FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163  
164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   >>   >|  
de them sure of her. Dodo and the Collises, travelling out of their own country for the first time, had not--as they acknowledged to each other now--"known the difference in foreigners." It was only by the light in other women's eyes--women of good birth and breeding--that they began to see Lady Dauntrey as she was, common, bold, not a lady, one whom ladies would not care to receive. Dodo also was common, and knew herself to be "nobody" at home, but she had thought that she might "go down in England," if she could have the right introductions. Now she saw that her money was being wasted at the start; for though the Dauntreys attracted a certain set round them, instinctively she, as well as the Collises, felt that it was not the right set. Even when, after ten days of Monte Carlo, the Villa Bella Vista was full of the Dauntreys' paying guests, a cold sense of insecurity and trouble to come, which would be worse by and by than the bitter disappointment of the present, lay heavy upon Eve's heart. Her menage was uncomfortable, and people were threatening to go. Every day nearly she had a "scene" with some one, a guest or a servant, or both. Mrs. Collis had burst into tears at a luncheon in honour of a rich Jewish money-lender, because she thought herself insulted. She had been given a kitchen dish-towel instead of a napkin, and had spoiled the party by complaining of it. The stupid creature! As if some one were not obliged to put up with the thing, since there were not enough napkins to go round for so many! Lady Dauntrey had explained that she could not take the dish-towel herself, as Monseigneur was on her right hand, Mr. Holbein on her left. But even the fact that Lord Dauntrey contented himself with a dust cloth did not appease Mrs. Collis, who said it was only the last feather on the top of other grievances. And Dodo was furious because, whenever Lady Dauntrey entertained, the servants were so busy that she had to make her own bed, or see it lie tumbled just as she had got out of it, until evening. Eve's violent temper had got the better of her then, and she had flung her true opinion of Miss Wardropp into the pretty painted face. "Persons who've never had anything decent at home always complain more than any one else in other people's houses," she had said; and Dodo had retorted with compliments of the same kind. Miss Wardropp often wondered if Lady Dauntrey knew the history of the Villa Bella Vista. She did kno
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163  
164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Dauntrey
 

Dauntreys

 

thought

 
Collis
 

people

 

common

 

Wardropp

 

Collises

 

explained

 

napkins


retorted

 
compliments
 

Monseigneur

 
Holbein
 
houses
 

complaining

 

stupid

 

spoiled

 

napkin

 

history


wondered

 

creature

 

obliged

 

tumbled

 

servants

 
Persons
 

kitchen

 

opinion

 

temper

 

pretty


painted

 

evening

 
violent
 

entertained

 

complain

 

appease

 

contented

 

decent

 

furious

 

feather


grievances
 
England
 

ladies

 

receive

 

introductions

 
attracted
 

instinctively

 
wasted
 
acknowledged
 

country