Category: Romance

Lady Maude's Mania

"True, oh sire," replied the viscount, who had the heels of his patent leather shoes on the library chimney-piece of the town mansion in Portland Place. He had reached that spot with difficulty, and was smoking a cigar, to calm his nerves for what he called the operation.

Chapters

2. CHAPTER TWO.

The crossing-sweeper, in a special uniform of rags turned up with mud, had made liberal use of his broom wherever it was not wanted, and now stood in front of Lord Barmouth's ho...

8. CHAPTER EIGHT.

Charley Melton made up his mind that he would behave honourably, and he called several times more at Portland Place, till it became evident that there was no prospect of his bei...

22. CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

Meanwhile Maude had sought Lord Barmouth, whom she surprised in a corner of the library, feeding his wolf and studying the wing of a chicken, which he was picking with great gus...

21. CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

All the servants remarked that "the poor dear" from the very first bore up like a suffering martyr, and then discoursed upon the vanity of human hopes; and Mrs Downes, who was o...

1. CHAPTER ONE.

"True, oh sire," replied the viscount, who had the heels of his patent leather shoes on the library chimney-piece of the town mansion in Portland Place. He had reached that spot...

15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

"No, no, no, my boy," said his lordship, rubbing his leg. "Your mamma means Charley Melton, and I--I--I--damme, I can't understand it all about him. I'm sure I--I--I--don't thin...

24. CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

Ten minutes after Tom was busy trying to obtain some further information, after seeing his father comfortably settled down in the study with a good cigar and a pint bottle of port.

4. CHAPTER FOUR.

Lord Barmouth was quite right, for the shadow was coming over the sunshiny portion of the young people's life in the shape of her ladyship, who could in turn assume the _role_ o...

3. CHAPTER THREE.

"Serious, Lady Barmouth; indeed I am," said Charley Melton, who was Viscount Diphoos' guest down at the Hurst, Lord Barmouth's seat in Sussex; "and as to personal matters, my in...

10. CHAPTER TEN.

"How a young lady as calls herself a young lady can bemean herself by making a pet of a low-bred, ill-looking dog like that, I can't think," said Mr Robbins, laying himself out...

9. CHAPTER NINE.

There was gravel to be ground in Hyde Park, but Lady Maude declined to assist in the operation, pleading a bad headache; so Lady Barmouth took her carriage exercise alone, while...

20. CHAPTER TWENTY.

Three weeks passed before he could meet him, and then it was by accident at one of the clubs, and during all this time Tryphie had grown colder, and the wedding-day was approach...

7. CHAPTER SEVEN.

"If I had my way," said Mr Robbins, "I'd give orders to the poliss, and every one of 'em should be took up. They're so fond of turning handles that I'd put 'em on the crank. I'd...

27. CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

The sun was shining as it can shine in Naples, but the courtyard of the Hotel di Sevril was pleasantly shady, for there was a piazza all round, and in the centre a cool and spar...

5. CHAPTER FIVE.

Lady Maude Diphoos sat in her dressing-room in Portland Place with her long brown hair let down and spread all around her like some beautiful garment designed by nature to hide...

12. CHAPTER TWELVE.

"It's enough to drive a man to do anything," exclaimed Melton, as he dashed down the fashionable newspaper he had been reading, where in a short paragraph he had found that whic...

14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

It was very singular, and showed weakness, but Maude Diphoos, who had hitherto looked with contempt upon her ladyship's dealings with Monsieur Hector, laughing at the idea of us...

29. CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

"I've found you then at last," said her ladyship, recovering fast. "Robbins, go and tell that wretched Italian porter creature I will not pay him another penny. No, say _soldi_,...

6. CHAPTER SIX.

For Charley Melton's father was better, hence his presence in town, where he had sped as soon as he found that the Diphoos family had left the Hurst, where Lady Barmouth hatched...

30. CHAPTER THIRTY.

A lady and gentleman started from their seats as the couple rushed in; and in a moment Viscount Diphoos had seen that they were right--that he was in the presence of his sister...

23. CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

"Half thought I should have seen Charley Melton here; perhaps he has started for Italy after all," said Tom, who had gone straight to Barker's and engaged in a game of pool. "Mi...

19. CHAPTER NINETEEN.

Tryphie Wilder's was not a very pleasant life at Lady Barmouth's. She felt that she had been adopted out of charity, and in her bitterness she would sometimes call herself her l...

13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

Lady Barmouth was in great trouble, and resembled more strongly than ever the heaving billows. She had been so agitated several times lately that she had found it necessary to t...

18. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

"_Non_, M'sieu," said the Frenchman, smiling. "You have been too capable an assistant, and the occasion has ceased; but I will think, and M'sieu shall see the lady again. I will...

11. CHAPTER ELEVEN.

That morning Monsieur Hector Launay was happy. He had been to Portland Place, acted as executioner to the mole upon her ladyship's chin, buried it beneath the court plaster, bee...

25. CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

He was so wound up by the excitement, and the feeling that everything now depended upon him that he seemed to forget that there was such a thing as fatigue.

31. CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

"No, no, sare, I go to be Madame Launay when we return; and if Milor Tom do require my help--a thank you, ze ring is _charmant_--you shall say to me, `Justine, her ladyship go t...

16. CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

The private inquiry trouble was cooling down, but there was so much excitement and trouble at Portland Place, that Maude's hair had to go untended on one occasion, and Monsieur...

17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Lady Maude sat in her dressing-room once more with her back hair down, listening to the strains of Luigi's organ as it discoursed a delicious waltz, while Dolly Preen, who was r...

28. CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

"This--this is a pretty devil of a state of affairs," muttered the old man. "How can a man in my position make friends with a confounded fellow who goes about turning a handle i...

26. CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

But all the same he was in a state of feverish excitement, while Lord Barmouth was reduced to imbecile helplessness, but ready to obey his son to the very letter, and trotting a...