E-text prepared by Delphine Lettau, Mary Meehan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana) Note: Project Gutenberg also has the other two volumes of this novel. Volume I: see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35428 Volume III: see https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35430 Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/charmingfellow02trol A CHARMING FELLOW. by FRANCES ELEANOR TROLLOPE, Author of "Aunt Margaret's Trouble," "Mabel's Progress," etc. etc. In Three Volumes. VOL. II. London: Chapman and Hall, 193, Piccadilly. 1876. Charles Dickens and Evans, Crystal Palace Press. CHAPTER I. "So you are to come to Switzerland with us next month, Ancram," said Miss Kilfinane. She was seated at the piano in Lady Seely's drawing-room, and Algernon was leaning on the instrument, and idly turning over a portfolio of music. "Yes; I hope your serene highness has no objection to that arrangement?" "It would be of no use my objecting, I suppose!" "Of none whatever. But it would be unpleasant." "Oh, you would still go then, whether I liked it or not?" "I'm afraid the temptation to travel about Europe in your company would be too strong for me!" "How silly you are, Ancram!" said Miss Kilfinane, looking up half shyly, half tenderly. But she met no answering look from Algernon. He had just come upon a song that he wanted to try, and was drawing it out from under a heap of others in the portfolio. "Look here, Castalia," he said, "I wish you would play through this accompaniment for me. I can't manage it." It will be seen that Algernon had become familiar enough with Miss Kilfinane to call her by her Christian-name. And, moreover, he addressed her in a little tone of authority, as being quite sure she would do what he asked her. "This?" she said, taking the song from his hand. "Why do you want to sing this dull thing? I think Glück is so dreary! And, besides, it isn't your style at all." "Isn't it? What is my style, I wonder?" "Oh light, lively things are your style." At the bottom of his mind, perhaps, Algernon thought so too. But it is often very unpleasant to hear our own secret convictions uttered by other people; and he did not like to be told that he could not sing anything more solid than a French chansonette. "Lady Harriet particularly wishes me to try this thing of Glück's at her house next Saturday," he said. Miss Kilfinane threw down the song pettishly. "Oh, Lady Harriet," she exclaimed. "I might have known it was her suggestion! She is so full of nonsense about her classical composers. I think she makes a fool of you, Ancram. I know it will be a failure if you attempt that song."