Pelham — Volume 04Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
History
Pelham — Volume 04
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Adventure stories; English fiction -- 19th century; Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
I wonder, thought I, as I made my toilet, whether or not Lady Roseville
is enamoured with her new correspondent? I went very early, and before I
retired, my vanity was undeceived. Lady Roseville was playing at ecarte,
when I entered. She beckoned to me to approach. I did. Her antagonist was
Mr. Bedford, a natural son of the Duke of Shrewsbury, and one of the best
natured and best looking dandies about town: there was, of course, a
great crowd round the table. Lady Roseville played incomparably; bets
were high in her favour. Suddenly her countenance changed--her hand
trembled--her presence of mind forsook her. She lost the game. I looked
up and saw just opposite to her, but apparently quite careless and
unmoved, Reginald Glanville. We had only time to exchange nods, for Lady
Roseville rose from the table, took my arm, and walked to the other end
of the room, in order to introduce me to my hostess.
I spoke to her a few words, but she was absent and inattentive; my
penetration required no farther proof to convince me that she was not
wholly insensible to the attentions of Glanville. Lady--was as civil and
silly as the generality of Lady Blanks are: and feeling very much bored,
I soon retired to an obscurer corner of the room. Here Glanville joined
me.
"It is but seldom," said he, "that I come to these places; to-night my
sister persuaded me to venture forth."
"Is she here?" said I.
"She is," answered he; "she has just gone into the refreshment room with
my mother, and when she returns, I will introduce you."
While Glanville was yet speaking, three middle-aged ladies, who had been
talking together with great vehemence for the last ten minutes,
approached us.
"Which is he?--which is he?" said two of them, in no inaudible accents.
"This," replied the third; and coming up to Glanville, she addressed him,
to my great astonishment, in terms of the most hyperbolical panegyric.
"Your work is wonderful! wonderful!" said she.
"Oh! quite--quite!" echoed the other two.
"I can't say," recommenced the Coryphoea, "that I like the moral--at
least not quite; no, not quite."
"Not quite," repeated her coadjutrices.
Glanville drew himself up with his most stately air, and after three
profound bows, accompanied by a smile of the most unequivocal contempt,
he turned on his heel, and sauntered away.
"Did your grace ever see such a bear?" said one of the echoes.
"Never," said the duchess, with a mortified air; "but I will have him
yet. How handsome he is for an author!"
I was descending the stairs in the last state of ennui, when Glanville
laid his hand on my shoulder.
"Shall I take you home?" said he: "my carriage has just drawn up."
I was too glad to answer in the affirmative.
"How long have you been an author?" said I, when we were seated in
Glanville's carriage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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