know.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Fun of the Fair_]
+
+After that there were endless shows--performing dogs, fortune-telling,
+circuses, etc.--but the nicest of all was another merry-go-round, with
+seats which went up and down like a boat in a very rough sea. Hardly
+one of them would venture, but I made the Vicomte come with me for two
+turns; he looked so pale at the end of it, and when I wanted to go a
+third time, he said we must be getting on, and no one else offered to
+come. Wasn't it stupid of them, as it was by far the most exciting part
+of the _Foire_? It was half-past twelve before we got back to the
+"_Toison d'Or_," and there had supper, with "_Punch a l'Americaine_."
+It _is_ good, and you do feel so gay after it. One of the ladies with
+the pearls, who was also supping, was so friendly to the man next her;
+Pezon was of their party, and he did look common in clothes, while he
+was quite handsome in spangled tights.
+
+We were obliged to go slowly in the motor car returning, there were
+such heaps of people and carts and things on the road, but we got back
+to Croixmare about two; and I have slept so late this morning, so now,
+good-bye, dear Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Wednesday, August 31st_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Back at Croixmare_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--To-day is the dinner and _cotillon_ at the de
+Tournelles'. The Marquis and the Vicomte and "Antoine" and every one
+will be there, and I am sure it will be fun. The Vicomte can't get
+leave for the night, so the Baronne--who was here yesterday on her
+bicycle--told us. He will have to ride back to Versailles, as there are
+no trains at that time, to be there for some duty at six in the
+morning. I can't tell you how many miles it is; he will be tired, poor
+thing. These last two days have been just alike, that is why I have not
+written--the same tiresome ceremony about everything, and the same
+ghastly evenings.
+
+We went for a drive on Monday, and Godmamma did nothing but question me
+as to what we had done every minute of the time while we were in Paris.
+This is the first chance she has had with me alone. So I would not tell
+her a scrap, even a simple thing like Heloise going to the Madeleine.
+She thinks I am fearfully stupid, I can see. I forgot to tell you about
+the morning we left Paris; Heloise went to see Adam again, and I went
+shopping with Agnes, but I would not even tell Godmamma that! Victorine
+says spiteful things to me whenever she can, but Jean and Heloise are
+so charming that I don't mind the rest. We are to wear sort of
+garden-party dresses and hats at the entertainment to-night. Dinner is
+to be at eight, in a large pavilion, where they have had a beautiful
+parquet floor laid down, and then when the tables are cleared away, we
+shall begin the _cotillon_. As I have never danced in one before, I
+hope I sha'n't make an idiot of myself.
+
+[Sidenote: _Etiquette of the Bathroom_]
+
+This morning I very nearly had another row with Godmamma--you will
+never guess what for, Mamma! She knocked at the door of my room before
+I was quite dressed, and then came in with a face as glum as a church.
+She began at once. She said that she had heard something about me that
+she hoped was a mistake, so she thought it better to ask me herself.
+She understood that I went down to the Salle de Bain every day, instead
+of just washing in my room. (I _have_ done so ever since Agnes
+discovered there really was water enough for a decent bath there, and
+that no one else seemed to use it.) I began to wonder if she was going
+to accuse me of tampering with the taps--but not a bit of it! After a
+rigmarole, as if she thought it almost too shocking to mention, she
+said she understood from her maid, who had heard it from the _valet de
+chambre_ who clears out the bath after I leave, that there never were
+any wet chemises, and that she was therefore forced to conclude that I
+got into my tub "_toute nue_!"
+
+I had been so worked up for something dreadful, that I am sorry to say,
+Mamma, I went into a shriek of laughter. That seemed to annoy Godmamma
+very much; she got as red as a turkey-cock, and said she saw nothing to
+cause mirth--in fact, she had hoped I should have been ashamed at such
+deplorable immodesty, if, as she feared from my attitude, her
+accusation was correct. I said, when I could stop laughing, of course
+it was correct, how in the world else _should_ one get into a bath?
+
+[Sidenote: _The Marquis Again_]
+
+Her eyes almost turned up into her head with horror; she could only
+gasp, "Mais si quelqu'un ouvrait la porte?" "Mais je la ferme toujours
+a clef," I said, and then I asked her if in France they also dried
+themselves in their wet chemises? But she said that that was a childish
+question, as I must know it would be an impossibility; and when I said
+I could not see any difference in washing or drying, she was so stumped
+she was obliged to sit down and fan herself. I smoothed her down by
+assuring her it was the English custom, and that I was sorry I shocked
+her so. At last I got rid of her, evidently thinking our nation
+"_brulee_," as well as "_toquee_". Now aren't they too odd, Mamma? I
+suppose a nice big bath is such a rare thing for them that they are
+obliged to make as much fuss as possible over it. One would think they
+received company there, dressing up like that! Heloise and the smart
+people wash all right; it is only the girls and the thoroughly goody
+ones like Godmamma who are afraid of water.
+
+5.30 _p.m._--The Marquis came over from Tournelle with a note from the
+Baronne after _dejeuner_ to-day. I happened to be getting some music
+out of the big salon for Heloise when he arrived. Louis, the valet, who
+showed him in, did not catch sight of me as I was behind the piano, or
+he would certainly have taken him somewhere else. He began at once
+(after putting his heels together) to say a lot of compliments and
+things. This was a fortunate chance--more than he had dared to
+hope--would I promise to dance the _cotillon_ with him to-night? etc.,
+etc. You would not believe, Mamma, the amount he got into the five
+minutes before Heloise came into the room. She knew it was her own
+fault for sending for the music that I was alone with him, or I should
+have got a scolding; as it was, she talked without ceasing until at
+last he got up to go. I had not answered about the _cotillon_, so as I
+have half promised the Vicomte I don't know which I shall take; perhaps
+I could manage both, as I believe one only has to sit on a chair and
+every now and then get up and dance. However, I will see when I get
+there. Now good-bye, dear Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter,
+Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_September 1st_.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Proposal of Marriage_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I have had a proposal! Isn't it too interesting? It all
+happened at the de Tournelles' last night, but I never blushed or did
+any of the things they used to in Miss Edgeworth's novels that you have
+allowed me to read; but I must go straight on. We were quite punctual
+at Chateau de Tournelle, and got there as the clock struck eight.
+Heloise looked perfectly lovely, she does hold herself and walk so
+beautifully, and her head is such a nice shape. I am going to be like
+her, and not like the women at Nazeby (who all slouched) when I am
+married. Victorine looked better than usual too, and Heloise had put
+some powder on her face for her, but afterwards it came off in patches
+and made her look piebald; however, to start she was all right, and
+everybody was in a good temper. There were lots of people there
+already, and the Baronne and the Comtesse received us in the hall.
+
+I wore the white silk and my pink tulle hat. The Marquis and the
+Vicomte both flew across when we arrived, and the Vicomte got to me
+first, as Godmamma detained the Marquis; and this is where Frenchmen
+shine, for although he told me afterwards that he wanted to murder her,
+he stood with a beautiful grin on his face all the time. The Vicomte at
+once began to assure me I had promised him the _cotillon_, but I would
+not say; and as he could only get words in edgeways, with Victorine
+listening all the time, it made it rather difficult for him. Then the
+Comte and Rene, his little boy, came round with a silver basket full of
+buttonholes and little cards with names, and by the kind of flower we
+got we were to know which table we were to sit at, as they were to be
+decorated with the same.
+
+[Sidenote: _Les Jeunes Filles_]
+
+Of course the Baronne had arranged for the Vicomte to take me in; and
+our table was pink and white carnations. Presently the whole company
+had arrived, and we started--a huge train, two and two, arm-in-arm--for
+the pavilion. It was pretty; all the trees hung with electric lights
+and Chinese lanterns, and the pavilion itself a fairyland of flowers.
+There were about twelve tables, three of different coloured carnations
+for the "_jeunes filles_," and the rest with roses for the married
+people. Godmamma thought it most imprudent separating them like that,
+and would hardly let Victorine sit down so far away from her until she
+saw the daughter of the Princesse d'Hauterine at the same table.
+Victorine went in with another officer from Versailles, in the same
+regiment of _Chasseurs_ as the Vicomte; he was like a small black
+monkey. The Marquis sat with the Comtesse at her table, and Godmamma
+and the other bores had a table with the old Baron, etc. The Baronne
+had quite a young man next her. I expect she could not do with the
+chaperons and the old gentlemen.
+
+Most of the girls at our table were either ill-at-ease or excited at
+the unusual pleasure of being without their mothers, and at first no
+one talked much. The French country people are almost as frumpy as the
+English, only in a different way, but many of the guests were very
+smart, and of course had come from Paris.
+
+The Vicomte did say such a lot of agreeable things to me, and the
+others were so occupied with their one chance of talking to a young man
+that they did not listen as much as usual. He said he had never spent
+such an agitated night as the one at Vernon. So I said No, the fleas
+were horrid. He said he had not meant _them_; he meant that the sight
+of my beautiful hair hanging down had caused him "_une grande emotion_"
+and "_reves delicieux_."
+
+There was an oldish girl next to him whom he knew; she has coiffed St.
+Catherine for several years now, and was put at our table, I believe,
+to be a kind of chaperon. She happened to be listening just then, as
+her partner would talk to Victorine's friend--the pretty one with the
+dirty nails--who was at his other side. She caught the word "fleas,"
+and at once asked what we were talking about. "Un sujet si
+desagreable," she said. I said it was about our journey on the
+_Sauterelle_, where, at Vernon, Monsieur de la Tremors had been so
+badly bitten by the fleas that they had given him silly dreams. He said
+his dreams were as beautiful as those produced by the Hachis of Monte
+Cristo (whatever that is), so the old girl exclaimed, "Quel pouvoir
+pour une puce!" She thought we were mad; and I overheard her presently
+telling her partner--when she could get him to listen--that no one
+would believe the _bizarre_ conversations of the _toques_ English
+unless they actually heard them!
+
+[Sidenote: _The Cotillon_]
+
+I would not say I would dance the _cotillon_ with the Vicomte. I told
+him I had half promised it to the Marquis; and when he seemed offended,
+I said if he was going to be disagreeable I would certainly dance it
+with Monsieur de Beaupre (the Marquis's name, which I forgot to tell
+you before). I remember hearing Octavia say once that it never did to
+make oneself easy to young men, that the more capricious one was the
+better; and you know how nice Octavia is, and I meant to be like her.
+He went on imploring; so I told him that I had come there to enjoy
+myself, not to amuse him, so I should just dance with whom I pleased,
+or not at all if I happened not to want to. He said I was "_tres
+cruelle_," and looked perfectly wobbly-eyed at me, but I did not mind a
+bit.
+
+As dinner went on all the girls began to talk and to get excited, and
+laugh, and every one was so gay; but I could see Godmamma craning her
+neck with anxiety and disapproval, and I am sure, if it had not been
+for the Princesse d'Hauterine being at her table, she would have jumped
+up and clawed Victorine away. It came to an end at last, and we
+returned arm-in-arm to the house, while the servants arranged the
+pavilion for the _cotillon_. Godmamma collected Victorine and me, and
+made us stay by her; and that horrid old Mme. de Visac--the one who
+called me a "_jeune femme_"--came up, and they had a conversation.
+Godmamma said it was "_tres imprudent_" having the dinner first, that
+the champagne would go to the young men's heads, and with all the care
+in the world no one could foresee the consequences! The garden, too! If
+they should dance the _farandole_! what opportunities! It was all the
+fault of the _chere Baronne_, so sadly giddy for her age. She never
+thought of the anxieties of other mothers, having married her only
+daughter so young! I don't know what Godmamma feared, but I should hate
+to think you could not trust me to behave like a lady, Mamma, if I was
+out of your sight a moment.
+
+[Sidenote: _Nearly a Duel_]
+
+I saw the Marquis talking to a very young youth; he seemed pleading
+with him about something, and presently the youth crossed over and
+kissed Godmamma's hand, then asked Victorine for the _cotillon_. She
+looked furious, but she was obliged to say yes, as no one else had
+asked her; it was getting late, and the Marquis was busy speaking to
+some other ladies. Presently he came up to us, and the young youth said
+before he could speak: "N'ai-je pas de la veine, mon cher, Mlle. de
+Croixmare m'a promis le cotillon." Upon which the Marquis asked me to
+dance it with him--right out loud before Godmamma! and when I said I
+had half promised it to Monsieur de la Tremors, he looked so cross and
+offended, that I thought it was better to be firm with him, as I had
+been with the Vicomte. He--the Vicomte--came up just then, and they
+looked as if they wanted to fight each other; so I said if they would
+stop frowning, I would dance it with both of them, but if they were
+nasty, I should not dance it with either; and so that is how it ended,
+I was to have one on each side.
+
+Godmamma said to me that it was unheard of conduct, and might have
+produced a duel, and when I tried to explain to her that that was just
+what I had avoided, she looked angrier than ever, and would not
+understand. Wasn't it stupid of her, Mamma?
+
+[Sidenote: _The Two Partners_]
+
+At last we got to the pavilion, and all sat round, and having both the
+Vicomte and the Marquis to talk to, I did have fun. They arranged that
+our chairs should be against the wall, and not in the row that the
+chaperons were behind. Godmamma tried to make signs to me to come and
+sit by Victorine in front of her, but I pretended not to see, until all
+the chairs were filled up. The Marquise de Vermandoise was next me,
+with the Vicomte between; she was dancing with the Comte. We _were_
+gay! The first set of presents were big brocade bags, and we called one
+our "_pot au feu_" and pretended it was for the ingredients to make
+_bon menage_, and so all the presents that were small enough afterwards
+we put in there to keep for me. I did have _lots_! A _cotillon_ is very
+easy, Mamma, as you have often told me, and it was fun dancing with all
+sorts of strange people that one did not even know. In one figure a
+huge Russian prince got hold of me, and squeezed me until I very nearly
+screamed; you see, Mamma, how dreadful foreigners are like that. It was
+like being hugged by a bear in the Zoo; and after it, he kept giving me
+flowers or presents if I dared to sit down for a moment, but he did not
+say a word except once or twice a mumble of "Adorable mademoiselle."
+
+My two partners _were_ nice, we had a perfectly beautiful time, they
+laughed at everything I said; and Madame de Vermandoise leant over and
+whispered--while they were both away doing a figure--that never had any
+one had such a _succes_ as me, and that all the old ladies would be
+ready to tear my eyes out. Heloise did not dance with "Antoine," but he
+sat next her, and they talked while his partner was away with other
+people. It is much better to have two partners, Mamma, because then one
+is not left to oneself at all, and they are each trying to be nicer
+than the other all the time. The Comtesse led the _cotillon_ with a
+cousin of hers; he does do it well, and does nothing else in Paris, the
+Baronne told me. At last we got on towards the end, and they began the
+_farandole_. You know it, Mamma? A lady and a gentleman take hands,
+then she beckons some one, and he has to come; and then he calls
+another lady, and so on. It goes on until the whole company are
+hand-in-hand; and the leader runs about everywhere with this chain of
+people after him, dancing a long sliding step, to such a lovely
+go-ahead tune. The leader tears all over the garden, and one is obliged
+to follow in and out. It is too exciting, and just as we got to the
+furthest end of the illuminated paths, and had rushed round into the
+dark, some one let go, and in the confusion of trying to catch on
+again, the Marquis and I were left behind.
+
+[Sidenote: _To Elope with the Marquis_]
+
+It was _then_ the proposal happened, he did not wait a moment; he
+talked so fast I could hardly understand him. He said he had heard that
+it was the custom of our country to speak directly to the person one
+loved, without consulting the parents; so he hoped I would believe he
+meant me no disrespect, but that he _adored_ me. He had fallen in love
+at first sight, when he went to review Victorine--that he implored me
+to fly with him, as his mother would never consent to his marrying an
+English woman! Think of it, Mamma! me flying with the Marquis! without
+a wedding cake, or bridesmaids, or pages, or trousseau, or any of the
+really nice bits of getting married--only the boring part of just
+going away and staying with one man, without any of the other things to
+make up for it. I nearly laughed at the ridiculousness of it, only he
+was so deadly in earnest, and would hold my hand. I said I could not
+think of such a thing, and would he take me back to the pavilion? He
+became quite wild then, and said he would kill himself with grief; and
+such a lot of things about love; but I was so wanting to join in the
+_farandole_ again--we heard them coming nearer--that my attention was
+all on that, and I did not listen much.
+
+Anyway, I am sure runaway matches aren't legal in France, from what I
+heard Jean saying two nights ago at dinner; and I told him so at last,
+and that pulled him up short. And just then the train passed, and I
+stretched out my hand to the last man, and was whirled away back to the
+pavilion and the people. I _was_ glad to get away from the Marquis,
+because he looked desperate, and you can't trust foreigners, they have
+pistols and things in their pockets, and he might have shot me. When
+we got back to our seats, the _defile_ began and I took the Vicomte's
+arm to go and make our curtsey to the Comtesse and the Baronne. It was
+just as well the Marquis was away, because they might have quarrelled
+as to which one's arm I was to take.
+
+[Sidenote: _Godmamma's Friends_]
+
+Just before the supper tables were brought in, Monsieur de Beaupre
+turned up again. His face was green; he came up behind me, and
+whispered through his teeth that I had broken his heart, and that he
+should marry Victorine! So you see, Mamma, nothing could have turned
+out better, and they ought to be very grateful to me.
+
+We had the gayest supper, all at little tables; and it was arranged
+that we should go with the de Tournelles, and the Baronne, to a _Ralli
+de Papier_ to-day, given by the _75th Cuirassiers_ at the Foret de
+Marly.
+
+While we were going to the house to get our wraps, I overheard two
+ladies talking of Godmamma. They said she gave herself great airs, and
+considering that every one knew that years ago she had been the _amie_
+of that good-looking Englishman at the Embassy these high stilts of
+virtue were ridiculous. I suppose to be an _amie_ is something wicked
+in French, but it doesn't sound very bad, does it, Mamma? And, whatever
+it is, I wonder if poor papa knew, as he was at the Embassy, and it
+might have been one of his friends, mightn't it? I expect she had not a
+moustache then.
+
+I am dreadfully afraid the Vicomte won't be able to be at the _Ralli_
+to-day, although he did whisper when he was putting on my cloak that
+nothing should keep him away, and that then I would believe the extent
+of his devotion. He won't have gone to bed at all, if he does turn up,
+as he will only have got back to Versailles just in time for his duty
+at six, and how he is to be in the Foret de Marly by ten I don't know,
+but we shall see. It is just time to start, the brake is at the door,
+so good-bye, dear Mamma, with love from your affectionate daughter,
+Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Thursday Night, September 1st_.
+
+[Sidenote: _The "Ralli de Papier"_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I wonder if you have ever been to a _Ralli de Papier_?
+It is fun. We got to Marly at last after a long drive. The _rendezvous_
+was in the middle of the forest, in such a lovely glade, and although
+it rained for the last twenty minutes of our drive, the sun came out
+when we got there, and the lights through the trees on the wet green
+were so beautiful. There were quantities of carriages already arrived,
+every sort--victorias, coaches, pony carts, charabancs, motor cars, and
+a few of the really odd kinds of shandrydans that one sees coming to
+country garden parties in England. There were also numbers of officers
+riding in uniform--_cuirassiers, chasseurs, dragons_--and they were to
+take part in the chase. There was one officer who was to lead the
+carriages in a procession through the short cuts, so that we might not
+miss any of the jumps, and he had a horn slung over his shoulder. I do
+think it such a sensible plan; and if we could have the foxes trained
+in England to go just where they should, and then always drive to where
+the jumps are, like that, how much nicer hunting would be--wouldn't it,
+Mamma?
