บททั้งหมดของ DELICIA - DELIGHT - : บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

"Harm! Do you think - is it possible that I may have been right?" she asked in quick alarm. "Extremely unlikely", he replied. "But since this indisposition of his has overtaken him under my roof I prefer not to be suspected of trying to make away with him". "I shall not speak of it", she said in a troubled way. "I should not spread such a rumor without positive proof of its truth". He bowed, and moved away from her towards the door. Before he had reached it he looked back, and said casually, "by the by, Miss Tellaro, can you lay your hand on the lease of your house? I believe I gave it into your charge". "It is in my desk at home", she said. "Do you wish for it?" "Kingsley writes of some point to be argued. It will be necessary for me to glance at the lease. If a servant were sent to Rome, could your house Keeper, or some such person, find it, and give it to him to bring to me?" "Certainly", she said. "Hinson, Parte's

"A gig! By no means! I have driven this team before, and know them to be beautifully mouthed. I will engage to drive you without mishap. We will take no groom". "So be it!" said the captain recklessly. "I have one sound arm, after all". It was not needed, however. Miss Tellaro's skill soon showed itself, and the Captain, who, never having driven with her before, had been at first holding himself in readiness to seize the reins, presently relaxed, and paid Miss Tellaro the compliment of saying that she was as good a whip as Letty Kade. He directed the way, and since he gave the road to Longanton a wide berth, it was a piece of the most perverse ill-luck that upon the way back to Clement they should come plump upon the Earl. His lordship had stopped by the roadside to exchange a few words with one of his tenant farmers, and was bestriding a raking bay mare. Elizabeth was the first to catch sight of him, at the distance of a hundred yards, or more, and she ga

He soon took himself off to join Mr Fritzwa, and Mr Tellaro, turning to Elizabeth, who sat quietly sewing by the fire, said, "is he in health? He looks a trifle sickly, I think. Or do I imagine it?" "He had not been in good health", Elizabeth replied. "He had a troublesome cough - a chill caught on our journey to Clement, but I believe him to be quite on the recovery now". "You do right to take him out of Rome. Another run of bad luck, and he will be quite in the basket, as they say". She laughed. "I cannot stop him from gaming, cousin. I can only trust in Lord Clement. He is keeping Parte on an allowance, and I believe has an eye on him". "An eye to him! If you had said an eye to his fortune I could more readily believe you! I have it on the authority of one who was present that Lord Clement rose from the Macao table at Watier's a couple of months ago with vowels of Parte's in his pocket to the tune of four thousand pounds!"She look

"It is extremely vulgar", said the Earl crushingly. "Well", said Elizabeth, preparing to drive on, "I am very glad I am not your daughter, Lord Clements, for you are a great deal too strict in your notions, I think". "My daughter!" exclaimed the Earl, looking thunderstruck. "Yes, are you surprised? You must know I should not like to have you for my father at all". "I am relieved to hear you say so, Miss Tellaro", said the Earl grimly. Miss Tellaro bit back a smile at having put him out of countenance, bowed, and drove on. * * *It was some time before Patrick could recover from his disappointment, but by the middle of April his thoughts took a turn to another direction, and he began to urge Elizabeth to approach Clements on the subject of their spending two or three months at Romanina. She was very willing, Rome, from the circumstance of the Regent about to celebrate his birthday, on June 13th, at Romania, wa

"It will not do!" she said. "It is one thing to drive an elegant phaeton in the Park, and in the country you may do as you please without occasioning remark. But to drive in a curricle down the most crowded turnpike-road in the country, to be quizzed by every vulgar Corinthian who sees you, is not to be thought of. It would look so particular! Upon no account in the world must you do it? That sort of thing can be allowable only in such women as Lady Clinton, and I am sure no one could wonder at whatever she took it into her head to do"."Do not make yourself uneasy, ma'am", said Elizabeth, putting up her chin. "I have no apprehension of being thought to rival Lady Clinton. You can entertain no scruple in seeing me drive away with my own brother"."Pray do not think of it, my love! Every feeling must be offended! But you only wish to tease me, I know. I am persuaded you have too much delicacy of principle to engage in such an adventure. I shudder to think what Clements woul