Cecil Castlemaine's Gage, Lady Marabout's Troubles, and Other Stories

Silence fell over us in that wretched outshed where we were huddled together. I was hot with incipient fever, and growing light-headed enough, though I knew what passed before m...

"She let me out at the gate where I had thundered for admittance two hours before, and, giving her my thanks for her hospitality--money she would not take--I wished her good day...

"I was not going to disclaim it," said Fay, quickly looking up at him with a rapid glance, half penitence, half irritation. "I always tell the truth; but I was _not_ thinking ex...

The Arno ran on under its bridge, and we leaned out of the balcony where we were sitting and smoking, while I tossed over, without thinking much of what I was doing, a portfolio...

Then entered a rectoress of a neighboring parish, to whom my mother and the girls related with innocent exultation of my grand friends at Malta; how Lord A. Fitzhervey was my sw...

"Thank you, sir. Cramming's not my line. As for history, I don't see anything particularly interesting in the blackguardisms of men all dust and ashes and gelatine now; if I wer...

The moonlight glittered on the fountains, falling with measured splash into their marble basins; the lime-leaves, faintly stirred by the sultry breezes, perfumed the night with...

I did know: it was the eternal refrain that was heard on all sides; from the wily Jews through whose meshes he slipped; the unhappy duns who were done by him; the beauties who w...

"We are late, but that is always a more pardonable fault than to be too early," said the Marquis, as they were ushered across the vestibule, through several salons, into the sup...

"'Listen to one word more, m'sieu. I know not what title you may bear in your own country, but I saw a coronet upon your handkerchief the other day, and I can tell you are a gra...

"Should thank Heaven for it? Yet I do--it is a reprieve. Lady Marabout, you and my mother were close friends; will you listen to me for a second, while we are not overheard? Tha...

But by degrees she observed that the Envoy was a man who had lived in many countries and in many courts, was well versed in the tongues of France and Italy and Spain--in their b...

It was an hour before the dinner-bell rang. Then he came down cold and calm, particularly brilliant in conversation, more courteous, perhaps, to her than ever, but the frost had...

"No more I do, my dear--that is, under some circumstances; it is impossible to lay down a fixed rule for everything! Marriages of convenience--well, perhaps not; but as _I_ unde...

"Exactly so, dear. As for knowing the sheep from the wolves, as you call them," went on Lady Marabout, sorting her embroidery silks, "you may very soon know more of Chandos Chev...

The inspection was over at last; and if any other than Conran had been my senior officer, I should have come off badly, in all probability, for the abominable manner in which I...

With which Lady Marabout, getting fairly distracted under the iron hand of adverse fate, and the ruthless surveillance of the Hautton glass, invented an impromptu necessity for...

And Favette twisted her hand from his grasp with petulant sorrow, and dashed away her tears--the tears of sixteen--as bright and free from bitterness as the water-drops on the v...

"Perhaps I do," smiled Carruthers. "But whether one's self or 'the thing' is to blame, the result's much the same--satiety! Wait till you have had two or three seasons, and then...

"I shall never hold up my head again! And what a horrible triumph for Anne Hautton! I am always the victim--always!" said Lady Marabout, that day two months, when the last guest...

"_I?_ Good Heavens! my dear mother, what are you thinking of? I would sooner turn torreador, and throw lassos over bulls at Madrid, than help you to fling nuptial cables over po...

In place of the noon chimes the curfew was ringing from the bell-tower, the swallows were gone to roost amidst the ivy, and the herons slept with their heads under their silvery...

We had vingt-et-un; the Marchioness would not play, but she sat in her rose velvet arm-chair, just behind Little Grand, putting in pretty little speeches, and questions, and bag...

Produced by David Edwards, Katherine Becker and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain mate...

"A second Marie Antoinette?--too truly and unfortunately so, I have heard! Levity in _any_ station sufficiently reprehensible, but when exhibited in the persons of those whom a...

To all of which charges Lady Marabout humbly bent her head, metaphorically speaking, and writhed, in secret, under the glance of her ancient enemy, while she talked and laughed...

Lady Marabout _had_ a heart herself; to it she had had to date the greatest worries, troubles, imprudences, and vexations of her life; she had had to thank it for nothing, and t...

"Matter? Everything!" replied Lady Marabout, concisely and comprehensively, as she sat on the sofa in her boudoir, with her white ringed hands and her _bien conserve_ look, and...

The triad regard each other after the manner of ladies; that is to say, Lady Marechale holds Mrs. Protocol and Lady Frederic "frivolous and worldly;" Lady Frederic gives them bo...

"He is growing exigeant, jealous, presuming; he amuses me no longer--he wearies. I must give him his conge," thought Madame la Marquise. "This play at eternal passion is very am...