+
+[Sidenote: _Better than Fox-hunting_]
+
+Well, at last every one seemed to be arrived, and it was gay. I was
+glad Godmamma had been too tired to come, so Victorine was actually
+trusted with Jean and Heloise and me. We had picked up the Baronne and
+the Comte and the Marquise de Vermandoise at Tournelle on our way. The
+brake was not quite like an English one; it had seats facing, and then
+an extra one behind for the grooms, and Jean drove with Heloise beside
+him; but he does look like a trussed pigeon, and if the horses were not
+as quiet as mice, I am sure the Baronne would never have trusted
+herself with him.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Vicomte up to Time_]
+
+They all began to chaff about the Vicomte; "Il ne chevauchera jamais si
+loin, pas meme pour vos beaux yeux," the Marquise said. Victorine
+seemed annoyed that any one should expect he would do anything for me.
+"Evidemment Monsieur de la Tremors ne viendra pas," she said. I saw a
+beautiful black horse being led about by a groom, apart from the crowd,
+and I wondered who would ride it. Just before the horn sounded for the
+carriages to start, from the farthest end of the _allee_ we saw an
+officer galloping as hard as he could. "Mon Dieu! C'est Gaston!"
+screamed the Baronne. "C'est pour vous, Enchanteresse," said the Comte.
+"Que c'est ridicule," snapped Victorine, while the Marquise laughed and
+put her tongue into her gap. "Oh! la belle jeunesse!" she said.
+
+Meanwhile the Vicomte had dismounted, jumped on to the fresh black
+horse, and was bowing beside us. "Vous voyez je suis venu," he said,
+and he looked only at me. I don't know why, Mamma, but I felt the blood
+rushing all over my cheeks; it was nice of him, wasn't it? He had
+arranged it all yesterday, and by changing horses and galloping the
+whole way, he had managed just to get to the _rendezvous_ in time. I
+don't believe any Englishman that I know would do so much for me, and
+I was touched. We were fortunate in being almost the first carriage
+behind our leader, the officer with the horn, and he took us across
+roads, and we halted at last, where we could see the whole hunt
+advancing to some hurdles which had been erected at a few yards'
+distance from each other down the _allee_. Such an excitement! every
+one encouraging them at the top of their voices, their uniforms
+glittering in the sun.
+
+The jumps were not very high, and most of the officers got over all
+right, only one _cuirassier_ fell, and every one shrieked, but he
+wasn't a bit hurt. We clapped those who jumped especially well, and
+cried "Bravo!" It _was_ fun. Then, when they had all passed, we were
+conducted through some more short cuts to another set of hurdles
+covered with green boughs, and these were a little higher. It did sound
+lively, with horns blowing and people shouting all the time. The
+Vicomte was among the last, as he passed us following the paper, but he
+waved gaily. We had to drive very quickly to be in time for the next
+"_obstacles_" and so it went on. When we watched the last ones, the
+Vicomte was among the very front four.
+
+[Sidenote: _Rewards of Gallantry_]
+
+Then the exciting part began, as they had to race for the ribbons,
+white for the winner and blue for the second; but it was quite a long
+way, so we had time to get to the winning-post, the flat place near
+where the Chateau stood formerly. There were long tables laid out with
+_gouter_, and the bands of the regiments playing nice tunes. Victorine
+began to be disagreeable directly we saw them coming, the Vicomte well
+to the front. "Comme c'est cruel de Monsieur de la Tremors, de presser
+son cheval a ce point," she said, while even the Comte became excited,
+and shouted, "Bravo, Gaston!" I _was_ pleased when he came in first,
+and really he rides quite nicely, Mamma.
+
+Then every one got out of the carriages and there was a ceremony. The
+wife of the Colonel of the 75th chasseurs (young and nice looking)
+placed a white ribbon with gold fringe ends round the neck of the
+Vicomte, while he knelt and kissed her hand on the damp grass, and when
+he got up there was quite a wet stain on his knees. The second man--a
+great lumbering _cuirassier_--got a blue ribbon, and as he was heavier
+the stain showed worse on his red trousers. After that, we all began to
+eat cakes and drink drinks (I don't know what they were made of, that
+is why I say "drinks," anyway they were sweet and nice), and as the
+rain had stopped we danced on the green, after we had finished. Now you
+know, Mamma, we could never have any fun like this in England. What
+Englishman would think of dancing the Lancers on sopping grass, quite
+gravely, with a white ribbon round his neck like a pet lamb, and his
+trousers wet through at the knees? They would simply laugh in the
+middle, and spoil the whole thing. The Vicomte danced with me, of
+course, and while we were advancing to our _vis-a-vis_ in the first
+figure, he managed to whisper that he adored me, and now that he had
+ridden all night, and won the white ribbon for me, I ought to believe
+him. I did not answer because there was not time just then, and he
+looked so reproachfully at me for the rest of the Lancers.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Whispered Declaration_]
+
+It began to rain again before we finished, and we got into the brake as
+quickly as we could. It was a perfect wonder that they were not all
+exclaiming at their wet feet, and catching cold; but it seems that
+dancing on the green and these sort of _fetes champetres_ are national
+sports, and you don't catch cold at them. It is only washing, and
+having the windows open, and the house aired, and things like that,
+that give cold in France. The Vicomte came back with us, and, as he was
+one too many for the brake, we had to sit very close on our seat. He
+was between the Baronne and Victorine, who made room for him when he
+was just going to sit down by me. She kept giggling all the way home,
+and the Vicomte looked so squashed and uncomfortable. I was next,
+beyond the Baronne, and as both of them could not keep up their
+umbrellas, Victorine was obliged to put down hers, and the drips from
+the Baronne's umbrella got on to the roses in Victorine's hat. At last
+they ran in a red stream right down her nose, and she did look odd, and
+each time she said anything to the Vicomte, he nearly had a fit to
+keep from laughing, and when we got back and she found how she was
+looking she _was_ cross.
+
+The Vicomte took hold of my hand when he helped me out, it wasn't in
+saying good-bye, as of course unmarried people only bow and don't shake
+hands. Somehow his spur caught in my dress, and we had to stop a minute
+to disentangle it, the others had bolted into the house, as they were
+afraid of the rain, so we were alone for an instant. The Vicomte at
+once kissed my hand and said, "_Je vous adore._" It was done so quickly
+that even Hippolyte, who had come out with an open umbrella to help us,
+did not see--at least I hope he didn't. We went in to Tournelle to have
+something to drink, while the horses were being rubbed down, as we had
+had such a long drive; and it was at the first mirror Victorine
+discovered her red striped nose.
+
+While I was sipping my punch, I heard the Baronne telling Heloise that
+her nephew, the Marquis, had consented to marry Victorine; and that the
+Baron would go over to Croixmare the next day to make the formal
+demand for her hand. Then she whispered something, and they looked at
+me, and Heloise laughed, while the Baronne said, "Pauvre garcon. C'est
+dommage qu'il ne puisse pas combiner le plaisir avec les affaires." And
+when we got back to Croixmare, Heloise came to my room and kissed me,
+and thanked me; she had heard, she said, from the Baronne, how I had
+broken the Marquis's heart, and so got him to consent to take
+Victorine!
+
+I am glad, Mamma, that getting married is differently arranged with us.
+I should hate to have some one because somebody else that he wanted
+would not have him. However, Victorine is as pleased as can be, and has
+been smiling to herself all the evening.
+
+Now I must go to bed, so good-bye, dear Mamma, with love from your
+affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Saturday, September 3rd_.
+
+[Sidenote: _In Due Form_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I am sure what I am going to tell you will surprise you
+quite as much as it has done me. Victorine is really engaged! The day
+after the _Ralli de Papier_ it rained again, and as we were sitting in
+the little salon after breakfast the old Baron was announced. He was
+dressed in a frock coat and a tall hat, just as if it was Paris and the
+height of the season. They made conversation for about ten minutes, and
+then he got up and, putting his heels together, he said he had come to
+request a private interview with Mme. la Comtesse Douairiere de
+Croixmare, and Monsieur le Comte de Croixmare, son fils; upon which
+Victorine looked coy, and began scrabbling with her toes on the paquet.
+Heloise was not in the room, and Godmamma said to me that it was time
+for our walk, as the rain had stopped, and Mdlle. Blanc ("the Tug")
+would be waiting. So we bundled out of the room, and Victorine for the
+first time became affectionate as we went upstairs.
+
+"Il est venu pour demander ma main, pour son neveu, Monsieur de
+Beaupre," she said, putting her arm round my waist; "J'espere que cela
+ne vous chagrine pas, cherie?" And when I asked her why in the world it
+should grieve _me_ she said that, as every one had noticed how I had
+flirted with the Marquis, she supposed his preferring another girl
+could not be quite pleasant! I could have screamed with laughter, if I
+had not been so angry; I felt dreadfully tempted to tell her of the
+Marquis's proposal to me, and why he was marrying her--only that would
+have been playing down to her level of meanness. So I said that the
+English idea of flirting and the French were different; that the
+Marquis seemed to me to be quite an agreeable Frenchman, and no doubt
+she would be very happy; and far from it grieving me, I was delighted
+to think she would be settled at last, as twenty-two was rather on the
+road to fixing St. Catherine's tresses. She dragged her arm away in
+such a hurry that she scratched her hand on a pin that Agnes had
+stupidly left in my belt. "Voyez! vous avez fait saigner ma main," she
+said almost crying with fury. All I said was, "Qui s'y-frotte s'y
+pique," and as we had got to the door of my room, I went off in fits of
+laughter--she looked so like a cross monkey I could not help it!
+
+[Sidenote: _Girlish Amenities_]
+
+Well, you can think, Mamma, we did not have an agreeable walk. Victorine
+talked in her most prudish goody style to "the Remorqueur," and never
+addressed me; while poor Mademoiselle Blanc was so nervous trying to speak
+to both. As we got to the turn into Vinant, Monsieur Dubois--Victorine's
+music-master--came up the street. He is a rather vulgar looking person,
+with a black moustache, and lemon yellow gloves, and _horrid_ if you have
+to be quite close to him. Just then we stopped to give some sous to a
+beggar-woman, so as he passed he said, with a great flourish of the hat:
+Was he to come on Saturday as usual for the lesson? Victorine looked down
+all the time modestly, and "the Tug" answered: Of course; so he said it
+would be a never-to-be-sufficiently-thanked kindness, if Mademoiselle
+would take back with her this roll of music he had been on his way to
+deliver _chez elle_, as it was much out of his road, and he was pressed
+for time at his next lesson. Victorine at once seized it, and he bowed
+again and walked on. Mademoiselle Blanc had already a parcel in each hand
+she was taking to the embroidery shop.
+
+After that Victorine was _distraite_, and seemed in a great hurry to
+get home; she even spoke to me, and while "the Tug" was looking at
+wools in the shop she fidgeted so with the music that it came undone. I
+offered to carry it, as I had no parcels, but she snatched it up as if
+it was gold, and in doing so a bit of paper fell out of it, and as I
+picked it up I could not help seeing it began "_Ma cruelle adoree_."
+She said, in a great rage, that it was only the words of a song, as she
+put it in her pocket; so I don't see why she should have been so
+furious with me seeing it, do you, Mamma?--but she had not got over
+the pin in my belt, I suppose. Anyway she made us trot home with
+seven-leagued boots.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Music-master_]
+
+Godmamma met us in the hall, radiant, and, clasping Victorine to her
+breast, said she must announce to her the joyful news that M. le Baron
+de Fremond had made the _demande_, on the part of his sister, the
+Marquise de Beaupre, for the hand of her peerless Victorine, for her
+son and his nephew, the Marquis de Beaupre, and that she--Godmamma--had
+consented to relinquish to them this treasure. Jean came out of the
+smoking-room just then and they all began kissing--it was awful.
+
+I got upstairs as quickly as I could, and Heloise soon joined me there.
+She was enchanted at the idea of really getting rid of Victorine, and
+she said Godmamma's rheumatism was growing so bad she would soon have
+to spend the summer at German baths, and so they would fortunately at
+last have Croixmare to themselves; and she could not thank me enough
+for having assisted at this _denoument_.
+
+All the evening Victorine played the tunes the music-master gave her,
+and once or twice broke into a song of joy; but when I asked her to try
+the one beginning "_Ma cruelle adoree,_" she looked green, and said she
+was tired, and would go to bed.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Game of Billiards_]
+
+Then Jean and I had a game of billiards--we often do now after dinner.
+The _salle de billard_ opens out of the salon, and there is a glass
+like a window over the mantelpiece, so that you can see into the two
+rooms from each other. It always reminds me of Alice, in "Through the
+Looking Glass"--you expect to find a mirror, and you see into another
+room. Godmamma generally accompanies us into the billiard-room, and
+sits bolt upright in an armchair watching us, but to-night she was too
+excited to pay us so much attention, and stayed talking to Heloise
+about the engagement. Jean seemed nervous and sad, and knocked about
+the balls aimlessly, not trying a bit. It is only French billiards, but
+still one has to play properly, so at last I said that evidently the
+good news of Victorine's engagement had so distracted him that he
+could not pay attention to the game. He seemed quite startled. "Ma foi!
+le jeu!" he said vacantly. I put down my cue and asked him quite gently
+what was the matter?
+
+Just then the bangle you gave me last Christmas came undone, so Jean
+put his cue down too, and offered to fasten it. It is difficult to do
+oneself, so I thanked him and handed him my wrist; his hands trembled
+so he could not do it. I thought he was ill, and bent over him to see.
+Fortunately at that moment we happened to be at the one part of the
+table which can't be seen from the other room; because Jean behaved so
+queerly--I feel sure Godmamma would have been horrified. He did not
+worry about the bangle, but just began kissing my hand; simply _dozens_
+of kisses. I pulled and pulled to try and get it away, but he would not
+let go, and kept murmuring that at last, at last, he was alone with me!
+
+Now wasn't it too annoying, Mamma? I could not call out or make a fuss,
+because there would have been _such_ a scene, and you would never
+think a Frenchman could be so strong. For although I wrenched and
+dragged I could not get my hand away, and it was making me crosser and
+crosser every minute. At last, when he began to kiss my wrist, it
+tickled so I was afraid I should laugh, and then he would think I was
+not serious; so I seized my cue with the other hand, and just told Jean
+in a firm voice that if he did not let go that instant I would break it
+over his head! That stopped him!
+
+He pulled himself together and said "Oh! pardon, pardon," and that he
+was awfully sorry, and that it was because I was going away soon and he
+was mad. And that is what I believe it was, Mamma--a fit of some kind.
+Did you ever hear there was anything odd in the Croixmare family?
+Anyway it shows foreigners are not to be trusted, for, even if they
+haven't pistols ready to shoot you, they are doing something queer like
+this.
+
+[Sidenote: _Indigestion!_]
+
+Presently he took up his cue and began playing again, and Heloise came
+in from the salon. She noticed he looked different and said at once,
+"Qu'avez-vous, mon ami?" "Une mauvaise digestion," replied Jean, and he
+went and drank _sirop_ at the side-table. I think I should perhaps tell
+Heloise what it really was, and warn her to keep an eye on him, but
+then it might worry her, and he may not have another attack for a long
+time. No one would suspect him of being cracked, he looks as quiet and
+respectable as the pony that mows the lawn. The post is starting, and I
+must go to breakfast, so now good-bye, with love from your affectionate
+daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--The day after to-morrow there is to be a dinner-party here for
+the _fiances_ to meet. All the Tournelle party, and his mother and a
+couple of cousins will be here, besides the Vicomte and "Antoine," and
+the Marquise, who are staying at Tournelle.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Tuesday, September 6th._
+
+[Sidenote: _Victorine's Indisposition_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--The dinner for the _fiances_ came off last night. It
+was the first time we have had real evening dresses on since I have
+been here. I wore the pink silk, and Heloise was delighted with it, she
+says you could not possibly improve upon the style you dress me in--it
+is ideal for a young girl.
+
+The day after Jean behaved so queerly, he was not at breakfast; he went
+to Paris and I did not see him until the evening, when he was as stolid
+and quiet as usual, so it must have been a fit, and perhaps he went up
+to Paris to see his doctor.
+
+Victorine had her music lesson, and I don't know what could have upset
+her; but "the Tug," who always sits in the room with her, came flying
+out, saying Victorine was faint and she must get her a glass of water;
+so I ran into the _salle d'etude_ to see if I could help her. There she
+was flopping on the music-stool, with Monsieur Dubois kneeling by her,
+looking cross and reproachful, and just like the villain in the
+pantomimes. I heard her say, "Cela doit etre completement oublie entre
+nous a present que je vais etre Marquise." I don't know what it was
+about, but if she was telling him she would not be friendly with him
+any more, I do call it snobbish, don't you, Mamma? just because she is
+going to be a _Marquise_. It isn't as if he was an English Marquis
+even, like Lord Valmond, that would be of some importance--but a
+trumpery French title, without any land or money, it is ridiculous. Of
+course, here no one has his own land really since the Revolution, I
+mean like "Tournelle," they only call the new house that; I believe the
+real "Tournelle" is down in Touraine somewhere and belongs to some one
+else now. This _is_ Chateau de Croixmare, but then Jean's
+great-grandfather bought it back again.
+
+Now I have wandered from what I was telling you--oh! yes, about
+Victorine and M. Dubois. He got up from his knees when he saw me, and
+began fanning her, while she flopped more than ever, but I don't think
+she felt very faint, her face was so red. And when "the Tug" returned
+with the water I came away, as they both looked as if they wanted to
+murder me. The excitement had made Monsieur Dubois' collar quite give
+way, and he looked a dirtier and more pitiable object than usual.
+
+[Sidenote: _The "Diner des Fiancailles"_]
+
+Such an affair the "_Diner des fiancailles!_" Victorine wore a pink
+dress too, with horrid bunches of daisies on her shoulders and in her
+hair; and, as that is dark and greasy, and dragged off her face, and
+done in the tightest twist at the top, it does not look a suitable
+place for daisies to be sprouting from. I hate things in the hair
+anyway, don't you, Mamma? However she was delighted with herself, so it
+was all right.
+
+We waited in the big salon, standing behind Godmamma to receive the
+company. First arrived the old Baron and the Baronne, and the Marquis
+and his mother. The Marquis kissed Victorine's hand as well as
+Godmamma's and Heloise's, and you should have seen her bridling! When
+he got to me he made the stiffest bow; and just then the Comte and
+Comtesse de Tournelle, the Marquise de Vermandoise, and the Vicomte
+were announced, and immediately following, "Antoine" and two cousins of
+Godmamma's. To finish the party there were a batch of the Marquis's
+relations, who had come specially from Paris. We were spared Yolande
+and Marie, who usually sit up to dinner with their German _bonne_, and
+eat everything that they shouldn't, and then scream in the night.
+
+There was a buzz of conversation, and the Vicomte talked to me, but I
+could not help hearing what the Marquis said to Victorine--
+
+"Vous aimez la bicyclette, mademoiselle?"
