All Chapters of DELICIA - DELIGHT - : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The Earl, however, seemed to be in no hurry to repeat his call. They saw nothing of him for some days, though their visitors were many. Lady Selfer came with one of her daughters, and Mr Cholegh, a very tall thin man with a painted face and a yellow waist coat. He was lavishly scented, which set the Tellaros instantly against him, and talked a great deal about the theater. There did not seem to be an actor alive with whom he was not on terms of intimacy. They discovered later that he had written some plays himself, and even produced them. His manners were particularly gentle and pleasing, and it was not very long before the Tellaros were quite won over to him. He was so kind one must forgive the paint and the scent. Lady Selfer had to be liked also, and Mrs Andromeda assured her charges that neither she nor her popular husband had an enemy in the world. Lady Jeremy, another is the all powerful patronesses of Almack's, came with Mrs Drummond Burrell, a lady of i

One of his mobile brows went up. "No, ma'am, not by Mr Cliff. May I ask - or is it an impertinence? - why you should have thought so?" "Mr Cliff has made it his business to describe me in so many quarters that it was a natural conclusion", said Elizabeth bitterly. "Indeed!" He looked down at her rather penetratingly. "I am such an inquisitive creature, Miss Tellaro. I hope you mean to tell me why you are looking so very angry", he said. She smiled. "I should not, I know. But I must warn you, sir, it is not the fashion to be seen talking to me". Both brows went up at that. "On the authority of Mr Cliff?" inquired the gentleman. "Yes, sir, at I understand. Mr Cliff has been good enough to christen me the Milk Maid, and to declare that no one of fashion could tolerate my - my person". She tried to speak lightly, but only succeeded in letting her indignation creep through. He drew up a chair. "Let me assure you, Miss Tell

On her mettle, Miss Tellaro guided the team down the street at a brisk trot, driving them well up to their bits. She had fine light hands, knew how to point her leaders, and soon showed the Earl that she was sufficiently expert enough in the use of the whip. She flicked the leader, and caught the thong again with a slight turn of her wrist that sent it soundlessly up the stick. She drove his lordship into Lake Park without the least mishap, and twice round it. Forgetting for the moment to be coldly formal, she said impulsively, "I was used to drive all my father's horses, but I never handled a team so light mouthed as these, sir". "I am thought to be something of a judge of horse flesh, Miss Tellaro", said the Earl. Strolling along the promenade with his arm in the Honorable Fredrick Bush's, Sir Howard Jones gave a gasp, and exclaimed, "Good God, Pascal, look! Curricle Clements!" "So it is", agreed Mr Pascal, continuing to ogle a party of young ladies. "But with a female driving his

"Oh, no!" she said, with strong revulsion. "You are mistaken. Such a notion is unthinkable". He made a movement as though he would have taken her hand, but controlled it, and said with an earnest look, "I am glad". "You have something against him?" she said quickly. "Nothing. If I was afraid - if I disliked the thought that there might be some partiality, you must forgive me. I could not help myself. But I have said too much. Speak to Lord Clements about Parte. Surely he cannot want him to be growing wild!" She was a good deal stirred by this speech, and by the look that went with it. She was not in the least displeased. She liked him too well, but she wished him to say no more. A declaration seemed to be imminent. She was thankful that he did not make it, she did not know her own heart. His advice was too sensible to be lightly ignored. She thought about it, realized the justice of what he had said, and went to call on Clements

The day after he had politely refused his consent to the third aspirant, Miss Tellaro recieved a letter by the Twopenny post. It was quite short. "The Earl of Clements presents his compliments to Miss Tellaro and begs to inform her that he would be obliged if she would assure any gentleman aspiring to her hand that there is no possibility of his lordship consenting to her marriage within the period of his guardianship". Justly incensed, Miss Tellaro sat herself down at her elegant little tambour-top writing table and dashed off an impetuous note, requesting the favor of a visit from his lordship in the immediate future. This she had sent off by hand. A reply in Mr Kingsley's neat fist informed her that his lordship being upon the point of setting out to spend the weekend at Garbatela he was commissioned to tell her that his lordship would do himself the honor of calling in Spear Street some time during the following week. Miss Tellaro tore this civil