A Great Success
, Philistine
in an absent voice, turning over the pages meanwhile of a book lying before him, as though in search of a passage he had
e Philistines proper, or middle class, name the former, in my own mind, the Barbarians. And when I go through the country, and see this or
ve the low and spreading buildings which made the bulk of the house, so that it was a feudal castle-by no means, however, so old as it looked-on
he said-"after that
on; his more relaxed self, field-sports and pleasures.' Isn't it exact? Grouse-driving in the morning-bridge, politics, Cabinet-making, and
brilliant, no doubt. Meadows, however, did not feel that he had come off very well in it. His hostess had deliberately pitted him against two of the ablest men in England, and he was well aware that he had disappointed her. Lady Dunstable had a way of behaving to her f
but his own. But Rachel Dunstable was an imperious friend, never tired herself, apparently, either in mind or body; and those who could not walk, eat, and talk to please her were apt to know it. Her opinions too, both political and literar
and pleasures that wealth brings with it, the skilled service, the motors, the costly cigars, the wines-there was a Sybarite in Meadows which revelled in them all. He had done without them; he would do without them again; but there they were exceed
; but that very morning, at any rate, he had really written her a decent letter. And he was beginning to be anxious to hear from her about the yachting plan. If Lady Dunstable had asked
o was Doris in her own way. "She'd soon have held her own. Lady D. would have had to come to terms!" However, he remembered with s
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not yet appeared downstairs; a sleepy heat reigned over the valley with its winding stream, and veiled the distant hills. Meadows's companion, Ralph Barrow, a young novelist of promise, had gone fast asleep on the
gravel. Lady Dunstable, stick in hand, her short leather-bound skirt showing boots and gaite
Luke and Mr. Frome are coming. We propose
adows, startled from something very near sleep, looked up, and a spirit of
le!-but I must write some
told me yesterday of your scheme for your new set of
" laughed Meadows; "this heat has made me so
able looke
t tea," she said peremptorily. "Th
smiling. "It is most kind of you, but I really must write my letters, an
eadows accompanied her, but found her exceedingly ungracious. She did, however, inform him, as they followed the other two towards the exit from the garden, that sh
." The very sound of it was enough to keep people away! "What people ex
t be, he said, he had not yet discovered. But
ned on him a pair
er people. You would die
much as you like,
ed, imperatively, n
aid Meadows, smiling. "We want a g
I never flatter! It is th
most skilled. And I have hea
ed, half amused her. It
ace and dark eyes
ne's friends of their vice
gone wrong. From the point of view of the moralist, that is. From the point o
stigation here and there, in requital for various acts of rudeness of which she had been guilty towards him and others during the preceding days. She gr
to the moor, Meadows re
nstable. "I don't believe you will write one of th
t at least for
ome, the Under-Secretary, a young man of Jewish family and amazing talents, who had been listening with amusement to th
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ly up the moor, Sir Luke Malford, who had only arri
n't come?-the
ery chance. Sh
Have you any idea, I wond
le exclaimed
ogre. I am nothing of the kind. I
Sir Luke. "I thought that young woman
d his companion. "A stubborn and rather stupid little pers
her? I bet anything she is feeling jealous and ill-used. You ought-I am
society. Sir Luke gathered from her tone that she and Mrs. Meadows had somewhat crossed swords, and that the wife might look out for consequences. He had been a witness of this kind of thing before in Lady Dunstable's circle; and he was conscious of a passing sympathy w
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ken pains not to show it. Doris might say such things to him-but no one else. They were, of course, horribly true! Well-quarrelli
ll rubs and jars on her own shoulders, so that Lady Dunstable might escape them. If the fish did not arrive from Edinburgh, if the motor broke down, if a gun failed, or a guest set up influenza, it was always Miss Field who came to the rescue. She had devices for every emergency. It was generally supposed that she had no m
Meadows rath
off? Oh, then-I wonder if
her she might
save yourself for a wa
's very low, and you
interrogatively. He to
ed for some days t
ve sons!" said Mi
reference. It was com
t their son was anythin
wondering whether, under all circumstances-if her nearest and dearest were made mincemeat in a railway accident, or crushed by
ss Herbert had promised his parents a visit-a whole week-in August, and had now cried off
Herbert as that she's found someone to marry him to. You'll see the
t the young man is by
s amusement
ar; but she's always full of fresh schemes for managing him. She thinks, if she could once
for him?" said
Meadows perceived a grain of seriousness in her expressio
it if anything v
could
hether he won't marry to please hi
unstable wo
ield c
t to be. Most of her friends do. Rachel, of course, goes through life assuming that none of the dis
out? But hasn't she lost al
or him. And when he's not here she feels so af
lf an hour I shall be ready for his lordship. W
he sunshine was so delightful, the sight of the empty bench and the abandoned novel on the other side of the lawn so beguiling, tha
rospect of moor and stream. It was close on noon-a hot and heavenly day! And again he t
tle town lying in the valley at his feet. He watched it gliding along the valley, and heard the nois
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ces. He rose from his feet, intending this time to tackle his neglected duties in earnest.
ed-in a stupor
all the go
from side to side, like one uncertain of her wa
on earth had she come for? To recover him?-to protest against his not writing?-to make a scene, in short? His guilty ima
really a taxi from the station, to stop without approaching the f
letter? I could on
and they had joined
probably arrived by your train. What on earth, Dor
rneys always knocked her up. She meanwhile stood looking at him as though trying to read the impression produced on
e, thank you! Of course I did
ed Meadows, looking helplessly at the tax
and-either tired of being left alone, or angry with him for not writing-had devised this coup de main, this violent shake to
eyed him v
wrote to you-and sent her a message. I
back directly. There isn't a corner in the house! I've got a little bachelor room in the attics. Really, Dori
vian indeed. Doris, how
to put me up," she said, half scor
telegram? What is the meaning of al
e root of bitterness again; and it was shooting fast and high. Whatever she had done or left undone, he ought not to have been able to concea
soon. You see I've asked someone else to come t
ouse!" Meadows stood bewildered. "Really,
ently enjoying his astonishment. T
to take me in. Arthur!-I think you may pay the man. Just take out my bag, and tell the footman to put it in
to the unexpected irruption of Mrs. Meadows, and Mrs. Meadows's bag, upon the "fortified po
nstable like this, my dear. I'd better go and tell someone to pack my things. But we must, of course, wait and see Lady Dunstable-
at down
Dunstable will be very glad to keep both me-an
r-bent down to stu
, Doris, in all this! Aren't you
pale chee
-if you'd been the lea
e taxi, Arthur, it will
t into the hall of the Lodge. He then perceived that two grinning and evidently inquisitive footmen, waiting in the hall for anything that might turn u
bag to one of them with instructions that it should be
ide from himself that Doris had been jealous of Lady Dunstable, and had perhaps been hurt by his rather too numerous incursions into the great world without her, his appare
d little person, particularly sensitive to ridicule-the whol
seat. Lady Dunstable might return at any moment. He foresaw the encounter-the great lady's insolence-Doris's
velling all those hours!-and no doubt without any proper breakfast! However Lady Dunstable might behave, he wou
rged, with her two companions on either hand. Her vivid, masculine face was flushed with exercise and discussion. She seemed to be attack
tland will gain you nothing; and in Engl
came to a stop and put up a tortois
ng to say!-what am I to say! that you got tired of London, and wanted some Scot
ps breaking irrepr
thur; I'll get