Love stories; Nobility -- Great Britain -- Fiction; Switzerland -- Fiction
Shortly afterwards Godfrey descended to the coffee-room and ate his
dinner. Here it was that the universal temptress against whom he had
been warned so urgently, put in a first appearance in the person of a
pleasant and elderly lady who was seated alongside of him. Noting this
good-looking and lonely lad, she began to talk to him, and being a
woman of the world, soon knew all about him, his name, who he was,
whither he was going, etc. When she found out that it was to Lucerne,
or rather its immediate neighbourhood, she grew quite interested,
since, as it happened, she—her name was Miss Ogilvy—had a house
there where she was accustomed to spend most of the year. Indeed, she
was returning by the same train that Godfrey was to take on the
following morning.
“We shall be travelling companions,” she said when she had
explained all this.
“I am afraid not,” he answered, glancing at the many evidences of
wealth upon her person. “You see,” he added colouring, “I am
going second and have to spend as little as possible. Indeed I have
brought some food with me in a basket so that I shall not need to buy
any meals at the stations.”
Miss Ogilvy was touched, but laughed the matter off in her charming way,
saying that he would have to be careful that the Custom-house officers
did not think he was smuggling something in his basket, and as she knew
them all must look to her to help him if he got into difficulties on
the journey. Then she went on chatting and drawing him out, and what is
more, made him take several glasses of some delicious white wine she
was drinking. It was not very strong wine, but except for a little
small beer, practically Godfrey had been brought up as a teetotaller
for economy’s sake, and it went to his head. He became rather
effusive; he told her of Sir John Blake about whom she seemed to know
everything already, and something of his friendship with Isobel, who, he
added, was coming out that very night at a fancy dress ball in London.
“I know,” said Miss Ogilvy, “at the de Lisles’ in
Grosvenor Square. I was asked to it, but could not go as I am starting
to-morrow.”
Then she rose and said “Good-night,” bidding him be sure not to be
late for the train, as she would want him to help her with her luggage.
So off she went looking very charming and gracious, although she was
over forty, and leaving Godfrey quite flattered by her attention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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