+
+"Oui, monsieur."
+
+"Moi j'aime mieux l'automobile."
+
+"Mais il y a toujours de la poussiere!"
+
+And they are going to be married in a month!
+
+The Vicomte kept bending over me and looking silly, and the Marquis
+fidgeted so that he could not go on talking to Victorine--one eye was
+always fixed on us. That seemed to please the Vicomte, for he got more
+and more _empresse_, and I could not help laughing in return. At dinner
+he took in Mme. de Vermandoise, but sat next me, and on my other hand
+was one of the cousins, a harmless idiot too timid to speak much, and
+with all kinds of horrid baby fluffs growing on his face. If men are to
+wear beards (which I should forbid if I were the Queen) they ought to
+be shut up till they are really grown.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Contretemps_]
+
+Opposite to us were Victorine and the Marquis, and Godmamma and the
+Baron, and Jean and the Marquis's mother. They did look a dull lot, and
+the Marquis's mother eats worst of all! We had the greatest fun at our
+side, Mme. de Vermandoise was delicious with gaiety, the Comte was on
+her other hand, and we four never stopped joking and laughing the whole
+of dinner. It was such a big party, so the conversation could not be
+quite as general as usual.
+
+The Marquis got gloomier and gloomier as time went on. I could not look
+up that I did not find his angry eyes fixed on me. Even Victorine's
+aggressive joy at having caught him was damped when she could not get
+him to pay attention to what she was saying. At last when he was
+straining his ears to try and hear my conversation with the Vicomte,
+she got absolutely exasperated with him, and addressed a question to
+him in a loud, sharp voice. It made him jump so that he bounced round
+in his seat; and as she had lowered her head to put the piece of
+_becassine_--which had been poised on her fork while she spoke--into
+her mouth, his jumping round, and her raising her head suddenly, made
+her daisies catch on his beard; and you never saw such a funny sight,
+Mamma! It was a nasty little wired dewdrop that got fixed in poor
+Monsieur de Beaupre's fur, and there they were: she still grasping her
+fork and he looking ready to eat her with annoyance. Their two heads
+were fastened together, and there they would have remained, only
+Hippolyte (who always goes everywhere with the Baronne) came to the
+rescue, and untangled them. But it hurt the Marquis very much, as some
+of the hairs had to be pulled out, and it did not mend matters
+Hippolyte muttering, "Cela doit etre que Monsieur le Marquis doit faire
+plus attention a l'affaire qu'il a en main, s'il desire garder ses
+cheveux intacts."
+
+[Sidenote: _The Vicomte's Proposal_]
+
+The affair made quite a commotion at the table, and Victorine so nearly
+cried with rage that the Marquis's mother had to give her smelling
+salts. Mme. de Vermandoise was overcome with laughter, and her tongue
+was hardly ever out of her gap, while the Marquis sat, white with fury.
+
+When we left the table, arm-in-arm, things cleared up, and, while we
+were alone when the men went back to smoke, Victorine was made to "play
+something," and she really plays very well. It was so stiflingly hot
+that at last some one--the Comtesse, I believe--asked to have the
+windows opened on to the terrace. There was a fair-sized moon, and we
+all went out there, even Godmamma for a few moments. The men came out
+of the smoking-room windows and joined us, and for the first time since
+I have been in France we talked to the persons we wanted to, without
+either shouting across some one else or making a general conversation.
+
+"Antoine" and Heloise leant over the balustrade; the Comte and the
+Marquise stayed by the window, while the Vicomte whispered to me by the
+steps; and Victorine and her Marquis stood like two wax figures, not
+saying a word, by the orange trees. I don't know whether it was owing
+to the moon or not, but the Vicomte did say such a lot of charming
+things to me. He said he loved me, and would I marry him; he would
+arrange it all, as fortunately he has no parents to consult.
+
+I seem to be getting quite used to proposals now, because it did not
+excite me in the least. But I don't think I want to marry any one yet,
+Mamma; so I told him you would never let me marry a Frenchman, and he
+had better forget all about me. He said as much about love as he could
+in the ten minutes we were left talking together, and put it so
+nicely--not a bit that violent want-to-eat-one-up-way the Marquis has.
+I felt once or twice quite inclined to say yes, if only it had been an
+affair of a week; but unfortunately, even in France, you have to stay
+on with people longer than that, and that is the part I could not have
+managed.
+
+I made him understand at last that I really meant not to have him, and
+he was very miserable. But you can't tear your hair or cry, with every
+one looking on, and, as it all had to be done in a voice as if one was
+talking about the weather, he did not show much. Only he looked very
+white when we came into the lights again, but he whispered as he said
+good-night that he did not despair; he would always love me, and when I
+married some one else his day would come, which I did not think kind of
+him, as I don't want to be a widow.
+
+The Marquis had not a chance to say a word to me; he tried often, but I
+avoided him, he looked so out of temper. I am sure it would have been
+something disagreeable. He and the Vicomte nearly came to blows going
+out of the door, just over a silly thing like the Vicomte's sword
+knocking against the Marquis's boot. I hope they won't really fight.
+When they had all gone, and we were going up to bed, I thought Jean
+looked as if his fit was coming on again, so I bolted into my room;
+and on the whole I am rather glad to be coming back to England on
+Thursday.
+
+To-day we go over to Tournelle, a visit of ceremony for me to say
+good-bye, and they are all dear people there, and I shall always hope
+to see them again.--Now good-bye, dear Mamma, with love from your
+affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--I wish his hair wasn't cut _en brosse_. But of course one
+couldn't marry a Frenchman anyway.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Wednesday, September 7th._
+
+[Sidenote: _Hippolyte's Testimonial_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--It was really quite sad saying good-bye to all the
+people at Tournelle. The Baronne almost wept over me, and said that
+they would be dreadfully dull without me. They all kissed me on both
+cheeks, and even Hippolyte as he put us into the carriage after I
+tipped him, remarked, "Mieux vaut epouser un francais et rester
+toujours chez nous, vous etes trop belle demoiselle pour le brouillard
+d'Angleterre!"
+
+I wonder after all if the Marquis will ever marry Victorine, as it
+seems, when he got back last night, he was in such a temper that he
+made a scene with the Baronne and his mother. He said that Victorine
+made him look ridiculous, that she was unappetising, without wit, and
+ugly enough to have tranquillised St. Anthony at his worst moment of
+temptation--whatever that means. (I overheard the Baronne tell all this
+to Heloise while the old Baron was making me compliments in his fearful
+English.) The Marquis stamped his foot, and finally, bursting into
+tears, announced that he would go to Paris, back to Adele--whoever she
+is--and find consolation! So off he started this morning the first
+thing. What a man, Mamma! crying like a child!
+
+His mother and the Baronne are very anxious about him, as if he really
+decides to "_jeter le manche apres la cognee_," who is to pay his
+debts! The Baronne also said, that if "Elisabet" (that's me) had only
+been married, it would have been all a simple matter; because then
+there would be no cause for him to despair, and he would not have
+occupied himself about an ordinary subject, like who they married him
+to in the meantime. But, as it is, the contrast between us--Victorine
+and me--whom he cannot obtain--is too great, and the sooner I am out of
+his sight the better! It does sound all Greek, doesn't it to you,
+Mamma? I repeat it just as the Baronne said it.
+
+[Sidenote: _Etiquette for the Fiances_]
+
+We went into the garden presently, and the Marquise and the Comte and I
+walked together; she had not got over the affair at dinner, and did
+nothing but laugh and joke about it. She said that Victorine at all
+events will give the Marquis no anxieties in the future, but she is
+sure he will have to "_se griser_" to get through the wedding.
+Fortunately Victorine was not with us, as Godmamma was too tired to
+accompany her; it would not have been proper for her to come with only
+her brother and sister-in-law, as her _fiance_, being supposed
+to be at Tournelle, she might have had private conversation with him
+not under Godmamma's eye!
+
+Oh! mustn't it be awful to be French! Heloise says it isn't so bad as
+this in the smart set in Paris; they speak to one another there quite a
+lot before getting married, and do almost English things, but Godmamma
+is of the old school.
+
+Before we left, the Marquis turned up, he looked thoroughly worn out
+and as _piano_ as a beaten dog. He was awfully polite to Jean and
+Heloise, and hardly looked at me, but as I did not want to leave with
+him still feeling cross with me, I got the chance at last to tell him I
+hoped he would be happy, and to congratulate him. He bowed deeply and
+thanked me, and then under his breath, as he stooped to pick up a
+flower I had dropped, he said, "Vous avez brise mon coeur, et cela
+m'est egal ce qui arrive,"--but I don't believe it, Mamma, he has not
+got a heart to break, he is only a silly doll and worthy of Victorine.
+
+I saw the Baronne talking to him seriously while we were having "five
+o'clock;" and just as we were starting, she came up and said low to
+Heloise, who was beside me, "J'espere que tout va bien, Adele l'a
+remplace, et ne veut plus de lui! Oh! la bonne fille!" So whoever
+"Adele" is, I suppose she has done Victorine a good turn. I asked
+Heloise on our way home if "Adele" was a relation of the Marquis's, and
+she went into fits of laughter and said, "Oui, une tres proche," but I
+can't see anything to laugh at, can you, Mamma?
+
+[Sidenote: _A Country Dinner Party_]
+
+In the evening there was a _ghastly_ dinner party at Croixmare. Three
+sets of provincial families. They are really awful these
+entertainments, and so different to English ones! Nobody bothers about
+even numbers. You feel obliged to ask the X's, the Y's, and the Z's
+from duty, and so you do. It doesn't in the least matter if they are
+mostly females; you have to ask the family, because if the daughters
+are grown up they can't be left at home alone--they would be getting
+into mischief. This is the kind of assortment that arrives: Papa X,
+Mamma X, and two girl X'es; Papa Y, Mamma Y, and Master and Miss Y;
+Papa Z, Mamma Z, Aunt Z, and Mdlle. Z--such a party!
+
+Godmamma just revels in these frumps; they make Heloise furious, and
+the airs of Victorine, her coyness and giggling, nearly drove me wild.
+I sat next to Monsieur Y, and although he is a Baron of very old family
+he ate like a _pig_. The food was extraordinarily good, but the proof
+of good service here is to get the whole dinner--of I don't know how
+many courses--over under the hour. So one has no sooner swallowed a
+mouthful, when one's plate is snatched away, and one begins to devour
+something else. But with this awful man gobbling at my side, and those
+foolish girls giggling beyond, even the forty minutes seemed ages.
+
+Afterwards in the salon the "_jeunes filles_" were sent to talk at the
+other side of the room, supervised by "the Tug," who did not dine, but
+was in waiting. If you had heard their conversation, Mamma! It was
+worse than the day the two came to breakfast. Just one endless string
+of questions to Victorine about the Marquis, with giggles over
+possibilities of their own _fiancailles!_ It is so extraordinary that
+they can ever turn into witty, fascinating women like Heloise and the
+Marquise. Of course, these are just provincial nobodies, whom Heloise
+would not dream of knowing in Paris; perhaps the girls there are
+better.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Cure for a Fit_]
+
+Victorine told them the Marquis was "Beau comme l'Archange Michel," and
+had for her "une brulante devotion!" What will she say if after all he
+refuses to come to the scratch! Jean is to accompany Agnes and me up to
+Paris to-morrow to see us safely off to Dieppe. I hope he won't have
+another fit in the train, I shall tell Agnes to take plenty of salts
+and brandy in her bag, and a bottle of soda water, because I have
+always heard that a sudden shock is best for people in fits, and one
+could pop the soda water over him if the worst came to the worst.--Now,
+good-night, dear Mamma, your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--An awful wind is blowing. I hope I shan't be drowned crossing
+the Channel.--E.
+
+
+Chateau de Croixmare,
+
+_Thursday night_.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Emotion of the Marquis_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I hope you got the telegram all right to-day saying I
+would not leave. The storm became really so fearful they would not hear
+of my starting, and as it has turned out I am very glad, for to-night
+we dined at Tournelle to celebrate the Baronne's birthday, and we had
+such an amusing time. All the usual lot were there, as well as those
+two officers who came to the _Foire_ with us, and about three or four
+more people from Paris, so we were quite a large party. Everybody gave
+the Baronne a present, and _such_ baskets of flowers as she had in the
+salon! "Assez pour tourner la tete," as Hippolyte said.
+
+The Baronne was dressed in pale mauve and looked lovely, only such a
+funny thing happened at dinner. The Vicomte, who sat next to her, made
+her laugh dreadfully, just as she was eating her soup, and she choked,
+and suddenly one cheek quite fell in, while the other stuck out as if a
+potato was in it. One could not _think_ what had happened; but it
+appears that she wears "plumpers," of a kind of red guttapercha, to
+keep her face nice and round, and in choking the right cheek's one got
+jerked across into the left cheek, and that is how she got the
+toothachy look. Mustn't it be a bother, Mamma, to have to do all that?
+but the Baronne is such a dear that one did not even laugh.
+
+The Marquis had to sit by Victorine, and I saw him looking at the pink
+rosebuds in her hair with a cautious eye; and he sat up as straight as
+anything in case she should get caught in him again.
+
+But it is all right, he means to go through with it--the Baronne told
+Heloise directly we got there. So I thought, as it was finally settled,
+there would be no harm in talking to him a little. He looked at me at
+dinner, I smiled, and it was so quaint, Mamma, his whole face seemed to
+flush until his forehead was even pink, with the veins showing at the
+side. He lifted his champagne glass and kissed the edge of it, and
+bowed to me, and no one saw but the Comte, and he went into a chuckle
+of laughter, as he whispered to me that if Victorine had seen she would
+certainly tear my eyes out on the way home.
+
+[Sidenote: _Elizabeth Sandwiched_]
+
+Afterwards, in the salon, the Vicomte managed to stand behind me while
+I was talking to the old Baron, and he said in a low voice: Why had I
+come back? He was at peace waiting till his day came, and here I had
+upset everything, and he should have to go through endless more
+restless nights! I said that I was sorry the storm had prevented my
+starting, especially as I was unwelcome. So he threw prudence to the
+winds, and said out loud before the Baron that I knew it was not that,
+and he looked so devoted and distressed that the dear old Baron patted
+him on the back, and turning away said, "Mon brave Gaston, moi aussi
+j'etais jeune une fois." And he left us alone by the window, while he
+stood a sort of sentry in front.
+
+The Vicomte did whisper a lot of things; he said just for one evening I
+might make him happy and pretend I loved him, and let him call me
+"_cherie_." So I said "all right;" I did not think it _could_ matter,
+as I am coming home to-morrow, Mamma, and shall probably never see him
+again, and you said one ought always to be kind-hearted and do little
+things for people. When I said "all right," his forehead got pink, and
+the veins showed just like the Marquis's had done at dinner, and he
+said, "_Cherie--ma cherie, ma bien-aimee_" in such a voice! It made me
+feel quite as if I wanted to listen to some more, only, unfortunately
+at that moment, Godmamma came up; she brushed the Baron aside, and said
+I should certainly catch cold by the window, and must come with her,
+while she annihilated the Vicomte with a look.
+
+There I was, taken off to a sofa at the other side of the room, and
+stuffed down between Godmamma and the Marquis's mother. You can think I
+was cross. However, I paid her out, for I just looked at the Marquis,
+who was seated by his Victorine almost silent and like a dummy (they
+are allowed to talk together now, as long as they are not alone in the
+room). It made him fidget so, he could not attend to what she was
+saying. And when finally he got up and came over to us and said, had I
+seen the new "Nattier" the Comte had just bought, which was in the
+other salon, and would I come and look at it?--I think Godmamma wished
+she had left me safe with the Vicomte. She could not say anything, as
+half the party had already gone to look at the picture, so I got up at
+once and went with him. His mother is years older than the Baronne, and
+not a bit gay like her. I saw them--her and Godmamma--nodding their
+heads anxiously as we left; no doubt they were deploring the bad
+bringing-up of the English.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Fiances Together_]
+
+The Marquis said it was awful what he was going through; and when the
+dancing began presently would I give him the first valse? I said
+Certainly, and by that time we were in the other salon, and beside the
+Marquise. She smiled her dear little smile, which always seems to mock
+at everything, and put her tongue into her gap and whispered: "Quelle
+comedie! c'est bien petite espiegle, amusez-vous!" _And so I did!_ I
+can't tell you what fun it was, Mamma. I was in wild spirits, and the
+Marquis answered back, and we were as gay as larks, until I overheard
+the Marquis's mother, who had followed us, say to him, in an acid
+voice, that he seemed to have forgotten that it was arranged for him to
+give Victorine the engagement ring that evening and say a few
+appropriate words to her, and he must take her to see the flowers in
+the conservatory, and get it over there. So off he had to go, looking
+black and peevish, and supervised by the two mothers--who stood at the
+risk of catching their deaths of cold by the door--he and Victorine
+went arm-in-arm into the conservatory, and disappeared behind some pots
+of palms.
+
+It appears Mme. de Vermandoise and the Comte were in there too, and saw
+what happened, and she told Heloise and me afterwards. The _fiances_
+came and stood quite close to them, with only a bank of flowers
+between; and they said the palms were pretty and were growing very
+tall, and the Marquis coughed, and Victorine began scrabbling with her
+toes on the marble floor in that irritating way she has, and they
+neither of them spoke. At last the Marquis dashed at it, and said, as
+she already knew, their parents had arranged they should marry, and he
+hoped he would make her happy. At that moment the piano struck up very
+loud in the salon, and prevented Victorine from quite catching what he
+said; he got very red and repeated it again, but he mumbled so she
+still was not sure, and had to say "_Pardon?_" for the second time.
+That upset the Marquis to such a point that he said "Damn," which is
+the only English word he knows, and when Victorine looked horribly
+surprised, he dived into his waistcoat pocket and fished out the ring.
+Then he took her hand, pulled off her glove backwards, and pushed it on
+to the first finger he came to, which happened to be the middle one! He
+just said he hoped she would wear it for his sake; and when she
+exclaimed, "Mais, monsieur! ce n'est pas sur ce doigt que vous devez
+mettre la bague!" he hardly waited to apologise or put it right before
+he dragged her back to the salon and deposited her with the anxious
+mothers!
+
+[Sidenote: _The Baronne's Diplomacy_]
+
+Mme. de Vermandoise said she and the Comte nearly had a fit to keep
+themselves from laughing out loud. Wasn't it too comic, Mamma? How I
+should hate to be betrothed like that! However, Victorine seems to
+think half a loaf is better than no bread, for she kept her glove off
+all the rest of the evening, and looked at her ring with conscious
+pride. It is a very nice one, a ruby and a pearl heart connected by a
+diamond Marquis's coronet. They ought to have added a money-bag
+representing the dot, and then the symbol would have been complete.
+
+We had begun to dance when they got back, and, as the Marquis had not
+been there to claim me, I was valsing with Jean. The Baronne kept the
+Vicomte close to her side all the rest of the evening--she told me, as
+she kissed me in saying good-bye, that she had done it for peace sake,
+as she knew he and the Marquis would have had a quarrel otherwise, they
+were both so madly in love with me. "Petite embrouillante d'heureuses
+familles va!" she said--"Mais je t'aime bien quand meme!"--She is a
+darling, the Baronne! The Marquis stood there glowering, and never
+offered to dance with Victorine; she must have been cross!
