Charity Girl Read Online Free PDF Page B

Viscount responded gravely: 'No, it's called the Mathe matical Tie. Would you like me to teach you how to achieve it?'
       'Oh, by Jupiter, wouldn't I just?' exclaimed Christian, the ready colour flooding his cheeks in gratification.
       'Well, I will, then,' promised Desford. 'But not just at this moment, if those ducks are not to be over-roasted!'
       'Oh, no, no! Whenever it is perfectly convenient to you!' Christian stammered.
       He then went off to his own bedchamber, more than ever convinced that Des was a bang-up fellow, not by half as toplofty as his own brothers; and filled with an agreeable vision of stunning these censorious seniors by appearing before them in a neckcloth which they must instantly recognize as being slap up to the mark.
       When the Viscount went back to the drawing-room, he found that the party was rather larger than his aunt had led him to expect, for besides the persons she had mentioned, it included Miss Montsale; both the married daughters of the house, with their spouses; a rather nebulous female of uncertain age, in whom he vaguely recognized one of Lady Emborough's indigent cousins; and the Honourable Rachel Emborough, who was the eldest of the family, and seemed to be destined to fill the rôles of universal confidant, companion of her parents, wise and reliable sister of her brothers and sisters, and beloved aunt of their off-spring. She had no pretensions to beauty, but her unaffected manners, her cheerfulness, and the kindness that sprang from a warm heart made her a general favourite. And finally, because Lady Emborough had discovered almost at the last moment that her numbers were uneven, the Honourable Clara Emborough had also been included. This damsel, who had not yet attained her seventeenth birthday, was not considered to have emerged from the schoolroom but, as her mama told the Viscount: 'It don't do girls any harm to attend a few parties before one brings 'em out in the regular way. Teaches 'em how to go on in Society, and accustoms 'em to talking to strangers! Of course I wouldn't let her appear at formal parties until I've presented her! And I can depend on Rachel to keep an eye on her!'
       The Viscount, who had been watching Rachel check, in the gentlest way, Miss Clara's mounting exuberance, intervene to give her brothers' thoughts a fresh direction when an argument which sprang up between them threatened to become acri monious, and attend unobtrusively to the comfort of the guests, said impulsively: 'What a good girl Rachel is, ma'am!'
       'Yes, she's as good as wheat,' agreed Lady Emborough, in a somewhat gloomy voice. 'But she ain't a girl, Desford: she's older than you are! And no one has ever offered for her! Heaven knows I shouldn't know what to do without her, but I can't be glad t o see her dwindling into an old maid! It ain't that the men don't like her: they do, but they don't fall in love with her. She's like Hetta Silverdale – except that Hetta's a very well-looking girl, and my poor Rachel – well, there can be no denying that she's something of a Homely Joan! But each of them would make any man an excellent wife – a much better wife than my Theresa there, who is so full of whims and crotchets that I never expected her to go off at all, far less to attach such a good bargain as John Thimbleby!'
       Aware that Mr Thimbleby was seated well within earshot, the Viscount shot an involuntary glance at him. He was relieved to see a most appreciative twinkle in this gentleman's eye, and to receive from him something suspiciously like a wink. He was thus able to reply to his aunt with perfect equanimity: 'Very true, ma'am! But there is no accounting for tastes, you know! However, you're out when you say that Hetta has no suitors! I could name you at least four very eligible partis whom she might have had for the lifting of a finger. Indeed, when I saw her this morning I found her entertaining two more of them! Perhaps neither she nor my