Fanny Lambert: A NovelStacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere)
General
Fanny Lambert: A Novel
Stacpoole, H. De Vere (Henry De Vere)
Fiction
This did not altogether please him, neither did the fact that Pamela
seemed to enjoy the attentions of this man, who was her diametrical
opposite.
To the profound philosopher who indites these lines it seems that
between men and women in the mass there is very little difference. They
act pretty much the same, except, perhaps, in the presence of mice.
Bevan did very much what a woman would have done in his position: seeing
his true love flirting with some one else, he flirted with some one
else. Lulu Morgan was nearest to him, so he used her.
"I've been in England a twelvemonth," answered Miss Morgan, in reply to
a query, "and I feel beginning to get crusted. They say the old carp in
the pond in Versailles get moss-grown after they've been there a hundred
and fifty years or so, and I feel like that. When I say I've been in
England a twelvemonth, I mean Europe. I've been in England three months,
and the rest abroad. Pamela picked me up in Paris, you'd just gone back
home; Lady Scott introduced me to her. I was looking out for a job. I
came over originally with the Vandervades, then Sadie Vandervade got
married; I was her companion, and I lost the job. Of course I could have
stayed on with old man Vandervade and his wife, but I wanted a job. I'm
like a squirrel, put me in a cage with nothing to do, and I'd die. I
must have a mill to turn, so I froze on to Pamela's offer. I write her
letters, and do her accounts, and interview her tradespeople. I guess
she's getting fat for want of work since I've been her companion. Yes, I
like England, and I like this place; if the people could be scraped out
of it clean, it would be considerably nicer. I went to church last
Sunday to have a good long considerate look at them; they all arrived in
carriages--every one here who has a shay of any description turns it out
to go to church in on Sunday. Well, I went to have a good long look at
them, and such a collection of stuffed images and plug-uglies I never
beheld. I'm vicious about them p'rhaps, for they treated Pamela so mean,
holding off from her when she first came, and then rushing down her
throat when they found she knew a duchess. They'd boil themselves for a
duchess. Say--you know the Lamberts? Isn't Fanny sweet?"
Mr Bevan started in his chair, but Miss Morgan did not notice, engrossed
as she was with her own conversation.
"We met them in Paris; and I don't know which is sweeter, Fanny or her
father. She was to have come down here with him, but she didn't. My, but
she is pretty. And don't the men run after her! there were three men in
Paris raving about her; she'd only known them two days, and they were
near proposing to her. Don't wonder at it, I'd propose to her myself, if
I was a man. But she's a little flirt all the same, and I told her so."
"Excuse me," said Bevan, "but I scarcely think you are justified--that
is--from what I have heard of Miss Lambert, I would scarcely suspect her
of being a--flirt."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account