+
+We had another farewell all round when the valse was over--Godmamma
+would not stay for another, and even "Antoine" seemed sorry to say
+"_Adieu._" "Depechez-vous de vous marier," he said, "et ensuite revenez
+aupres de nous. J'ai envie de vous faire la cour, mais vous etes
+beaucoup trop dangereuse pour le moment."
+
+"Ca, c'est vrai!" said the Comte and Jean together, and every one
+laughed.
+
+Now that the betrothal ring is really on Victorine's finger, and
+Heloise knows she will be got off, she does not mind a bit about the
+Marquis looking at me. She kept laughing to herself over it all the way
+home; she really detests Victorine. Godmamma and the bride-elect hardly
+spoke a word, and I am sure if a perfect hurricane blows to-morrow,
+they won't suggest my waiting another day, so I shall be glad to be
+off.
+
+Good-night, dear Mamma; you will see me almost as soon as you get this,
+as I shall only sleep the night in London at Aunt Mary's.--With love
+from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+RETBY
+
+
+Retby,
+
+_September 20th_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lady Theodosia's Pets_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--You might have prepared me for what Lady Theodosia
+looks like, because when I arrived yesterday and was shown into her
+boudoir, and found her lying on the sofa, covered with dogs and cats, I
+as nearly as possible laughed out loud, and it would have been so rude.
+She had evidently been asleep, and it looked like a mountain having an
+earthquake when she got up, and animals rolled off her in all
+directions. A poodle, two fox terriers, a toy Spitz, and a cat and
+kitten, had all been sleeping in the nooks her outline makes. They all
+barked in different keys, and between saying, "Down, Hector!" "Quiet,
+Fluff!" "Hush, hush, Fanny!" "Did um know it was a stranger?" etc.,
+etc., she got in that she was glad to see me, and hoped you were
+better. When she stands up she is _colossal_! Her body dressed in the
+last fashion, and then the queerest face with no neck, and
+lemon-coloured hair parted down the middle, and not matching a bit with
+the chignon of thick plaits at the back. It looks as if it were
+strapped on with a black velvet band that comes across her forehead,
+like in the pictures on the nursery screen at home that the Great-aunts
+made when they were children. She seems as kind as possible, and has
+the fattest wheezy voice.
+
+[Sidenote: _"Clever Darlings"_]
+
+Her room is appalling; it is full of Early Victorian furniture, and
+horrid alabaster statuette things, under glass cases, and then a few
+modern armchairs covered in gorgeous brocade, but it is all clawed by
+the cats, and soiled by the dogs' muddy feet, and you are unable to
+make up your mind where it will be safe to sit. When tea came in, which
+it did immediately, you can't think what it was like! A St. Bernard and
+another poodle joined the party, and while we were trying to get
+something to eat and drink, they all begged or barked or pushed their
+noses under the muffin dish lid, or took cakes from the side table; and
+Lady Theodosia kept saying, "Clever darlings; see, they know where
+their favourite bits are." It is impossible to have a connected
+conversation with her, because between every few words she puts in
+ejaculations about the dogs. I was obliged to simply bolt my crumpet
+like a Frenchman, to keep it from being snatched from me. Just as we
+were finishing tea, Mr. Doran and three men came in. He is a
+teeny-weeny man with a big head and rather weak eyes, and he and she do
+look odd together. What could it have been like when they trotted down
+the aisle after getting married!
+
+It is a mercy Lady Theodosia is only your second cousin, and that her
+shape has not descended to our branch of the family. All the
+"children"--as she calls the animals--barked again when the men came
+in. There was only a _miserable_ tea left, and, when Mr. Doran ventured
+to say the dogs had made things rather messy, Lady Theodosia
+annihilated him. It was as if he had insulted her nearest and dearest!
+But one of the men got quietly to the bell, and when the footmen came
+they grasped the situation and brought some clean things, so tea
+finished better than it had begun. Just before they went to dress Lady
+Theodosia remembered to introduce them. The only young one is Mr.
+Roper, the great shot, and the other two are Sir Augustus Grant and
+Captain Fieldin; they are oldish.
+
+When they had gone, Lady Theodosia said to me that men were a great
+nuisance as a rule, but that she had a pet friend, a "dear docile
+creature, so useful with the dogs," and he was coming back by the 6.30
+train. You would have laughed, if you could have seen him when he did
+arrive! A fair humble thing, with a squeaky voice and obsequious
+manners. He had been up to town to get the dogs new muzzles, as the
+muzzling order has just been put in force in this county. It appears
+Lady Theodosia has him always here, and he attends to the dogs for a
+home, but I would rather be a stable--boy, wouldn't you, Mamma? His
+name is Frederick Harrington, and Lady Theodosia calls him "Frederick"
+when she is pleased, and "Harrington" if anything puts her out. And as
+she says it, "Harrington" sounds the fattest word you ever heard. I was
+glad to get to my room!
+
+Most of the house that I have yet seen, which was not refurnished when
+she married in 1870, is really fine, with beautiful old furniture and
+china; only everything within reach is scratched and spoilt by the
+"children." It must make the family portraits turn in their frames to
+see Fluff eating one of their tapestry footstools, or the cats clawing
+the Venetian velvet chairs.
+
+[Sidenote: _Feeding the Aborigines_]
+
+There was a dinner party in the evening. As we went upstairs to dress,
+Lady Theodosia told me about it. She said she was obliged to entertain
+all the Aborigines twice a year, and that most people gave them garden
+parties; but she found that too fatiguing, so she had two dinners in
+the shooting season, and two at Easter, to which she asked every one.
+She just puts all their names in a bag, and counts out twelve couples
+for each party, and then she makes up the number to thirty-six with
+odd creatures, daughters and old maids, and sons and curates, &c., and
+she finds it a capital plan. She said, "I give 'em plenty to eat and
+drink, and they draw for partners, and all go home as happy as possible
+feeling there has been no favouritism!"
+
+She explained that the lawyers and doctors enjoyed having their food
+with the earls and baronets much more than just prancing about lawns.
+And when I asked her how the earls and baronets liked it, she said
+there were only three or four, and they had to put up with it or stay
+at home; she had done it now for thirty years, and they were accustomed
+to it; besides, she had the best _chef_ in England, and anyway it was a
+nice change for people not knowing who they were going to be put next
+to. It took her such a long time to tell me all this, and to see me to
+my room, that I was almost late, and she did not get into the state
+drawing-room until all the guests had arrived.
+
+You never saw anything so funny as it was, Mamma. Mr. Doran was trying
+to be polite to the odd collection, evidently not quite knowing which
+was which. Old Lord and Lady Devnant were glaring at the rest of the
+company from the hearth-rug, with a look of "You invade this mat at
+your peril!" Sir Christopher Harford paying extravagant compliments to
+the parson's wife (I knew which they were because I heard them
+announced), and the "Squire" and Mrs. de Lacy--who came over with the
+Conqueror--standing apart with their skinny daughters, all holding
+their noses in the air. Everybody seemed to be in their best clothes,
+and most of the women had flowers and tulle or little black feathers
+sticking up in their hair, and bare red arms, and skirts inches off the
+ground in front; you know the look. But everything seemed to be going
+beautifully after Lady Theodosia rolled in (she does not walk, like
+ordinary people)!
+
+[Sidenote: _Drawing for Partners_]
+
+Mr. Doran did the handing round of the drawing-papers, and they were
+"Marshall and Snelgrove," and "Lewis and Allenby," and "Debenham and
+Freebody," &c., and if you drew "Lewis" you went in with whoever drew
+"Allenby," and so on; it was a capital plan, only for one incident. I
+was near Lady Theodosia when Mr. Harrington rushed from the other end
+of the room, and whispered to her in an agitated voice that the
+"Dickens" of Lady Devnant's "Jones" was Dr. Pluffield. She was not on
+speaking terms with him, having quarrelled with him for sending her
+teething powders by mistake, when it ought to have been something for
+her nerves. All Lady Theodosia said was--
+
+"Harrington, you're a fool. What are their little differences to me? I
+give 'em the best dinner in England, and they must settle the rest
+themselves!"
+
+So poor Mr. Harrington had to go back and smooth down Lady Devnant as
+best he could; and presently we all started for the banqueting-hall.
+There were several really decent county people there, of course, but
+they all looked much the same as the others, except that they had
+diamonds on. Old Admiral Brudnell, who has a crimson face, was taking
+in the younger Miss de Lacy, and just in front of him were Dr.
+Pluffield and Lady Devnant, whom the Admiral hates. I heard him say,
+getting purple like a gobbler, "Come on, come on, I don't mean to let
+that old catamaran get in front of me!" And he dragged Miss de Lacy
+through the doorway, bumping the others to get past; and she told me
+afterwards her funny-bone had got such a knock that she could hardly
+hold her soup spoon!
+
+[Sidenote: _Marshall and Snelgrove_]
+
+It was quainter even than the frumps' dinner that Godmamma gave. I had
+a very nervous young man with red hair and glasses to take me in; I
+drew "Snelgrove," so he was "Marshall." He evidently had not understood
+a bit about the drawing, and kept calling me "Miss Snelgrove," until I
+was obliged to say to him, "But my name is not Snelgrove any more than
+yours is Marshall."
+
+"But my name _is_ Marshall," he said, "and I was told to find a lady of
+the name of 'Snelgrove,' and I wondered at the strange coincidence."
+
+He looked so dreadfully distressed that I had to explain to him; and he
+got so nervous at his mistake that he hardly spoke for the rest of
+dinner.
+
+The dishes were exquisite, and Lady Theodosia enjoyed them all, in
+spite of "Fanny" (that is the Spitz) constantly falling off her lap,
+and having to be fished for by her own footman, who always stands
+behind her chair, ready for these emergencies. I call it very plucky of
+the dog to go on trying; for what lap Lady Theodosia has is so steep it
+must be like trying to sleep on the dome of St. Paul's. Mr. Roper sat
+at my other side, and after a while he talked to me; he said he came
+every year to shoot partridges, and it was always the same. On the
+night he arrived there was always this dinner party, and some years the
+most absurd things had happened, but Lady Theodosia did not care a
+button. He thought there were a good many advantages in being a Duke's
+daughter; they don't dare to offend her, he said, although they are
+ready to tear one another's eyes out when they are put with the wrong
+people. Lady Theodosia puffed a good deal as dinner went on, I could
+hear her from where I sat. She is in slight mourning, so below her
+diamond necklace--which is magnificent, but has not been cleaned for
+years--she had a set of five lockets, on a chain all made of bog oak,
+and afterwards I found each locket had a portrait of some pet animal
+who is dead in it, and a piece of its hair. You would never guess that
+she is Lady Cecilia's sister, except for the bulgy eyes. Towards the
+end of dinner Mr. Doran got so gay, he talked and laughed so you would
+not have recognised him, as ordinarily he is a timid little thing.
+
+[Sidenote: _After Dinner_]
+
+When we returned to the great drawing-room, it was really comic. Lady
+Theodosia did not make any pretence of talking to the people. Her whole
+attention was with the "children," who had just been let loose from her
+boudoir, where her maid had been keeping them company while we dined.
+They were as jealous as possible of Fanny, who never leaves any part of
+Lady Theodosia she can stick on to. She is so small that she gets lots
+of nice rides asleep on the folds of her velvet train. Most of the
+company were terrified at this avalanche of dogs, and kept saying, when
+they came and sniffed and barked at them, "poor doggie," "nice doggie,"
+"good doggie," etc., in different keys of nervousness. I felt glad
+Agnes had insisted that I should not put on one of my best dresses. She
+highly disapproves of this place. As well spend the time in the Jardin
+des Plantes with the cage doors undone, she says!
+
+Now and then, when Lady Theodosia could bring herself to remember she
+had a party, she would make a dash at some one, and as likely as not
+call them by a wrong name. Lady Devnant and Mrs. de Lacy and the few
+more county people made a little ring with her by themselves, and
+gradually the doctors', and parsons', and lawyers' families got
+together, and so things settled down, and we were getting on quite
+nicely when the men came in. It did all seem queer after the extreme
+ceremony and politeness in France. When she had fed them, Lady
+Theodosia seemed to think her duty to her guests had ended.
+
+Mr. Doran was still as gay as possible, and insisted upon Mrs.
+Pluffield singing; it was a love-and-tombstone kind of song, and
+sounded so silly and old-fashioned. And after that lots of people had
+to sing, and I felt so sorry for them; but soon their carriages came,
+and they were able to go home; if I were they nothing would induce me
+to come again.
+
+I got up early to write this as the post goes at an unearthly hour, so
+now I must go down to breakfast.--Good-bye, dear Mamma, your
+affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Retby,
+
+_September 22nd_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Settling Down_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I was surprised yesterday when I got down to breakfast
+to find Lady Theodosia already there. She is awfully active, and puffs
+about everywhere like a steam-engine. She will pour out the tea and
+coffee herself, and there is just the one long table, not a lot of
+little ones like at Nazeby; but our party is quite small, the four
+other guns were to come from the neighbourhood. Lady Theodosia asks you
+if you take sugar and cream, and then perhaps a dog takes off her
+attention, and as likely as not, when she remembers the pouring out,
+you get just what you have said you don't take. I wonder she does not
+leave it to the servants.
+
+Mr. Doran was as quiet as a mouse, and said he had a bad headache. The
+three other men had enormous breakfasts, and did not speak much, except
+that Captain Fieldin asked if we were not coming out to lunch; and Lady
+Theodosia said of course we were--she intended to drive me in her pony
+carriage. When they had all started, she took me back to the boudoir,
+as it was a Wednesday, and the state apartments were on show, and she
+hates meeting the tourists from Bradford. I think it must be dreadful
+having to let everybody look through your home, just because you have
+fine pictures, and it is historical, and a prince got murdered there a
+hundred years ago. Mr. Doran inherited it through his mother, I think
+you said, as there are no Lord Retbys left.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Show Place_]
+
+I went to get the photograph of you I always have on my dressing-table,
+to show it to Lady Theodosia, and I met quite a troop of tourists on
+the stairs, and all the place railed off with fat red cords, and
+everything being explained to them by a guide who has the appearance of
+a very haughty butler, and lives here just to do this, and look after
+the things. The tourists stared at me because I was inside the rope,
+just as if I had been a Royalty, and whispered and nudged one another,
+and one said, "Is that Lady Theodosia?" and I felt inclined to call out
+"No, not by twelve stone." It was funny seeing them. The housekeeper
+hates it; she says it takes six housemaids the rest of the day removing
+their traces, and getting rid of the smell. And as for the Bank Holiday
+ones, they have no respect for the house at all. Lady Theodosia told me
+the housekeeper came to her nearly weeping after the last one. "Oh, my
+lady," she said, "they treats us as if we was _ruins_."
+
+Mr. Harrington had not been allowed to shoot, because the St. Bernard
+and Fluff hated their muzzles so, when they were tried on, that he had
+to go in to the local harness-maker and have them altered under his own
+eye. He got back just as we were starting for lunch, and Lady Theodosia
+made him come with us, and sent the groom on with the lunch carts. She
+drives one of those old-fashioned, very low pony-shays, with a seat up
+behind for the groom, and two such ducks of ponies. There hardly seemed
+room for me beside her, and the springs seemed dreadfully down on her
+side. She generally sits in the middle when alone, Mr. Harrington told
+me afterwards. She noticed about the springs herself, and said,
+"Frederick, you must lean all your weight on the other side." We must
+have looked odd going along; I squashed in beside her with a poodle and
+Fanny at my feet, and poor Mr. Harrington clinging to one side like
+grim death, so as to try and get the balance more level. It seemed
+quite a long drive, and lunch was laid out on a trestle table in a
+farmhouse garden, and was a splendid repast, with hot _entrees_, and
+Lady Theodosia had some of them all.
+
+[Sidenote: _Mr. Doran's Philanthropy_]
+
+It appears Captain Fieldin and Sir Augustus Grant are constantly
+staying here; they help to ride Mr. Doran's horses and shoot his birds.
+They are all old friends, and rather hard up, so Mr. Doran just keeps
+them. He--Mr. Doran--seems different after meals; from being as quiet
+as a lamb, he gets quite coarse and blunt. The rest of the party were
+just the kind of neighbours that always come to shoot. Mr. Roper told
+me they never have smart parties, with only the best shots, and heaps
+of beautiful ladies. Mr. Doran asks just any one he likes, or he
+happens to meet, and the shooting is some of the best in England, and
+awfully well preserved.
+
+Lady Theodosia had a very short tweed skirt on, a black velvet jacket
+with bugles, and a boat-shaped hat and cocks' feathers; but she always
+wears the black velvet band round her forehead. Her ankles seemed to
+be falling over the tops of her boots, and as she only walked from the
+carriage to the lunch table, I don't think her skirt need have been so
+short; do you, Mamma? But although she was got up like an old gipsy you
+could not help seeing through it all that she really is well-bred; I
+don't think even Agnes would dare to be uppish with her. They live here
+at Retby all the year round. The town house is only opened for three
+days, when Lady Theodosia comes up for the Drawing-room. And they seem
+to have a lot of these rather dull, oldish men friends who make long
+visits.
+
+Going home after lunch Lady Theodosia took several of the pies and
+joints to poor people in the cottages near, and she was so nice to
+them, and so friendly; she knows them all and all their affairs, and
+never makes mistakes with their names, or is rude and discourteous as
+she was to the people at the dinner party. They all adore her. She
+hates the middle classes, she says, she would like to live in Russia,
+where there are only the upper and lower.
+
+[Sidenote: _Croquet under Difficulties_]
+
+When we got back, Lord and Lady Tyneville had arrived with their two
+daughters. They are about my age, and quite nice and pretty; but their
+mother dresses them so queerly, they look rather guys. I am glad,
+Mamma, that you have none of those silly ideas, and that I have not got
+to have my hair in a large bun with ribbons twisted in it for dinner.
+They seem quite accustomed to stay here, and know all the dogs and
+their ways. They are much nicer than French girls, but not so
+attractive as Miss La Touche. We had an early tea in the hall, and
+after tea we played croquet until it got dark, though one could not get
+on very well as the dogs constantly carried off the balls in their
+mouths, and one had to guess where to put them back, and in that way
+Lady Theodosia, who was my partner, managed to get through three hoops
+she wouldn't have otherwise. It isn't much fun playing so late in the
+year, as it gets so cold.
+
+I think the elder Miss Everleigh is in love with Mr. Roper, because she
+blushed, just as they do in books, when he came in, and from being
+quiet and nice, got rather gigglish. I hope I shan't do that when I am
+in love.
+
+We had quite a gay dinner; Lady Tyneville talks all the time, and says
+such funny things.
+
+I am really enjoying myself very much in spite of there being no
+excitements, like the Marquis and the Vicomte. To-day we are going to
+make an excursion into Hernminster to see the Cathedral, and to-morrow
+they shoot again.--Good-bye, dear Mamma, with love from your
+affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+RETBY, _Thursday_.
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I don't think I care about looking at churches much.
