The Exclusives (vol. 3 of 3)Bury, Charlotte Campbell, Lady
General
The Exclusives (vol. 3 of 3)
Bury, Charlotte Campbell, Lady
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Lady Tilney proceeded. "Now, I think there is one, and only one, way in
which it can be managed; and your assistance will be vitally important
for its success."
"Oh _de graces_! do not involve me in any of dese troublesome _rôles_:
I am not at all de _personne_ to play dem well; and _l'inconduite de la
petite en question_ makes me quite _frissonné_ to think of any thing
of the kind."
"Oh! but, my dear Lady Tenderden, for Glenmore's sake, you know, for
all our sakes, you will not let this affair terminate as it must do if
something is not done to put it on a right footing? You will not surely
let the _scandale_ of such a common-place _dénouement_ attach to our
society, as the infallible issue of the affair must cause, unless we
attempt to save appearances, and settle the _marche du jeu_ in _better
taste_ at least?"
Lady Tenderden's countenance relaxed, as if she was pleased at the
idea of holding an influence over Lord Glenmore; and Lady Tilney was
satisfied that she had done wisely in condescending to flatter her
_amour-propre_, by confessing herself secondary in influence; a point
which she was never very willing to yield: but she felt it was the
surest way of securing Lady Tenderden's co-operation, and proceeded to
say,
"Now listen, I entreat you, to what I have to propose; and if you do
not approve my idea, then suggest something better. The only thing
that remains to be done, in my opinion, then," continued Lady Tilney,
"is to get Georgina out of England. You know Glenmore cannot move; but
that is no reason why _she_ may not be absent for a few months. The
advantage of your company, her health, a thousand excuses may be found:
and if she is not as deeply involved as we suspect with Winyard, _this_
will break off the affair; while, if she is, absence, and distance, and
the chances of time and place, _que sais-je enfin_----a million things
may turn away the tide of observation from _us_: at all events, the
_éclat_ will be less offensive abroad than at home. Now, could you not
propose to her a little tour to Spa, or _Les Eaux de Barèges_, when the
season comes round for leaving London?"
Lady Tenderden seemed half inclined to acquiesce, but, like most people
who make sudden changes of opinion, she did not know exactly how to
give as ready an assent as she was willing in her heart to do; while,
at the same time, there was a little demur at the idea of being made
the tool of Lady Tilney, as well as of being mixed up in an affair in
which, if it ended wrong, she would regret to have been implicated.
Lady Tilney's flattery and persuasive reasonings, however, as was
generally the case when she had a favourite point to carry, prevailed;
and the conversation ended with an arrangement, that Lady Tenderden
should, in the course of a few days, open the subject to Lady
Glenmore, and put it _en train_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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