Dilemmas of Pride, (Vol 1 of 3)

at Cheltenham, was in a state of high preparati

young ladies to dress, they were therefore

you," said Grace, "but Lady Arden is now really coming: Mr

s just talk as usua

her ladyship for six months certain, and the adjoining villa, Jessamine Bower, for a

iss Salter. "I wonder would there be any use

othea do you mean? Oh, quite ridiculous at this la

and for the short notice I'll say, that I know she likes friendly invitations better than formal ones, and that our party this evening is to be so particula

riumph at her own diplomatic abilit

ing to dinner, and being so gracious, and all that, she means to marry my father; and if she does, though to be sure it'ill bring

or chance, I'm afrai

e pleases, for it's no harm that the truth should be known, that our mother's fortune was a hundred thousand pounds, and was so settled upon us that my father can't ke

shocking lie

er sister, "Who tells the

was of course a formal apology. Mrs. Dorothea had not been at

t white, angular points of a fresh put on collar, contrasting finely with the shining ruby of his cheeks. A carriage with a coronet

rosy face, smiling in a round wreath of red roses. Her dress, a colo

n a three windowed, south-west drawing room, at six o'clock, did ample justice to the glow of her ladyship's appearance, w

s we have said, hot weather, there was no occasion for fire. But the very furniture of the room, unluckily for the day and aspect, was crimson, while in addition to the red and reddish countenances already enumerated, Miss Salter's face, on all warm occasions like the

to the dining-room; which, having the same aspect as the drawing-room, and being, besides over the kitchen, was by no means calculated to cool the already heated guests. The two turtles, we mean Mr. Salter and Lady Flamborough, every way so well entitled to

, too much ornamented, too technical; in fact the display of each course resembled more a confectioner's counter than a gentleman's table. Every thing, i

ually impossible for people, though possessed of the purse of Fortunatus, to

ased, was most unnecessarily prolonging his own labours, and delaying the progress of the feast, by deliberately inquiring of every several member of the ass

les, on his fair companion; whose uplifted eyes languishingly met his, till there wanted but the pipe to make the pair an excellent study for a painter of the Dutch school. The attitude too, leaning back at their ease in their chairs, s

entiments like his were very rare now a days, and consequently the more to be admired. On the opposite side, Sir James Lindsey was giggling with silly self-satisfaction, as he sat receiving the assiduous attentions and pointed compliments of Miss Grace. While Lady Shawbridge was remark

herself, her father and mother, brothers and sisters, husband, children, and servants, which

nected with a certain series of toasts, which despite of fashion, he might have felt it his duty to propose, had in that short period undergone such an extraordinary change, that when he approached what ought to have been the sole object of his affections, he beheld as it were two Lady Flamboroughs, sitting, or rather attempting to sit, on the same chair! He gazed in utter amazement, and strove to concentrate the powers of sight: for a second the mysterious vision amalgamated, and was but on

ague dread of being betrayed unconsciously into the sin of bigamy, might have presented itself to the imagination of Mr. Salter, we have not philosophical lore nor critical acumen sufficient to decide; we can only speak to the ef

their libations at Bacchus'