+They don't smell here as they do in France, but on the other hand they
+look deserted, and as if no one cared a pin, and there are generally
+repairs going on or monuments piled up at the side waiting to be put
+back or something that doesn't look tidy--in the big ones I mean, like
+York and Hernminster that we saw yesterday. Mr. Doran drove us in on
+the coach, and Lady Theodosia sat on the box beside him. It was too
+wonderful to see her climbing up, and from the near side she completely
+hid Mr. Doran; the reins looked as if they were staying up by
+themselves, you could not see even his hands, her mountainous outline
+blocked all the space. Miss Everleigh and Mr. Roper and I and Sir
+Augustus sat in the seat behind the box seat, and the other Everleigh
+sat with her father in the back, while Mr. Harrington had to go inside
+with Lady Tyneville as she was afraid of the cold wind. They must have
+had a nice time, for both poodles were in there too, and one terrier,
+and we could hear them barking constantly. Fanny, who has a wonderful
+sense of balance, was poised somewhere on Lady Theodosia. The horses
+are beauties and we went at a splendid pace.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Agreeable Drive_]
+
+Sir Augustus doesn't seem so old when he is sitting by you; he said a
+lot of nice things to me. We went straight to the "Red Lion" and had
+lunch, and it was a horrid meal, everything over or underdone, and
+messy and nasty. The dinner at a teeny place like Caudebec in France
+was delicious. I wonder why food at country hotels in England is so
+bad? At Retby Lady Theodosia won't touch anything unless it is
+absolutely perfect. She sent a dish away yesterday just because a whiff
+of some flavouring she does not like came to her, but at the "Red Lion"
+she did not grumble at all; it must be for the same reason that wetting
+their feet doesn't give French people cold if it is at a national
+sport, that made her put up with the lunch because it was English and
+had always been the same.
+
+I was glad to have a nice piece of cheese. All the time I was with
+Godmamma I was not allowed to, as it isn't considered proper for girls
+there, and when I asked Victorine why one day, she told me it gave
+ideas, and was too exciting, whatever that could mean. So at the "Red
+Lion" I just had two helpings to see, as this is the first chance I
+have had, as you don't care for cheese at home. But nothing happened, I
+did not feel at all excited, so it must be because they are French.
+Mustn't it?
+
+[Sidenote: _Country Shopping_]
+
+First we went to a curiosity shop before going to the Cathedral, and
+there was such an odd man owned it. "My good Griggson," Lady Theodosia
+called him; he seemed quite pleased--although we none of us bought
+anything--and so friendly with Lady Theodosia. When we had finished
+trotting about looking at the old streets and the Cathedral, we went to
+buy some mauve silk to line a cushion that Lady Tyneville has
+embroidered as a present to Lady Theodosia. It is so funny in these
+country shops, they always bring you what you don't want. Lady
+Tyneville said she wanted mauve, and showed her pattern, and after some
+time the girl who served her came back and said, "Oh! we are out of
+mauve, but green is being very much worn."
+
+We went back to the "Red Lion" and Mr. Doran and Captain Fieldin joined
+us. They had been at the Club all the time, and were full of local news
+about the cub hunting, &c. On the way back to Retby Sir Augustus told
+me he was struck with me the moment he came into Lady Theodosia's
+boudoir, and he tried to take hold of my hand. I call it very queer,
+don't you? I suppose it is because they think I am young and want
+encouraging, but I simply detest it, and I told him so. I said, "Why
+should you want to hold my hand?" and when he looked foolish and
+mumbled some answer, I just said, "Because if you are afraid of
+falling, and it is to hold on, there is the outside rail of the coach
+for you; I _hate_ being pawed." He said I was a disagreeable little
+thing, and would never get on in life. But you can see, Mamma, how
+everything has changed since you were young.
+
+[Sidenote: _Mr. Harrington's Fault_]
+
+Lady Theodosia put on such a splendid purple brocade tea-gown for tea,
+but Fluff would jump up at the tray, and succeeded at last in upsetting
+a whole jug of cream over her. She was sitting in a very low chair that
+it is difficult to get out of, and she looked quite piteous with
+billows of cream rolling off her; it got into Fanny's nose and made her
+sneeze, and that annoyed the other dogs, and they all began to fight,
+and the St. Bernard joined in, and in his excitement he overturned the
+whole table and tray. You never saw such a catastrophe! The dogs got
+quite wild with joy, and left off fighting to gobble cakes, and when
+Mr. Harrington, who had been away writing letters, rushed in to see
+what the commotion was, he did catch it! We extricated Lady Theodosia
+from masses of broken china and dribbles of jam, in the most awful
+rage. She said it was entirely Mr. Harrington's fault for not being
+there to look after the dogs. Considering she had sent him to write
+about their muzzles, I do call it hard, don't you? Mr. Doran came in,
+and when he saw the best Crown Derby smashed on the floor, and the
+teapot all bent, he became quite transformed, and swore _dreadfully_.
+He said such rude words, Mamma, that I cannot even write them, and it
+ended up with,
+
+"If you keep a d----d puppy to look after your other d----d puppies,
+why the devil don't you see he does it!"
+
+I hope you aren't awfully shocked, Mamma, at me writing that; I was
+obliged to, to show you what awful creatures men really are underneath,
+even if their outsides look as meek as Mr. Doran's. Lady Theodosia
+burst into tears, and it was altogether a fearful scene if it had not
+been so funny to look at. We none of us got any tea, for by the time
+Lady Theodosia had been got to dry her eyes, and things were cleared
+up, we were all only too glad to disperse. I am sure a lot of children
+could not be so naughty as these dogs are.
+
+[Sidenote: _A prudent Retirement_]
+
+Dinner began by being rather strained, but gradually got quite gay. Mr.
+Doran would have up three different brands of champagne for every one
+to try, and the men seemed to like them very much. By dessert
+everything was lively again, and dinner ended by Mr. Doran singing "The
+hounds of the Meynell," with one foot on the table as gay as a lark.
+But wasn't it tiresome, Mamma? when we got into the drawing-room, Lady
+Theodosia said we had had a long day, and must be tired, and she packed
+the two Everleighs and me off to bed before the men came in, and so
+here I am writing to you, because it is ridiculous to suppose I am
+going to sleep at this hour. Agnes and I leave by the early train on
+Saturday morning, so good-bye till then, dear Mamma; love from your
+affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+CARRISTON TOWERS
+
+
+Carriston Towers,
+
+_27th October_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Carriston Towers_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I shall never again arrive at a place at three o'clock
+in the afternoon; it is perfectly ghastly! As we drove up to the
+door--it was pouring with rain--I felt that I should not like anything
+here. It does look such a large grey pile: and how cold and draughty
+that immense stone hall must be in winter! There were no nice big sofas
+about, or palms, or lots of papers and books; nothing but suits of
+armour and great marble tables, looking like monuments. I was taken
+down endless passages to the library, and there left such a long time
+that I had got down an old _Punch_ and was looking at it, and trying to
+warm my feet, when Lady Carriston came in with Adeline. I remember how
+I hated playing with her years ago; she always patronised me, being
+three years older, and she is just the same now, only both their backs
+have got longer and their noses more arched, and they are the image of
+each other. Adeline seems very suppressed; Lady Carriston does not--her
+face is carved out of stone. They look very well bred and respectable,
+and badly dressed; nothing rustled nicely when they walked, and they
+had not their nails polished, or scent on, or anything like that; but
+Lady Carriston had a splendid row of pearls round her throat, on the
+top of her rough tweed dress and linen collar.
+
+They pronounce their words very distinctly, in an elevated kind of way,
+and you feel as if icicles were trickling down your back, and you can't
+think of a _thing_ to say. When we had got to the end of your neuralgia
+and my journey, there was such a pause! and I suppose they thought I
+was an idiot, and were only too glad to get me off to my room, where
+Adeline took me, and left me, hoping I had everything I wanted, and
+saying tea was at five in the blue drawing-room. And there I had to
+stay while Agnes unpacked. It was dull! It is a big room, and the fire
+had only just been lit. The furniture is colourless and ugly, and,
+although it is all comfortable and correct, there are no books about,
+except "Romola" and "Middlemarch" and some Carlyle and John Stuart
+Mill, and I did not feel that I could do with any of that just then. So
+there I sat twiddling my thumbs for more than an hour, and Agnes did
+make such a noise, opening and shutting drawers, but at last I
+remembered a box of caramels in my dressing-bag, and it was better
+after that.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Dull Hour_]
+
+Agnes had put out my white cashmere for tea, and at five I started to
+find my way to the blue drawing-room. The bannisters are so broad and
+slippery--the very things for sliding on. I feel as if I should start
+down them one day, just to astonish Adeline, only I promised you I
+would be good. Well, when I got to the drawing-room, the party--about
+twelve--had assembled. The old Earl had been wheeled in from his rooms:
+he wears a black velvet skull-cap and a stock but he has a splendid
+and distinguished old face. If I were he, I would not have such a dull
+daughter-in-law to live with me as Lady Carriston is, even if my son
+was dead. The boy, Charlie Carriston, was there too; he does look a
+goose. He is like those pictures in the _Punch_ that I was looking at,
+where the family is so old that their chins and foreheads have gone. He
+is awfully afraid of his mother. There were two or three elderly
+pepper-and-salt men, and that Trench cousin, who is a very High Church
+curate (you know Aunt Mary told us about him), and there are a Sir
+Samuel and Lady Garnons, with an old maid daughter, and Adeline's
+German governess, who has stayed on as companion, and helped to pour
+out the tea.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Modern Grandison_]
+
+The conversation was subdued; about politics and Cabinet Ministers, and
+pheasants and foxes, and things of that kind, and no one said anything
+that meant anything else, as they did at Nazeby, or were witty like
+they were at Tournelle, and the German governess said "Ach" to
+everything, and Lady Garnons and Miss Garnons knitted all the time,
+which gave their voices the sound of "one-two-three" when they spoke,
+although they did not really count. No one had on tea-gowns--just a
+Sunday sort of clothes. I don't know how we should have got through tea
+if the coffee-cream cakes had not been so good. The old Earl called me
+to him when he had finished, and talked so beautifully to me; he paid
+me some such grand old-fashioned compliments, and his voice sounds as
+if he had learnt elocution in his youth. There is not a word of slang
+or anything modern; one quite understands how he was able to wake up
+the House of Lords before his legs gave way. It seems sad that such a
+ninny as Charlie should succeed him. I feel proud of being related to
+him, but I shall never think of Lady Carriston except as a distant
+cousin. Both Charlie and Adeline are so afraid of her that they hardly
+speak.
+
+I shan't waste any of my best frocks here, so I made Agnes put me on
+the old blue silk for the evening. She was disgusted. At dinner I sat
+between Charlie and one of the pepper-and-salts--he is a M.P. They are
+going to shoot partridges to-morrow; and I don't know what we shall do,
+as there has been no suggestion of our going out to lunch.
+
+After dinner we sat in the yellow drawing-room; Lady Carriston and Lady
+Garnons talked in quite an animated way together about using their
+personal influence to suppress all signs of Romanism in the services of
+the Church. They seemed to think they would have no difficulty in
+stopping it. They are both Low Church, Miss Garnons told me, but she
+herself held quite different views. Then she asked me if I did not
+think the Reverend Ernest Trench had a "soulful face," so pure and
+abstracted that merely looking at him gave thoughts of a higher life. I
+said No; he reminded me of a white ferret we had once, and I hated
+curates. She looked perfectly sick at me and did not take the trouble
+to talk any more, but joined Adeline, who had been winding silk with
+Fraeulein Schlarbaum for a tie she is knitting. So I tried to read the
+_Contemporary Review_, but I could not help hearing Lady Carriston
+telling Lady Garnons that she had always brought up Adeline and Charlie
+so carefully that she knew their inmost thoughts. (She did not mention
+Cyril, who is still at Eton.)
+
+"Yes, I assure you, Georgina," she said, "my dear children have never
+had a secret from me in their innocent lives."
+
+[Sidenote: _The Duke's Shirt_]
+
+When the men came in from the dining-room, one of the old fellows came
+and talked to me, and I discovered he is the Duke of Lancashire. He is
+ordinary looking, and his shirts fit so badly--that nasty sticking-out
+look at the sides, and not enough starch. I would not have shirts that
+did not fit if I were a Duke, would you? They are all staying here for
+the Conservative meeting to-morrow evening at Barchurch. These three
+pepper-and-salts are shining lights in this county, I have gathered.
+Lady Carriston seems very well informed on every subject. It does not
+matter if she is talking to Mr. Haselton or Sir Andrew Merton, (the two
+M.P.'s), or the Duke, who is the M.F.H., or the curate; she seems to
+know much more about politics, and hunting, and religion than they do.
+It is no wonder she can see her children's thoughts!
+
+At half-past ten we all said good-night. The dear old Earl does not
+come in from the dining-room; he is wheeled straight to his rooms, so I
+did not see him. Miss Garnons and Adeline both looked as if they could
+hardly bear to part with their curate, and finally we got upstairs, and
+now I must go to bed.--Best love, from your affectionate daughter,
+Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--Everything is kept up with great state here; there seems to be
+a footman behind every one's chair at dinner.
+
+
+Carriston Towers,
+
+_28th October_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Charlie's Dissimulation_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I was so afraid of being late for breakfast this
+morning that I was down quite ten minutes too soon, and when I got into
+the breakfast-room I found Charlie alone, mixing himself a brandy
+cocktail. He wanted to kiss me, because he said we were cousins, but I
+did not like the smell of the brandy, so I would not let him. He made
+me promise that I would come out with him after breakfast, before they
+started to shoot, to look at his horses; then we heard some one coming,
+and he whisked the cocktail glass out of sight in the neatest way
+possible. At breakfast he just nibbled a bit of toast, and drank a
+glass of milk, and Lady Carriston kept saying to him, "My dear, dear
+boy, you have no appetite," and he said, "No, having to read so hard as
+he did at night took it away."
+
+The Duke seemed a little annoyed that there was not a particular
+chutney in his curried kidneys, which I thought very rude in another
+person's house; and, as it was Friday, the Reverend Mr. Trench refused
+every dish in a loud voice, and then helped himself to a whole sole at
+the side-table.
+
+The food was lovely. Miss Garnons did not eat a thing, and Lady Garnons
+was not down nor, of course, the old Earl.
+
+After breakfast we meandered into the hall. Smoking is not allowed
+anywhere except in the billiard-room, which is down yards and yards of
+passages, so as not to let the smell get into the house. We seemed to
+be standing about doing nothing, so I said I would go up and get my
+boots on, or probably there would not be time to go with Charlie to see
+his horses before they started.
+
+You should have seen the family's three faces! Charlie's silly jaw
+dropped, Adeline's eyebrows ran up to her hair almost, while Lady
+Carriston said in an icy voice: "We had not thought of visiting the
+stables so early."
+
+Did you ever hear of anything so ridiculous, Mamma? Just as though I
+had said something improper! I was furious with Charlie, he had not
+even the pluck to say he had asked me to go; but I paid him out. I just
+said, "I concluded you had consulted Lady Carriston before asking me to
+go with you, or naturally I should not have suggested going to get
+ready." He did look a stupid thing, and bolted at once; but Lady
+Carriston saw I was not going to be snubbed, so she became more polite,
+and presently asked me to come and see the aviary with her.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Slip of Paper_]
+
+As we walked down the armour gallery she met a servant with a telegram,
+and while she stopped to read it I looked out of one of the windows.
+The wall is so thick they are all in recesses, and Charlie passed
+underneath, his head just level with the open part. The moment he saw
+me he fished out a scrap of paper from his pocket and pressed it into
+my hand, and said, "Don't be a mug this time," and was gone before I
+could do anything. I did not know what to do with the paper, so I had
+to slip it up my sleeve, as with these skirts one hasn't a pocket, and
+I did feel so mad at having done a thing in that underhand way.
+
+The aviary is such a wonderful place, there seem to be birds of every
+kind, and the parrakeets do make such a noise. There are lots of palms
+here and seats, but it is not just an ideal place to stay and talk in,
+as every creature screams so that you can hardly hear yourself speak.
+However, Miss Garnons and Mr. Trench did not seem to think so, as,
+while Lady Carriston stopped to say, "Didysy, woodsie, poppsie,
+dicksie," to some canaries, I turned a corner to see some owls, and
+there found them holding hands and kissing (the White Ferret and Miss
+Garnons I mean, of course, not the owls).
+
+[Sidenote: _The Mysteries of Religion_]
+
+They must have come in at the other door, and the parrots' noises had
+prevented them from hearing us coming. You never saw two people so
+taken aback. They simply jumped away from one another. Mr. Trench got
+crimson up to his white eyelashes, and coughed in a nervous way, while
+poor Miss Garnons at once talked nineteen to the dozen about the
+"darling little owlies," and never let go my arm until she had got me
+aside, when she at once began explaining that she hoped I would not
+misinterpret anything I had seen; that of course it might look odd to
+one who did not understand the higher life, but there were mysteries
+connected with her religion, and she hoped I would say nothing about
+it. I said she need not worry herself. She is quite twenty-eight, you
+know, Mamma, so I suppose she knows best; but I should hate a religion
+that obliged me to kiss White Ferret curates in a parrot-house,
+shouldn't you?
+
+Lady Carriston detests Mr. Trench, but as he is a cousin she has to be
+fairly civil to him, and they always get on to ecclesiastical subjects
+and argue when they speak; it is the greatest fun to hear them. They
+walked on ahead and left me with Miss Garnons until we got back to the
+hall.
+
+By this time the guns had all started, so we saw no more of them. Then
+Adeline suggested that she and I should bicycle in the Park, which has
+miles of lovely road (she is not allowed out of the gates by herself),
+so at last I got up to my room, and there, as I was ringing the bell
+for Agnes, Charlie's piece of paper fell out on the floor. I had
+forgotten all about it. Wasn't it a mercy it did not drop while I was
+with Lady Carriston? This was all it was: "Come down to tea
+half-an-hour earlier; shall sham a hurt wrist to be back from shooting
+in time. Charlie."
+
+I could not help laughing, although I was cross at his impertinence--in
+taking for granted that I would be quite ready to do whatever he
+wished. I threw it in the fire, and, of course, I shan't go down a
+moment before five. Adeline has just been in to see why I am so long
+getting ready.--Good-bye, dear Mamma, love from your affectionate
+daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Carriston Towers,
+
+_Saturday_.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Anchor in Life_]
+
+Dear Mamma,--Oh! what a long day this has been! But I always get so
+muddled if I don't go straight on, that I had better finish telling you
+about Friday first. Well, while Adeline and I were bicycling, she told
+me she thought I should grow quite pretty if only my hair was arranged
+more like hers--she has a jug-handle chignon--and if I had less of that
+French look. But she supposed I could not help it, having had to spend
+so much time abroad. She said I should find life was full of
+temptations, if I had not an _anchor_. I asked her what that was, and
+she said it was something on which to cast one's soul. I don't see how
+that could be an anchor--do you, Mamma? because it is the anchor that
+gets cast, isn't it? However, she assured me that it was, so I asked
+her if she had one herself, and she said she had, and it was her great
+reverence for Mr. Trench, and they were secretly engaged! and she hoped
+I would not mention it to anybody; and presently, when he joined us,
+would I mind riding on, as she had so few chances to talk to him? That
+she would not for the world deceive her mother, but there were
+mysteries connected with her religion which Lady Carriston could not
+understand, being only Low Church. But when they saw a prospect of
+getting married they would tell her about it; if they did it now, she
+would persuade the Duke not to give Mr. Trench the Bellestoke living,
+which he has half promised him, and so make it impossible for them to
+marry.
