England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Love stories; Right of way -- Fiction
He found her in the neighborhood of his family monuments which, with his
family pew, crowded the little chancel of the church. She was not
employed in devotions, but was arranging some flowers in a
vase--doubtless a pious offering. Somewhat at a loss how to open the
conversation, Lynborough dropped his hat--or rather gave it a dexterous
jerk, so that it fell at the lady's feet. Miss Gilletson started
violently, and Lord Lynborough humbly apologized. Thence he glided into
conversation, first about the flowers, then about the tombs. On the
latter subject he was exceedingly interesting and informing.
"Dear, dear! Married the Duke of Dexminster's daughter, did he?" said
Miss Gilletson, considerably thrilled. "She's not buried here, is she?"
"No, she's not," said Lynborough, suppressing the fact that the lady had
run away after six months of married life. "And my own father's not
buried here, either; he chose my mother's family place in Devonshire. I
thought it rather a pity."
"Your own father?" Miss Gilletson gasped.
"Oh, I forgot you didn't know me," he said, laughing. "I'm Lord
Lynborough, you know. That's how I come to be so well up in all this.
And I tell you what--I should like to show you some of our Scarsmoor
roses on your way home."
"Oh, but if you're Lord Lynborough, I--I really couldn't----"
"Who's to know anything about it, unless you choose, Miss Gilletson?" he
asked with his ingratiating smile and his merry twinkle. "There's
nothing so pleasant as a secret shared with a lady!"
It was a long time since a handsome man had shared a secret with Miss
Gilletson. Who knows, indeed, whether such a thing had ever happened? Or
whether Miss Gilletson had once just dreamed that some day it might--and
had gone on dreaming for long, long days, till even the dream had slowly
and sadly faded away? For sometimes it does happen like that.
Lynborough meant nothing--but no possible effort (supposing he made it)
could enable him to look as if he meant nothing. One thing at least he
did mean--to make himself very pleasant to Miss Gilletson.
Interested knave! It is impossible to avoid that reflection. Yet let
ladies in their turn ask themselves if they are over-scrupulous in their
treatment of one man when their affections are set upon another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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