The Exclusives (vol. 2 of 3)Bury, Charlotte Campbell, Lady
General
The Exclusives (vol. 2 of 3)
Bury, Charlotte Campbell, Lady
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Do not mistake me," she replied; "I
have not explained what I mean. As to outward
attentions of politeness, oh! yes, I receive
them in abundance; but what I intended
to make you understand is, that the
things I take interest in, and the pleasures I
have in view, seem so entirely different from
those of the generality of the set I live in,
that there is nothing left for me to say; and
I often observe that when I do speak, my conversation
is either laughed at, or they stare at
me as if they did not believe I was serious."
Lord Glenmore smiled, and loved his innocent
little wife a thousand times the more for
her unsophisticated sweetness; nevertheless,
as he was likely always to have a part to play
in the great world, he could not help wishing
that his wife should be able, without putting
any force upon her inclinations, to do so likewise.
He therefore said, and speaking rather
more seriously than he had done: "Retain
always, dearest Georgina, this youth and
purity of character; but, for my sake, learn,
my love, to endure an intercourse with others
who may be of a less pure nature than yourself;
but who are yet, from your situation
and circumstances, likely to be those with
whom you must naturally associate: to please
me, then, my dearest Georgina, begin from
to-day: put on all your smiles, and let me
hear that you are the envy of the women, and
the admiration of the men. Remember, love,
to _please me_."
"Any thing to please you," she replied;
and she decorated herself with more than
usual care. Just as her toilette was about to be
completed, Lord Glenmore entered her room
with a quantity of lilies of the valley. "Here,"
he said, "I have brought you your favourite
flowers; wear them, love, and let their fragrance
remind you of the donor." All this
lover-like attention enchanted the person to
whom it was addressed, and her eyes sparkled
with unwonted brilliancy, and her cheeks were
tinged with the glow of pleasure as she fastened
her _bouquet_ in her breast. Lord Glenmore,
proud of such a wife, as well he might
be, handed her into her carriage, and she
drove to Lady Tilney's, where the party were
to assemble to go to Whitehall stairs.
When she entered the room she found nobody
yet arrived; a servant made Lady Tilney's
apology, saying she should be dressed
shortly. Having played a few airs on the
piano-forte, she took up a novel, and was
busily employed in its pages when Mr. Leslie
Winyard was announced. Lady Glenmore felt
embarrassed in his presence, she knew not
why, but there was something of fear and
flutter that came over her whenever he approached,
which she could not command.
She arose and curtseyed; and then, as though
she had payed him too marked a distinction,
she remained awkwardly standing, as though
she had taken that position by accident--not
in honour of him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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