+
+I asked her if Mr. Trench was Miss Garnons' anchor too? and she seemed
+quite annoyed, so I suppose their religion has heaps of different
+mysteries; but I don't see what all that has got to do with telling her
+mother, do you? And I should rather turn Low Church than have to kiss
+Mr. Trench, anyway. He came from a side path and joined us, and as soon
+as I could I left them; but they picked me up again by the inner gate,
+just as I was going in to lunch, after having had a beautiful ride. The
+Park is magnificent.
+
+[Sidenote: _Putting on the Clock_]
+
+At lunch I sat by the old Earl. He said my hair was a sunbeam's home,
+and that my nose was fit for a cameo; he is perfectly charming.
+Afterwards we went _en bloc_ to the library, and the Garnons began to
+knit again. Nobody says a word about clothes; they talked about the
+Girls' Friendly Society, and the Idiot Asylum, and the Flannel Union,
+and Higher Education, and whenever Lady Garnons mentions any one that
+Lady Carriston does not know all about, she always says, "Oh! and _who
+was_ she?" And then, after thoroughly sifting it, if she finds that the
+person in question does not belong to any of the branches of the family
+that she is acquainted with, she says "Society is getting very mixed
+now." Presently about six more people arrived. There seems to be
+nothing but these ghastly three o'clock trains here. All the new lot
+were affected by it, just as I was. There were endless pauses.
+
+I would much rather scream at Aunt Maria for a whole afternoon than
+have to spend it with Lady Carriston. I am sure she and Godmamma would
+be the greatest friends if they could meet. When I got up to my room I
+was astonished to find it was so late. I had not even scrambled into my
+clothes when the clock struck five. I had forgotten all about Charlie
+and his scrap of paper, but when I got into the blue drawing-room,
+there he was, with his wrist bandaged up, and no signs of tea about.
+What do you think the horrid boy had done, Mamma? Actually had the big
+gold clock in my room put on! There were ten chances to one, he said,
+against my looking at my watch, and he knew I would not come down
+unless I thought it was five. I was so cross that I wanted to go
+upstairs again, but he would not let me; he stood in front of the door,
+and there was no good making a fuss, so I sat down by the fire.
+
+He said he had seen last night how struck his Grandfather had been with
+me, and he did want me to get round him, as he had got into an awful
+mess, and had not an idea how he was going to get out of it, unless I
+helped him. I said I was sorry, but I really did not see how I could do
+anything, and that he had better tell his Mother, as she adored him.
+
+[Sidenote: _Cora's Necklace_]
+
+He simply jumped with horror at the idea of telling his Mother. "Good
+Lord!" he said, "the old girl would murder me," which I did not think
+very respectful of him. Then he fidgeted, and humm'd and haw'd for such
+a time that tea had begun to come in before I could understand the
+least bit what the mess was; but it was something about a Cora de la
+Haye, who dances at the Empire, and a diamond necklace, and how he was
+madly in love with her, and intended to marry her, but he had lost such
+a lot of money at Goodwood, that no one knew about, as he was supposed
+not to have been there, that he could not pay for the necklace unless
+his grandfather gave him a lump sum to pay his debts at Oxford with,
+and that what he wanted was for me to get round the old Earl to give
+him this money, and then he could pay for Cora de la Haye's necklace.
+
+He showed me her photo, which he keeps in his pocket. It is just like
+the ones in the shops in the Rue de Rivoli that Mademoiselle never
+would let me stop and look at in Paris. I am sure Lady Carriston can't
+have been having second sight into her children's thoughts lately!
+
+Just then Lady Garnons and some of the new people came in, and he was
+obliged to stop. We had a kind of high tea, as the Conservative meeting
+was to be at eight, and it is three-quarters of an hour's drive into
+Barchurch, and there was to be a big supper after. Lady Carriston did
+make such a fuss over Charlie's wrist. She wanted to know was it badly
+sprained, and did it ache much, and was it swollen, and he had the
+impudence to let her almost cry over him, and pretended to wince when
+she touched it! As we were driving in to the meeting he sat next me in
+the omnibus, and kept squeezing my arm all the time under the rug,
+which did annoy me so, that at last I gave his ankle a nasty kick, and
+then he left off for a little. He has not the ways of a gentleman, and
+I think he had better marry his Cora, and settle down into a class more
+suited to him than ours; but _I_ shan't help him with his Grandfather.
+
+[Sidenote: _Politics and Principle_]
+
+Have you ever been to a political meeting, dear Mamma? It is funny! All
+these old gentlemen sit up on a platform and talk such a lot. The Duke
+put in "buts" and "ifs" and "thats" over and over again when he could
+not think of a word, and you weren't a bit the wiser when he had
+finished, except that it was awfully wrong to put up barbed wire; but I
+can't see what that has to do with politics, can you? One of the
+pepper-and-salts did speak nicely, and so did one of the new
+people--quite a youngish person; but they all had such a lot of words,
+when it would have done just as well if they had simply said that of
+course our side was the right one--because trade was good when we were
+in, and that there are much better people Conservatives than Radicals.
+Anyway, no one stays a Radical when he gets to be his own father, as it
+would be absurd to cut off one's nose to spite one's face--don't you
+think so, Mamma? So it is nonsense talking so much.
+
+One or two rude people in the back called out things, but no one paid
+any attention; and at last, after lots of cheering, we got into the
+omnibus again. I _was_ hungry. At supper we sat more or less anyhow,
+and I happened to be next the youngish person who spoke. I don't know
+his name, but I know he wasn't any one very grand, as Lady Carriston
+said, before they arrived in the afternoon, that things were changing
+dreadfully; that even the Conservative party was being invaded by
+people of no family; and she gave him two fingers when she said "How
+d'ye do?" But if he is nobody, I call it very nice of him to be a
+Conservative, and then he won't have to change afterwards when he gets
+high up. The old Earl asked me what I thought of it all, so I told him;
+and he said that it was a great pity they could not have me at the head
+of affairs, and then things would be arranged on a really simple and
+satisfactory basis.
+
+After breakfast this morning most of the new people went, and the Duke
+and the pepper-and-salts; Lady Carriston drove Lady Garnons over to see
+her Idiot Asylum. They were to lunch near there, so we had our food in
+peace without them, and you would not believe the difference there
+was! Everyone woke up: Old Sir Samuel Garnons, who had not spoken once
+that I heard since I came, joked with Fraeulein Schlarbaum. Charlie had
+two brandies-and-sodas instead of his usual glass of milk, and Adeline
+and Miss Garnons were able to gaze at their _anchor_ without fear.
+
+This afternoon I have been for a ride with Charlie, and do you know,
+Mamma, I believe he is trying to make love to me, but it is all in such
+horrid slang that I am not quite sure. I must stop now.--With love,
+from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Good Protestant_]
+
+_P.S._--Sunday. I missed the post last night. We did spend a boring
+evening doing nothing, not even dummy whist, like at Aunt Maria's, and
+I was so tired hearing the two old ladies talking over the idiots they
+had seen at the Asylum, that I was thankful when half-past ten came. As
+for to-day, I am glad it is the last one I shall spend here. There is a
+settled gloom over everything, a sort of Sunday feeling that makes one
+eat too much lunch. Mr. Trench had been allowed to conduct the service
+in the chapel this morning, and Lady Carriston kept tapping her foot
+all the time with annoyance at all his little tricks, and once or
+twice, when he was extra go-ahead, I heard her murmuring to herself
+"Ridiculous!" and "Scandalous!" What _will_ she do when he is her
+son-in-law?
+
+Adeline and Miss Garnons knelt whenever they could, and as long as they
+could, and took off their gloves and folded their hands. I think
+Adeline hates Miss Garnons, because she is allowed to cross herself;
+and of course Adeline daren't, with her mother there.
+
+After tea Charlie managed to get up quite close to me in a corner, and
+he said in a low voice that I was "a stunner," and that if I would just
+"give him the tip," he'd "chuck Cora to-morrow;" that I "could give her
+fits!" And if that is an English proposal, Mamma, I would much rather
+have the Vicomte's or the Marquis's.
+
+We are coming by the evening train to-morrow; so till then
+good-bye.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+
+
+CHEVENIX CASTLE
+
+
+Chevenix Castle,
+
+_8th November_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Chevenix Castle_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I am sure I shall enjoy myself here. The train was so
+late, and only two other people were coming by it besides me, so we all
+drove up in the omnibus together. One was a man, and the other a woman,
+and she glared at me, and fussed her maid so about her dressing-bag,
+and it was such a gorgeous affair, and they had such quantities of
+luggage, and the only thing they said on the drive up was how cold it
+was, and they wondered when we should get there. And when we did
+arrive, there was only just time to rush up and dress for dinner; all
+the other people had come by an earlier train. I left them both in the
+care of the groom of the chambers, as even Cousin Octavia had gone
+upstairs, and there was not a soul about, but she had left a message
+for me; and while Agnes was clawing the things out of the trunks, I
+went to her room.
+
+She was just having her hair done, but she did not mind a bit, and was
+awfully glad to see me. She is a _dear_. Her hair is as dark as
+anything underneath, but all the outside is a bright red. She says it
+is much more attractive like that, but it does look odd before the
+front thing is on, and that is a fuzzy bit in a net, like what
+Royalties have. And then she has lots of twist-things round at the
+back, and although it doesn't look at all bad when the diamond
+stick-ups are in and she is all arranged. She went on talking all the
+time while her maid was fixing it, just as if we were alone in the
+room. She told me I had grown six inches since she was with us at
+Arcachon three years ago, and that I was quite good-looking. She said
+they had a huge party for the balls, some rather nice people, and Lady
+Doraine and one or two others she hated. I said why did she have
+people she hated--that I would not if I were a Countess like her; so
+she said those were often the very ones one was obliged to have,
+because the nice men wouldn't come without them.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Test of a Gentleman_]
+
+She hoped I had some decent clothes, as she had got a tame millionaire
+for me. So I said if it was Mr. Wertz she need not bother because I
+knew him; and, besides, I only intended to marry a gentleman, unless,
+of course, I should get past twenty and _passe_, and then, goodness
+knows _what_ I might take. She laughed, and said it was ridiculous to
+be so particular, but that anyway that would be no difficulty, as every
+one was a gentleman now who paid for things.
+
+Then she sent me off to dress, just as she began to put some red stuff
+on her lips. It is wonderful how nice she looks when everything is
+done, even though she has quite a different coloured chest to the top
+bit that shows above her pearl collar, which is brickish-red from
+hunting. So is her face, but she is such a dear that one admires even
+her great big nose and little black eyes, which one would think
+hideous in other people. I met Tom just going into her room as I came
+out; he said he had come to borrow some scent from her. He looks
+younger than she does, but they were the same age when they got
+married, weren't they?
+
+He kissed me and said I was a dear little cousin, and had I been boxing
+any one's ears lately. Before I could box his for talking so, Octavia
+called out to him to let me go, or I should be late, and had I not to
+scurry just? Agnes fortunately had everything ready, but I fussed so
+that my face was crimson when I got downstairs, and every one was
+already there.
+
+There seemed to be dozens of people. You will see in the list in the
+_Morning Post_ to-morrow what a number of the Nazeby set there are
+here.
+
+Lord Valmond is here, but he did not see me until we were at dinner. I
+went in with Mr. Hodgkinson, who is contesting this Division; he is
+quite young and wears an eyeglass, which he keeps dropping. He really
+looks silly, but they say he says some clever things if you give him
+time, and that he will be a great acquisition to the party he has
+joined now, as it is much easier to get made a peer by the Radicals;
+and that is what he wants, as his father made a huge fortune in bones
+and glue.
+
+He did not talk to me at all, but eat his dinner at first, and then
+said: "I don't believe in talking before the fish, do you?"
+
+So I said: "No, nor till after the ices, unless one has something to
+say."
+
+He was so surprised that his eyeglass dropped, and he had to fumble to
+find it, so by that time I had begun to talk to old Colonel Blake, who
+was at the other side of me.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Game of Bridge_]
+
+Lady Doraine was looking so pretty; her hair has grown much fairer and
+nicer than it was at Nazeby. Lord Doraine is here too; his eyes are so
+close together! He plays a game called "Bridge" with Mr. Wertz and Mr.
+Hodgkinson and Tom all the time--I mean in the afternoon before
+dinner--so Mr. Hodgkinson told me when we got to dessert. I suppose it
+was the first thing he had found to say! I asked him if it was a kind
+of leapfrog; because don't you remember we called it "Bridge" when you
+had to jump two? He said No; that it was a game of cards, and much more
+profitable if one had the luck of Lord Doraine, who had won heaps of
+money from Mr. Wertz. Afterwards, in the drawing-room, Lady Doraine
+came up to me and asked me where I had been hiding since the Nazeby
+visit, and when she heard I had been in France, she talked a lot about
+the fashions. She has such a splendid new rope of pearls, and such
+lovely clothes. The Rooses are here too, and Jane has a cold in her
+head. She says she heard by this evening's post that Miss La Touche is
+going to be married to old Lord Kidminster, and that he is "too deaf to
+have heard everything, so it is just as well." I can't see why, as Miss
+La Touche is so nice, and never talks rubbish; so I think it a pity he
+can't hear all she says, don't you?
+
+Lady Doraine calls Octavia "darling!" She stood fiddling with her
+diamond chain and purring over her frock, so I suppose she is fond of
+her in spite of Octavia hating her.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Englishman's Views_]
+
+After dinner Lord Valmond came up to me at once. I felt in such a good
+temper, it was hard to be very stiff, he seemed so awfully glad to see
+me. He said I might have let him know what day it was that I crossed
+over to France after leaving Hazeldene Court--he would have taken such
+care of me. I said I was quite able to take care of myself. Then he
+asked me if the people were nice in France? and when I said perfectly
+charming, he said some Frenchwomen weren't bad but the men were
+monkeys. I said it showed how little he knew about them, I had found
+them delightful, always polite and respectful and amusing, quite a
+contrast to some English people one was obliged to meet.
+
+His eyes blazed like two bits of blue fire, and when he looked like
+that, it made my heart beat, Mamma, I don't know why. He is so
+nice-looking, of course no Frenchman could compare to him, but I was
+obliged to go on praising them because it annoyed him so. He said I
+must have stayed there ages, he had been wondering and wondering when
+he was to see me again. He said Mr. Hodgkinson was an ass, and he had
+been watching us at dinner.
+
+Then Lord Doraine came up and Lady Doraine introduced him to me, and he
+said a number of nice things, and he has a charming voice; and Mr.
+Wertz came up too, and spoke to me; and then Lady Doraine called Lord
+Valmond to come and sit on the little sofa by her, and she looked at
+him so fondly that I thought perhaps Lord Doraine might not like it. He
+tried not to see, but Mr. Wertz _did_, and I think he must have a kind
+heart, because he fidgeted so, and almost at once went and joined them
+to break up the tete-a-tete, so that Lord Doraine might not be teased
+any more, I suppose. And every one went to bed rather early, because of
+the ball and shoot to-morrow, and I must jump in too, as I am sleepy,
+so good-night, dearest Mamma.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chevenix Castle,
+
+_9th November_.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Peers' Sad Case_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--Such a lot to tell you, and no time, as I must go down
+to tea. We passed rather a boring morning after the men had started for
+their shoot. Only a few people were down for breakfast, and none of the
+men who weren't guns. I suppose they were asleep. But Lady Grace Fenton
+was as cross as a bear because she wanted to go and shoot too. She is
+just like a man, and does look so odd and almost improper in the
+evening in female dress. And Tom won't have women out shooting, except
+for lunch. Lady Doraine and Lady Greswold talked by the fire while they
+smoked, and Lady Greswold said she really did not know where the peers
+were to turn to now to make an honest penny, their names being no more
+good in the City, and that it was abominably hard that now, she had
+heard, they would have to understand business and work just like
+ordinary Stock Exchange people if they wanted to get on, and she did
+not know what things were coming to.
+
+At lunch, in the chalet in the wood, it was rather fun. Mr. Hodgkinson
+and Lord Doraine sat on either side of me. Lord Valmond came up with
+the last guns, rather late, and he looked round the table and frowned.
+He seems quite grumpy now, not half so good-tempered as he used to be.
+I expect it is because Mrs. Smith isn't here.
+
+Mr. Wertz was so beautifully turned out in the newest clothes and the
+loveliest stockings, and he had two loaders and three guns, and Lord
+Doraine told me that he had killed three pheasants, but the ground was
+knee-deep in cartridges round him, and Tom was furious, as he likes an
+enormous bag. So I asked why, if Mr. Wertz was not a sportsman, had he
+taken the huge Quickham shoot in Norfolk? Then Mr. Hodgkinson chimed
+in: "Oh! to entertain Royalty and the husbands of his charming lady
+friends!" and he fixed his eyeglass and looked round the corner of it
+at Lord Doraine, who drank a glass of peach brandy.
+
+After lunch the men had to start quickly, as we had dawdled so, and so
+we turned to go back to the house.
+
+Octavia put her arm through mine, and we were walking on, when Lady
+Doraine joined us, with the woman who had glared at me in the omnibus.
+She looked as if she hated walking. She is not actually stout, but
+everything is as tight as possible, and it does make her puff. She was
+awfully smart, and had the thinnest boots on. Lady Doraine was being so
+lovely to her, and Octavia was in one of her moods when she talks over
+people's heads, so we had not a very pleasant walk, until we came to
+the stable gate, when Octavia and I went that way to see her new
+hunters. We had hardly got out of hearing when she said--
+
+"Really, Elizabeth, how I dislike women!"
+
+[Sidenote: _The Millionaires_]
+
+So I asked her who the puffing lady was, and she said a Mrs. Pike, the
+new Colonial millionairess.
+
+"Horrid creature, as unnecessary as can be!"
+
+So I asked her why she had invited her, then. And she said her
+sister-in-law, Carry, had got round Tom and made a point of it, as she
+was running them, and now Carry had got the measles and could not come
+to look after the creature herself; and it would serve her right if
+Folly Doraine took them out of her hands. And so you see, Mamma,
+everything has changed from your days, because this isn't a person you
+would dream of knowing. I don't quite understand what "running them"
+means, and as Octavia was a little out of temper, I did not like to ask
+her; but Jane Roose is sure to know, so I will find out and tell you.
+
+I went and played with the children when we got in. They are such
+ducks, and we had a splendid romp. Little Tom is enormous for five, and
+so clever, and Gwynnie is the image of Octavia when her hair was dark.
+Now I _must_ go down to tea.
+
+[Sidenote: _Teaching Patience_]
+
+7.30.--I was so late. Every one was there when I got down in such
+gorgeous tea-gowns; I wore my white mousseline delaine frock. The
+Rooses have the look of using out their summer best dresses. Jane's
+cold is worse. The guns had got back, and came straggling in one by
+one, as they dressed, quickly or slowly; and Lord Doraine had such a
+lovely velvet suit on, and he said such nice things to me; and Lord
+Valmond sat at the other side, and seemed more ill-tempered than ever.
+I can't think what is the matter with him. At last he asked me to play
+Patience with him; so I said that was a game one played by oneself, and
+he said he knew quite a new one which he was sure I would like to
+learn; but I did not particularly want to just then. Lady Doraine was
+showing Mr. Wertz her new one at the other side of the hall. There are
+some cosy little tables arranged for playing cards, with nice screens
+near, so that the other people's counting, &c., may not put one out.
