The Lovels of ArdenBraddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth)
General
The Lovels of Arden
Braddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth)
England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction
The gardens of the villa were large--indeed, the stockbroker had pulled
down a fine old family mansion to get a site for his dainty little
dwelling. There was a good stretch of river-frontage, from which the crowd
could watch the boats flash by; now the striped shirts shooting far ahead
to the cry of "Bravo, Brazenose!" anon the glitter of a line of light-blue
caps, as the Etonian crew answered to the call of their coxswain, and
made a gallant attempt to catch their powerful opponents; while Radley,
overmatched and outweighted, though by no means a bad crew, plodded
hopelessly but pluckily in the rear. Here Clarissa strolled for some time,
leaning on her husband's arm, and taking a very faint interest in the
boats. It was a pretty sight, of course; but she had seen so many pretty
sights lately, and the brightness of them had lost all power to charm her.
She looked on, like a person in a picture-gallery, whose eyes and brain
are dazed by looking at too many pictures. Mr. Granger noticed her
listlessness, and was quick to take alarm. She was paler than usual, he
thought.
"I'm afraid you've been overdoing it with so many parties, Clary," he said;
"you are looking quite tired to-day."
"I am rather tired. I shall be glad to go back to Arden."
"And I too, my dear. The fact is, there's nothing in the world I care less
for than this sort of thing: but I wanted you to have all the enjoyment to
be got out of a London season. It is only right that you should have any
pleasure I can give you."
"You are too good to me," Clarissa answered with a faint sigh.
Her husband did not notice the sigh; but he did remark the phrase, which
was one she had used very often--one that wounded him a little whenever he
heard it.
"It is not a question of goodness, my dear," he said. "I love you, and I
want to make you happy."
Later in the afternoon, when the racing was at its height, and almost all
Mr. Wooster's visitors had crowded to the terrace by the river, Clarissa
strolled into one of the shrubbery walks, quite alone. It was after
luncheon; and the rattle of plates and glasses, and the confusion of
tongues that had obtained during the banquet, had increased the nervous
headache with which she had begun the day. This grove of shining laurel
and arbutus was remote from the river, and as solitary just now as if Mr.
Wooster's hundred or so of guests had been miles away. There were rustic
benches here and there: and Clarissa seated herself upon one of them, which
was agreeably placed in a recess amongst the greenery. She was more than
usually depressed to-day, and no longer able to maintain that artificial
vivacity by which she had contrived to conceal her depression. Her sin had
found her out. The loveless union, entered upon so lightly, was beginning
to weigh her down, as if the impalpable tie that bound her to her husband
had been the iron chain that links a galley-slave to his companion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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