+
+Mrs. Pike was too splendid for words, in petunia satin, and sable, and
+quantities of pearl chains; and Tom was trying to talk to her. Nobody
+worries about Mr. Pike much; but Lord Doraine took him off to the
+billiard-room, after collecting Mr. Wertz, to play "Bridge"--everybody
+plays "Bridge," I find--and then Lady Doraine came and joined Lord
+Valmond and me on the big sofa.
+
+Lord Valmond hardly spoke after that, and she teased him and said:
+"Harry, what a child you are!" and she looked as sweetly malicious as
+the tortoise-shell cat at home does when it is going to scratch while
+it is purring. And presently Dolly Tenterdown came over to us (he is in
+Cousin Jack's battalion of the Coldstreams, and he looks about fifteen,
+but he behaves very "grown up"), and he asked Lady Doraine to come and
+teach him her new "Patience"; and they went to one of the screen
+tables, and Lord Valmond said he was a charming fellow, but I thought
+he looked silly, and I do _wonder_ what she found to say to him. She
+must be quite ten years older than he is, and Jane Roose says it is an
+awful sign of age when people play with boys.
+
+Lord Valmond asked me to keep him some dances to-night, but I said I
+really did not know what I should do until it began, as I had never
+been at a ball before. I haven't forgiven him a bit, so he need not
+think I have. Now I must stop. Oh! I am longing to put on my white
+tulle, and I do feel excited.--Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--I asked Jane Roose what "running them" means, and it's being
+put on to things in the City, and having all your bills paid if you
+introduce them to people; only you sometimes have to write their
+letters for them to prevent them putting the whole grand address, &c.,
+that is in the Peerage; and she says it is quite a profession now, and
+done by the best people, which of course must be true, as Carry is
+Tom's sister. E.
+
+
+Chevenix Castle,
+
+_10th November_.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Modern Industry_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--Oh! it was too, too lovely, last night. I am having my
+breakfast in bed to-day, just like the other grown-up people, and it
+really feels so grand to be writing to you between sips of tea and
+nibbles of toast and strawberry jam! Well, to tell you about the ball.
+First my white tulle was a dream. Octavia said it was by far the
+prettiest debutante frock she had ever seen; and when I was dressed she
+sent for me to her room, and Tom was there too, and she took out of a
+duck of a white satin case a lovely string of pearls and put it round
+my throat, and said it was their present to me for my first ball!
+Wasn't it angelic of them? I hugged and kissed them both, and almost
+squashed Tom's buttonhole into his pink coat, I was so pleased, but he
+said he didn't mind; and then we all went down together, and no one
+else was ready, so we looked through the rooms. The dancing, of course,
+was to be in the picture gallery, and the flowers were so splendid
+everywhere, and Octavia was quite satisfied. It is a mercy it is such a
+big house, for we weren't put out a bit beforehand by the preparations.
+
+I don't know if you were ever like that, Mamma, but I felt as if I must
+jump about and sing, and my cheeks were burning. Octavia sat down and
+played a valse, and Tom and I opened the ball by ourselves in the
+empty room, and it _was_ fun, and then we saw Lord Valmond peeping in
+at the door, and he came up and said Tom was not to be greedy, and so I
+danced the two last rounds with him, and he had such a strange look in
+his eyes, a little bit like Jean when he had the fit, and he never said
+one word until we stopped.
+
+[Sidenote: _Forgiveness_]
+
+Then Octavia went out of the other door, and I don't know where Tom
+went, but we were alone, and so he said, would I forgive him for
+everything and be friends, that he had never been so sorry for anything
+in his life as having offended me. He really seemed so penitent, and he
+does dance so beautifully, and he is so tall and nice in his pink coat;
+and, besides, I remembered his dinner with Aunt Maria, and how nasty I
+had been to him at Hazeldene! So I said, all right I would try, if he
+would promise never to be horrid again; and he said he wouldn't; and
+then we shook hands, and he said I looked lovely, and that my frock was
+perfect; and then Tom came back and we went into the hall, and
+everybody was down, and they had drawn for partners to go in to dinner
+while we were in the ballroom. Tom had made Octavia arrange that we
+should draw, as he said he could not stand Lady Greswold two nights
+running. Octavia said she had drawn for Lord Valmond because he wasn't
+there, and that his slip of paper was _me_, and he said on our way into
+the dining-room that Octavia was a brick. We _had_ such fun at dinner.
+Now that I have forgiven him, and have not to be thinking all the time
+of how nasty I can be, we get on splendidly.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Ball_]
+
+Mr. Wertz was at the other side of me with Mrs. Pike; but as he isn't
+"running" them he had not to bother to talk to her, and he is really
+very intelligent, and we three had such an amusing time. Lord Valmond
+was in a lovely temper. Jane Roose said afterwards in the drawing-room
+that it was because Mrs. Smith was coming with the Courceys to the
+ball. Lady Doraine had drawn Mr. Pike, who is melancholy-looking, with
+a long Jew nose; but she woke him up and got him quite animated by
+dessert, and Mrs. Pike did not like it one bit. I overheard her
+speaking to him about it afterwards, and he said so roughly, "You mind
+your own climbing, Mary; you ought to be glad as it's a titled lady!"
+Well, then, by the time we were all assembled in the hall, every one
+began to arrive. Oh, it was so, so lovely! Every one looked at me as I
+stood beside Octavia at first, because they all knew the ball was given
+for me, and then for the first dance I danced with Tom, and after that
+I had heaps of partners, and I can't tell you about each dance, but it
+was all heavenly. I tried to remember what you said and not dance more
+than three times with the same person, but, somehow, Lord Valmond got
+four, and another--but that was an extra.
+
+Mrs. Smith did come with the Courceys, and she was looking so smart
+with a beautiful gown on, and Jane Roose said it was a mercy Valmond
+was so rich; but I don't see what that had to do with it. I saw him
+dancing with her once, but he looked as cross as two sticks, perhaps
+because she was rather late. Do you know, Mamma, a lot of the beauties
+we are always reading about in the papers as having walked in the Park
+looking perfectly lovely were there, and some of them are _quite, quite
+old_--much older than you--and all trimmed up! Aren't you astonished?
+And one has a grown-up son and daughter, and she danced all the time
+with Dolly Tenterdown, who was her son's fag at Eton, Lord Doraine told
+me. Isn't it odd? And another was the lady that Sir Charles Helmsford
+was with on the promenade at Nice, when you would not let me bow to
+him, do you remember? And she is as old as the other!
+
+Lord Doraine was rather a bother, he wanted to dance with me so often;
+so at last I said to Octavia I really was not at my first ball to dance
+with old men (he is quite forty), and what was I to do? And she was so
+cross with him, and I could see her talking to him about it when she
+danced with him herself next dance; and after that till supper he
+disappeared--into the smoking-room, I suppose, to play "Bridge."
+
+[Sidenote: _At Supper_]
+
+I went in to supper first with the Duke of Meath--he had just finished
+taking in Octavia--he is such a nice boy; and then, as we were coming
+out, we went down a corridor, and there in a window-seat were Lord
+Valmond and Mrs. Smith, and he was still gloomy, and she had the same
+green-rhubarb-juice look she had the last night at Nazeby. He jumped up
+at once, and said to me he hoped I had not forgotten I had promised to
+go in to supper with him, so I said I had just come from supper; and
+while we were speaking Mrs. Smith had got the Duke to sit down beside
+her, and so I had to go off with Lord Valmond, and he seemed so odd and
+nervous, and as if he were apologising about something; but I don't
+know what it could have been, as he had not asked me before to go in to
+supper with him.
+
+He seemed to cheer up presently, and persuaded me to go back into the
+supper-room, as he said he was so hungry, and we found a dear little
+table, with big flower things on it, in a corner; but when we got there
+he only played with an ortolan and drank some champagne, but he did
+take such a while about it; and each time I said I was sure the next
+dance was beginning he said he was still hungry. I have never seen any
+one have so much on his plate and eat so little. At last I insisted on
+going back, and when we got to the ballroom an extra was on, and he
+said I had promised him that, but I hadn't. However, we danced, and
+after that, having been so long away at supper, and one thing and
+another, my engagements seemed to get mixed, and I danced with all
+sorts of people I hadn't promised to in the beginning. At last it came
+to an end, and when the last carriage had driven away, we all went and
+had another hot supper.
+
+[Sidenote: _End of the Ball_]
+
+Mr. Pike would sit next to Lady Doraine, and he was as gay as a
+blackbird, and I heard Octavia saying to Lady Greswold that Carry had
+better hurry up and get that house in Park Street, or Lady Doraine
+would have it instead. Then we all went to bed, and Lord Valmond
+squeezed my hand and looked as silly as anything, and Jane Roose, who
+saw, said I had better be careful, as he was playing me off against
+Mrs. Smith. It was great impertinence of her, I think--don't
+you?--especially as Mrs. Smith had gone, so I can't see the point.--Now
+I am going to get up. Your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+
+Chevenix Castle,
+
+_13th November_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Tableaux_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I enjoyed my self last night quite as much as at the
+ball here; but first, I must tell you about Thursday and yesterday. The
+morning after the ball here no one came down till lunch, and in the
+afternoon Lady Doraine suggested we should have some tableaux in the
+evening, and so we were busy all the time arranging them. They were all
+bosh; but it was so amusing.
+
+Mrs. Pike lent every one her tea-gowns--she has dozens--and they did
+splendidly for the Queen of Sheba; and Mr. Pike played Charles I.
+having his head cut off, as Lady Doraine told him he had just the type
+of lofty melancholy face for that. I was the Old Woman in the Shoe,
+with all the biggest people for children; but the best of all was Dolly
+Tenterdown as "Bubbles." Lord Doraine and Mr. Wertz and Tom and some
+others played "Bridge" all the time while we were arranging them; but
+Lord Valmond was most useful, and in such a decent temper. After they
+were over we danced a little, and it was all delightful.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Game of Patience_]
+
+Yesterday, the day of the county ball in Chevenix, they shot again; and
+it rained just as we all came down ready to start for the lunch; so we
+couldn't go, and had to lunch indoors without most of the men. Mr. Pike
+hadn't gone shooting, because I heard Tom saying the night before to
+Lady Doraine that he wouldn't chance the party being murdered again,
+and that she must keep him at home somehow. So she did, and taught him
+Patience in the hall after lunch; and Mrs. Pike went and wanted to
+learn it too, but Lady Doraine--who was lovely to her--somehow did not
+make much room on the sofa, so she had to go and sit somewhere else.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Broad Hint_]
+
+Half the people were playing "Bridge," and the rest were very
+comfortable, and smoking cigarettes, of course; so Mrs. Pike did too.
+Her case is gold, with a splendid monogram in big rubies on it; but I
+am sure it makes her feel sick, because she puffs it out and makes it
+burn up as soon as she can without its being in her mouth. She had to
+go and lie down after that, as she said she would be too tired for the
+ball; but nobody paid much attention.
+
+It was more lively at tea-time, when the guns came in. And Lord Doraine
+would sit by me; he talked about poetry, and said dozens of nice things
+about me, and all sorts of amusing ones about every one else; and Lord
+Valmond, who had gone to write some letters at a table near, seemed so
+put out with every one talking, that he could not keep his attention,
+and at last tore them up, and came and sat close to us, and told Lord
+Doraine that he could see Mr. Wertz was longing for "Bridge." And so he
+got up, and laughed in such a way, and said, "All right, Harry, old
+boy," and Valmond got crimson--I don't know what at--and looked as
+cross as a bear for a few minutes. We had rather a hurried dinner.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Duchess's Ball_]
+
+My white chiffon is as pretty as the tulle, and Octavia was quite
+pleased with me. There were omnibuses and two broughams for us to go
+in. Octavia took me with her alone in one. I wanted to go in one of the
+omnibuses--it looked so much gayer--but she wouldn't let me. It is not
+much of a drive, as you know, and we all got there at the same time
+almost, and our party did look so smart as we came in. Octavia sailed
+like a queen up the room to a carpeted raised place at the end, and
+there held a sort of court.
+
+The Duchess of Glamorgan was already there with her three daughters,
+and their teeth stick out just like Mrs. Vavaseur's; only they look
+ready to bite, and she was always smiling. The men of their party were
+so young, and looked as if they would not hurt a fly, and the Duchess
+had me introduced to her and asked about you. And Mrs. Pike tried to
+join in the conversation, and the Duchess fixed on her _pince-nez_ and
+looked at her for quite ten seconds, and then said, when she had
+retired a little, "Who is this gorgeous person?" And when I said Mrs.
+Pike, she said, "I don't remember the name," in a tone that dismissed
+Mrs. Pike from the universe as far as she was concerned; and Jane Roose
+says she is almost the only Duchess who won't know _parvenues_, and
+that is what makes her set so dull.
+
+There were such a lot of funny frumpy people at the other end of the
+room--"the rabble," Mrs. Pike called them. "Let us walk round and look
+at the rabble," she said to Lord Doraine, who was standing by her. And
+they went.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Ride Home_]
+
+I had such lots of partners I don't know what any one else did; I was
+enjoying myself so, and I hope you won't be annoyed with me, as I am
+afraid I danced oftener than three times with Lord Valmond. Mrs. Smith
+seemed to be with the little Duke a great deal, and she glared at me
+whenever she passed. I like English balls much better than French,
+though, perhaps, I can't judge, as I was never at a real one there.
+But Englishmen are so much better-looking, and everybody doesn't get so
+hot, and it is nice having places to sit out and talk without feeling
+you are doing something wrong. Coming home, Octavia made Lady Doraine
+and Mrs. Pike go in her brougham, and she and I went in one of the
+omnibuses. Lord Doraine sat between me and Octavia, and I suppose he
+was afraid of crushing her dress, for he positively squashed me, he sat
+so close. Lord Valmond was at the other side of me, and somebody must
+have been pushing him, because he sat even nearer me than Lord Doraine,
+and between them I could hardly breathe; it was fortunate it was a cold
+night.
+
+Before we got to the Park gates somehow the light went out, and all the
+way up the avenue people held each of my hands. I could not see who
+they were, and I tried to get them away, but I couldn't, and I was
+afraid to kick like I did to Charlie Carriston, as it might have been
+Mr. Hodgkinson who was sitting opposite, and so there would have been
+no good in kicking Lord Doraine, or Lord Valmond; but I just made my
+fingers as stiff as iron and left them alone. It is a surprise to me,
+Mamma, to find that gentlemen in England behave like this, I call it
+awfully disappointing, and I am sure they could not have done so when
+you were young, it seems they are just as bad as the French. I told
+Octavia about it when she came to tuck me up in bed; and she only went
+into a fit of laughter, and when I was offended, she said she would see
+that the next time I went to a ball with her, that I had a chaperon on
+each side coming home.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Awkward Situation_]
+
+I bowed as stiffly as I could in saying good-night to Lord Doraine and
+Lord Valmond, and they both looked so astonished, that perhaps it was
+Mr. Hodgkinson after all; it _is_ awkward not knowing, isn't it? This
+morning all the guests are going, and on Monday, as you know, Tom and
+Octavia take me with them to stay at Foljambe Place, with the
+Murray-Hartleys for the Grassfield Hunt Ball. It will be fun, I hope,
+but I can never enjoy myself more than I have done here.--Now,
+good-bye, dear Mamma, your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Murray-Hartleys_]
+
+_P.S._--Octavia says the Murray-Hartleys aren't people you would know,
+but one must go with the times, and she will take care of me. E.
+
+
+
+
+FOLJAMBE PLACE
+
+
+Foljambe Place,
+
+_15th November_.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Coat of Arms_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--We arrived here this afternoon in time for tea. It is a
+splendid place, and everything has been done up for them by that man
+who chooses things for people when they don't know how themselves. He
+is here now, and he is quite a gentleman, and has his food with us; I
+can't remember his name, but I daresay you know about him.
+
+Everything is Louis XV. and Louis XVI., but it doesn't go so well in
+the saloon as it might, because the panelling is old oak, with the
+Foljambe coats of arms still all round the frieze, and over the
+mantelpiece, which is Elizabethan. And I heard this--(Mr. Jones I shall
+have to call him)--say that it jarred upon his nervous system like an
+intense pain, but that Mrs. Murray-Hartley would keep them up, because
+there was a "Murray" coat of arms in one of the shields of the people
+they married, and she says it is an ancestor of hers, and that is why
+they bought the place; but as Octavia told me that their real name was
+Hart, and that they hyphened the "Murray," which is his Christian name
+(if Jews can have Christian names) and put on the "ley" by royal
+licence, I can't see how it could have been an ancestor, can you?
+
+They are quite established in Society, Octavia says; they have been
+there for two seasons now, and every one knows them. They got Lady
+Greswold to give their first concert, and enclosed programmes with the
+invitations, so hardly any of the Duchesses felt they could refuse,
+Octavia said, when they were certain of hearing the best singers for
+nothing; and it was a splendid plan, as many concerts have been spoilt
+by a rumour getting about that Melba was not really going to sing.
+Everybody smart is here. I am one of the few untitled people.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Friendly Little Party_]
+
+Mrs. Murray-Hartley doesn't look a bit Jewish, or fat and uneasy, like
+Mrs. Pike, but then this is only Mrs. Pike's first year. She--Mrs.
+M.-H.--is beautifully dressed, and awfully genial; she said it was
+"just more than delightful" of Octavia to bring me, and that it was so
+sweet of her to come to this friendly little party. "It is so much
+nicer to have just one's own friends," she said, "instead of those huge
+collections of people one hardly knows." There are quite twenty of us
+here, Mamma, so I don't call it such a very weeny party, do you?
+
+My bedroom is magnificent, but it hasn't all the new books as they have
+at Chevenix, and although the writing-table things are tortoise-shell
+and gold, there aren't any pens in the holders, that is why I am
+writing this in pencil. The towels have such beautifully embroidered
+double crests on them, and on the Hartley bit, the motto is "_La fin
+vaut l'eschelle_." Octavia, who is in the room now looking at
+everything, said Lady Greswold chose it for them when they wanted a
+crest to have on their Sevres plates and things for their concert.
+Octavia keeps laughing to herself all the time, as she looks at the
+things, and it puts me out writing, so I will finish this when I come
+to bed.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Question of Taste_]
+
+12.30.--We had a regular banquet, I sat next to Lord Doraine--I did not
+catch the name of the man who took me in--I forgot to tell you the
+Doraines and Sir Trevor and Lady Cecilia and lots of others I know are
+here. Mrs. Murray-Hartley does hostess herself, which Octavia says is
+very plucky of her, as both Lady Greswold, who gave her concert, and
+Lady Bobby Pomeroy, who brought all the young men, are staying in the
+house; and Octavia says it shows she is really clever to have
+emancipated herself so soon.
+
+We had gold plate with the game, and china up to that, and afterwards
+Lady Greswold talked to Octavia, and asked her if she thought it would
+look better perhaps to begin gold with the soup, and have the _hors
+d'oeuvres_ on specimen Sevres just to make a point. I hate gold plate
+myself, one's knife does make such slate-pencilish noises on it.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lord Valmond's Arrival_]
+
+The man who took me in kept putting my teeth so on edge that I was
+obliged to speak to him about it at last. We had sturgeon from the
+Volga, or wherever the Roman emperors got theirs, but the plates were
+cold. Violins played softly all the time, behind a kind of Niagara
+Falls at the end of the room, which is magnificent; it is hung with
+aubusson, almost as good as what they had at Croixmare, which has been
+there always.
+
+After dinner, while we were in the drawing-room alone, a note came for
+Mrs. Murray-Hartley. She was talking to Octavia and me, so she read it
+aloud; it was from Lord Valmond, and sent from the inn in the little
+town. He said he had intended staying there by himself for the Hunt
+Ball, but that on arrival he found no fire in his room, so he was
+writing to ask if Mrs. Murray-Hartley would put him up. She was
+enchanted, and at once asked Lady Greswold if it would not be better to
+turn Lord Oldfield out of his room--which is the best in the bachelors'
+suite--as he is only a baron; but Lady Greswold said she did not think
+it would matter. I do call it odd, don't you, Mamma? because Lord
+Valmond told me, when he left Chevenix on Saturday, that he had to go
+to another party in Yorkshire, and was as cross as a bear because he
+would not be able to be at the Grassfield ball. He turned up
+beautifully dressed as usual, as quickly as it was possible for the
+brougham which was sent for him to get back. He could not have kept it
+waiting a moment; so I don't believe the story about there being no
+fire in his room, do you?
+
+[Sidenote: _Friendly Offers_]
+
+Mrs. Murray-Hartley did gush at him. Octavia says it is the first time
+she has been able to get him to her house, as he is ridiculously
+old-fashioned and particular, and actually in London won't go to places
+unless he knows the host and hostess personally. He stood with a vacant
+frown on his face all the time Mrs. Murray-Hartley was speaking, and a
+child could have seen he wanted to get away. It is in these kind of
+ways Frenchmen are more polite, because the Marquis always wore an
+interested grin when Godmamma kept him by her. He got away at last,
+and came across the room, but by that time Sir Trevor and Mr.
+Hodgkinson were talking to me, and there was no room for him on our
+sofa, and he had to speak to Lady Cecilia, who was near. She was as
+absent as usual, and he was talking at random, so their conversation
+was rather funny; I heard scraps of it.
+
+[Sidenote: _A Sense of Honour_]
+
+Mr. Murray-Hartley must be very nice, although he looks so unimportant,
+for all the men call him "Jim," and are awfully friendly. Lord Oldfield
+and Lord Doraine seem ready to do anything for him. Lord Oldfield
+offered to hunt about and get him just the right stables for his house
+in Belgrave Square; he knew of some splendid ones, he said, that were
+going a great bargain, on a freehold that belongs to his sister's
+husband. And Lord Doraine says he will choose his horses for him at
+Tattersall's next week, as he wants some good hunters; he knows of the
+very ones for him. "You leave it all to me, dear boy," he said; and at
+that Sir Trevor, who was listening (they were all standing close to our
+sofa) went into a guffaw of laughter. "Hunters," he whispered, quite
+loud, "beastly little Jew, he'd have to have a rocking-horse, and hold
+on by its mane." And when I said I did not think one ought to speak so
+of people when one was eating their salt, he seemed to think that quite
+a new view of the case, and said, "By Jove! you are right, Elizabeth.
+Our honour and our sense of hospitality are both blunted nowadays."
+
+Presently Lady Cecilia called Mr. Hodgkinson to her, and in one moment
+Lord Valmond had slipped into his place. I asked him why he was not in
+Yorkshire, and he said that he thought, after all, it was too far to
+go, and it was his duty to be at the Grassfield ball, as he has hunted
+with this pack sometimes. He looked and looked at me, and I don't know
+why, Mamma, but I felt so queer--I almost wish he had not come. I
+suppose Mrs. Smith is somewhere in this neighbourhood, and that is why
+he did not go to Yorkshire. Sir Trevor monopolised most of the
+conversation, until we all got up to play baccarat. I did not want to
+play as I don't know it, and Lord Valmond said it would be much nicer
+to sit and talk, but Mrs. Murray-Hartley would not hear of our not
+joining in; and Octavia handed me a five-pound note and said I was not
+to lose more than that, so I thought I had better not go on refusing,
+and we went with the rest into the saloon, where there was a long table
+laid out with cards and counters.
+
+[Sidenote: _Playing Baccarat_]
+
+Lord Valmond said he would teach me the game, and that we would bank
+together; however, Lady Doraine sat down in the chair he was holding
+for me, and she put her hand on his coat sleeve and said in such a
+lovely voice, "Harry, it is ages since I have had a chat with you, sit
+down here by me." But he answered No, he had promised to show me how to
+play, and his mouth was set quite square. She looked so alluring I
+don't know how he could have done it, it was almost as flattering to me
+as the Vicomte's riding all night from Versailles. She laughed--but it
+was not a very nice laugh--and she said, "Poor boy, is it as bad as
+that?" and he looked back at her in an insolent way, as if they were
+crossing swords, but he said nothing more, only we moved to the other
+side of the table, to where there were two empty chairs together.
+
+When we sat down he said women were devils, which I thought very rude
+of him. I told him so, and he said I wasn't a woman; but I remember
+now, Mamma, he called me a "little devil" that time when he was so rude
+at Nazeby, so it shows how inconsistent men are, doesn't it? I
+sometimes think he would like to say all the nice things the Vicomte
+used to, only with Englishmen I suppose you have to be alone in the
+room for them to do that; they have not the least idea, like the
+French, of managing while they are speaking out loud about something
+else.
+
+Every one looks very anxious here when they play; it is not at all a
+joke as the roulette used to be at Nazeby; and they do put a lot on,
+although counters don't seem to be much to look at. It is not at all a
+difficult game, Mamma, and some of the people were so lucky turning up
+"naturels," but we lost in spite of them at our side of the table, and
+Lord Doraine said at last, that it was because we--Lord Valmond and
+I--were sitting together. Valmond looked angry, but he chaffed back. I
+don't know what it was all about, and I was getting so sleepy, that
+when a fresh deal was going to begin I asked Octavia, who was near, if
+I might not go to bed. She nodded, so I slipped away. Lord Valmond
+followed, to light my candle he said, but as there is nothing but
+electric light that was nonsense. He was just beginning to say
+something nice, when we got beyond the carved oak screen that separates
+the staircase from the saloon, and there there were rows of footmen and
+people peeping in, so he just said "Good-night."
+
+[Sidenote: _A Good-night_]
+
+And I also will say good-night to you, Mamma, or I shall look ugly
+to-morrow for the ball.--Love from your affectionate daughter,
+Elizabeth.
+
+
+Foljambe Place,
+
+_16th November_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Bad Weather_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--I have just come up to dress for tea, but I find it is
+earlier than I thought, so I shall have time to tell you about to-day.
+It has absolutely poured with rain and sleet and snow and blown a gale
+from the moment we woke this morning until now--quite the most horrid
+weather I ever remember. All the men were in such tempers, as it was
+impossible to shoot. Mr. Murray-Hartley had prepared thousands of tame
+pheasants for them, Tom said, although this wasn't to be a big shoot,
+only to amuse them by the way; and they were all looking forward to a
+regular slaughter.
+
+Octavia, and I, and Lady Bobby, were among the few women down to
+breakfast besides our hostess, who is so bright and cheery in the
+morning; and when you think how morose English people are until lunch
+time it is a great quality. Some of the men came down ready to start,
+and these were the ones in the worst humour. After breakfast half of
+them disappeared to the stables, and the rest played "Bridge," except
+Lord Valmond and Mr. Hodgkinson, who wanted to stay with us, only we
+would not have them, so we were left to ourselves more or less.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Amusing Mistake_]
+
+Mrs. Murray-Hartley took us to see the pictures and the collections of
+china and miniatures; and she talks about them all just like a book,
+and calls them simple little things, and you would never have guessed
+they cost thousands, and that she had not been used to them always,
+until she showed us a beautiful enamel of Madame de Pompadour, and
+called it the Princesse de Lamballe, and said so sympathetically that
+it was quite too melancholy to think she had been hacked to pieces in
+the Revolution; only perhaps it served her right for saying "_Apres moi
+le deluge!_". Octavia was in fits, and I wonder no one noticed it. Then
+she said she must leave us for a little in the music-room, as she
+always went to see her children at this hour--they live in another
+wing.
+
+[Sidenote: _Gossip_]
+
+By that time Lady Doraine and Lady Greswold, and most of the others
+were down, and some of them looked as if they had been up awfully late.
+It seems they did not finish the baccarat until half-past three, and
+that Lord Oldfield won more than a thousand pounds. Mrs. Murray-Hartley
+had hardly got out of the door, when Lady Doraine said what a beautiful
+woman she was, and Lady Greswold began "yes and such tact," and Lady
+Bobby said, "and so charming," and Lady Cecilia--who was doing ribbon
+work on a small frame that sounds like a drum every time you put the
+needle through--looked up and drawled in her voice right up at the top,
+"Yes, I have noticed very rich people always are."
+
+Then they all talked at once, and by listening carefully one made out
+that they were saying a nice thing about every one, only with a
+different ending to it, like: "she is perfectly devey but what a pity
+she makes herself so remarkable," and "Darling Florrie, of course she
+is as straight as a die, but wearing those gowns so much too young for
+her, and with that very French figure, it does give people a wrong
+impression," and "It is extraordinary luck for dear Rosie, her
+husband's dying before he knew anything." I suppose it is all right,
+Mamma, but it sounds to me like giving back-handers. The French women
+never talked like this; they were witty and amusing and polite, just
+the same as if the men were in the room.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Gossips Rebuked_]
+
+Octavia did not join in it, but read the papers, and when they got
+round to Mrs. Murray-Hartley again, and this time simply clawed her to
+pieces, Octavia looked up and said in a downright way, "Oh! come, we
+need none of us have known this woman unless we liked, and we are all
+getting the _quid pro quo_ out of her, so for goodness' sake let us
+leave her alone." That raised a perfect storm, they denied having said
+a word and were quite indignant at the idea of getting anything out of
+her; but "It's all bosh," Octavia said, "I am here because it is the
+nearest house to the Grassfield ball, and the whole thing amuses me,
+and I suppose you all have your reasons." Lady Doraine looked at her
+out of the corner of her eyes, and said in her purry voice, "Darling
+Octavia--you are so original," and then she turned the conversation in
+the neatest way.
+
+[Sidenote: _Octavia's Philosophy_]
+
+Octavia said to me, as we went upstairs before lunch, that they were a
+set of cats and harpies, and she hated them all, only unfortunately the
+others--the nice good ones--taken _en bloc_ made things so dull, it
+was better to put up with this set. Then she kissed me as I went into
+my room and said; "At this time of the world's day, my little
+Elizabeth, there is no use in fighting windmills."
+
+At luncheon Lord Valmond sat next to me; he said we had been horrid not
+to have wanted him to spend the morning with us, and would I let him
+teach me "Bridge" afterwards? I said I really was not a bit interested
+in cards, but he said it was a delightful game, so I said All right.
+After lunch in the saloon I overheard Mrs. Murray-Hartley say to Lady
+Greswold that she feared this awful weather would make her party a
+failure, and what was she to do to amuse them this afternoon? So Lady
+Greswold said: "Leave 'em alone with plenty of opportunities to talk to
+their friends, and it will be all right." And so she did.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Afternoon at Cards_]
+
+Lord Valmond and I found a nice little table in a corner by the fire,
+and we began to turn over the cards, and presently every one
+disappeared, except Lady Doraine and Mr. Wertz, who played Patience or
+something, beyond one of the Spanish leather screens; and Lady Bobby
+and Lord Oldfield, who were smoking cigarettes together on the big
+sofa. We could just hear their voices murmuring. You can't play
+"Bridge" with only two people, I find, and when Lord Valmond had
+explained the principles to me, I was none the wiser. I suppose I was
+thinking of something else, and he said I was a stupid little thing,
+but in such a nice voice, and then we talked and did not worry about
+the cards. But after a while he said he thought it was draughty for me
+in the saloon, and it would be cosier in one of the sitting-rooms, but
+I would not go, Mamma, as I did not find it at all cold.
+
+[Sidenote: _Lord Doraine intrudes_]
+
+Then Lord Doraine came in, and went over and disturbed everybody in
+turn, and finally sat down by us, and Lady Bobby laughed out loud, and
+Lady Doraine peeped round the screen with her mischievous
+tortoise-shell cat expression, so I just said I would go and dress for
+tea, and came upstairs. I am sure they were all trying to make me feel
+uncomfortable, but I didn't a bit. I heard them shrieking with laughter
+as I left, and I caught a glimpse of Lord Valmond's face, and it was
+set as hard as iron.
+
+Octavia wants me to wear my only other new ball dress to-night, the
+white gauze, so I suppose I must, and I do hope the rain will stop
+before we start.--With love from your affectionate daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--Agnes says she won't sup downstairs, as there was so much
+champagne in the "room" last night that several of the valets got
+drunk, and she thinks it is not _distingue_.
+
+
+Foljambe Place,
+
+_Wednesday_.
+
+[Sidenote: _Sir Hugh d'Eynecourt_]
+
+Dearest Mamma,--Octavia is writing to you, and we have such a piece of
+news for you! I will tell you presently.
+
+Part of the ball last night was quite delightful, and fortunately the
+rain had stopped before we started, in fact, I saw the stars shining
+when I looked out on my way down to tea. A new man had arrived, Sir
+Hugh d'Eynecourt, I remember you have often spoken of him. He is
+nice-looking though quite old, over forty, I should think. It appears
+he has been away from the world for more than two years; he has only
+come to this party now because Lady Bobby made him; he met her lately,
+and is a great friend of hers. The other men, Lord Doraine, &c., were
+chaffing him by the fireplace--no one else was down--and they did say
+such odd things. Tom asked him why he had disappeared for so long, and
+he said, Time was, when--if one stuck to one's own class--to live and
+love was within the reach of any gentleman, but since the fashion of
+the long strings of pearls came in, it had become more expensive than
+the other class, and he could not compete with Jews and financiers, so
+he had gone to live quietly in Paris. I don't know what it meant, but
+it seemed to amuse them all awfully.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Perfect Height_]
+
+When they saw me sitting on the sofa they stopped talking at once, and
+then began about how horrid the day had been; and Sir Hugh was
+introduced and asked about you. He said I was not nearly so pretty as
+you had been at my age, but I should do, he dared say. Then when I
+stood up, and he saw my height, he said that he had always thought five
+foot seven a perfect measure for women, so I said I did feel
+disappointed, as I was only five foot six and three-quarters; he
+laughed and whispered, "Oh yes, I am sure you will do--very well
+indeed." He is charming, and he says he will be an uncle to me.
+
+At tea Octavia and he and I sat on the big sofa, and Lady Bobby did not
+like it a bit. She tried to talk to Lord Valmond, who was fidgeting
+about, looking as cross as a bear; but he would not stay still long
+enough to have any conversation.
+
+[Sidenote: _The Quarrel_]
+
+As we were going upstairs afterwards, he ran after me and said he must
+tell me that Sir Hugh was not at all the kind of man I ought to talk so
+much to, and would I promise him the first dance to-night? I said No,
+that I was going to give it to Sir Hugh, and that he had better mind
+his own business or I would not dance with him at all. I was not really
+angry, Mamma--because he is so nice-looking--but one is obliged to be
+firm with men, as I am sure you know. He turned round and stamped down
+the stairs again, without a word, in a passion. At dinner, which I went
+in to with Mr. Wertz, Sir Hugh was at the other side, and you can't
+think how friendly we got. He says I am the sweetest little darling he
+has seen in a month of Sundays. I kept catching sight of Lord Valmond's
+face between the flowers--he had taken in Mrs. Murray-Hartley--and it
+was alternately so cross and unhappy looking, that he must have had
+violent indigestion.
+
+We went to the ball in omnibuses and broughams, the usual thing; but
+Octavia took care that I sat between her and Lady Cecilia. Mrs.
+Murray-Hartley was so beautifully dressed, and her jewels were superb,
+and everything in very good taste. She is really a very agreeable woman
+to talk to, Mamma, and one can't blame her for wanting to be in
+Society. It must be so much nicer than Bayswater, where they came from,
+and Octavia says it proves her intelligence; it is easier to rise from
+the gutter than from the suburbs.
+
+Everybody had arrived when our party got to the ball. The Rooses are
+staying at Pennythorn, and Jane came and said to me at once how sorry
+she was to see me looking pale, and she hoped I would be able to enjoy
+myself--I wasn't pale, Mamma, I am sure, but I did feel just a teeny
+bit sorry I had quarrelled again with Lord Valmond. He never came near
+me, and everything seemed to be at sixes and sevens; people got cross
+because I mixed up their dances quite unintentionally, and, I don't
+know why, I did not enjoy myself a bit, in spite of Sir Hugh saying
+every sort of lovely thing to me. I had supper with him, and Lord
+Valmond was near with Lady Doraine, and she was being so nice to him,
+Mamma, leaning over and looking into his eyes, and I don't think it
+good form, do you? Two or three dances afterwards, when we went back to
+the ballroom, there was a polka; I danced it with some idiot who almost
+at once let yards and yards of my gauze frills get torn, so I was
+obliged to go to the cloak-room to have it pinned up.
+
+[Sidenote: _An Unpleasant Incident_]
+
+It was a long way off, and when I came out my partner had disappeared,
+and there was no one about but Lord Doraine, and the moment I saw him I
+hated the look in his eyes, they seemed all swimming; and he said in
+such a nasty fat voice: "Little darling, I have sent your partner away,
+and I am waiting for you, come and sit out with me among the palms,"
+and I don't know why, but I felt frightened, and so I said, "No!" that
+I was going back to the ballroom. And he got nearer and nearer, and
+caught hold of my arm, and said, "No, no, you shall not unless you give
+me a kiss first." And he would not let me pass. I can't imagine why,
+Mamma, but I never felt so frightened in my life; and just then,
+walking aimlessly down the passage, came Lord Valmond.
+
+He saw us and came up quickly, and I was so glad to see some one, that
+I ran to him, as Lord Doraine let me pass directly he caught sight of
+Harry--I mean Lord Valmond--and he was in such a rage when he saw how I
+was trembling, and said, "What has that brute been saying to you?" and
+looked as if he wanted to go back and fight him; but I was so terrified
+that I could only say, "Do come away!"
+
+[Sidenote: _The Engagement_]
+
+We went and sat in the palm place, and there was not a soul there, as
+every one was dancing; and I really don't know how it happened, I was
+so upset about that horrid Lord Doraine, that Harry tried to comfort
+me, and we made up our quarrel, and--he kissed me again--and I hope you
+won't be very cross, Mamma; but somehow I did not feel at all angry
+this time. And I thought he was fond of Mrs. Smith; but it isn't, it's
+Me! And we are engaged. And Octavia is writing to you. And I hope you
+won't mind. And the post is off, so no more.--From your affectionate
+daughter, Elizabeth.
+
+_P.S._--I shall get married before the Drawing Room in February,
+because then I can wear a tiara.
+
+[Sidenote: _Victorine is outdone_]
+
+_P.S. again._--Of course an English marquis is higher than a French
+one, so I shall walk in front of Victorine anywhere, shan't I? E.
+
+
+
+
+
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