Part 14 (1/2)
ARTHUR WALTER: ”Oh, it's a long story! Perhaps relations quarrel because they are too much alike”
MARGOT: ”You are not in the least like the Tennants!”
ARTHUR WALTER: ”What makes you say that? Do you know them?”
MARGOT: ”Yes, I do”
ARTHUR WALTER: ”In that case perhaps you could take me to see the picture”
MARGOT: ”Oh, certainly!And I know Mr Gladstone too!”
ARTHUR WALTER: ”What a fortunate young lady! Perhaps you could ht If you will let me drive you away from lunch in my phaeton, I will show you the Gladstone picture”
ARTHUR WALTER: ”Are you serious? Do you know the confidently): ”Yes, yes, don't you fret!”
After lunch I drove him to 40 Grosvenor Square and, when I let uessed who I was, but any interest he ht have felt in this discovery amped by what followed
I opened the library door Mr Gladstone was sitting talking to my parents under his own portrait After the introduction he conversed with interest and courtesy to my new relation about the Tireat editor, Delane
What I really enjoyed ht a beautiful hack for ht bay with black points and so well-balanced that if I had ridden it with my face to its tail I should hardly have known the difference I called it Tatts; it was bold as a lion, vain as a peacock and extremely moody One day, when I wasat the door of 40 Grosvenor Square that I thought I would ride Tatts into the front hall and give hi up one step froh the double doors held open by the footman Unluckily, after a somewhat cautious approach by Tatts up the last step into the ht his reflection in a s, crashi+ng ave way on the polished floor and doent with a noise like thunder, the pony on the top of me, the chandelier on the top of him and my father and the footman helpless spectators
I was up and on Tatts' head in a lish chest into a jelly This misadventure upsetfor several days
My second scrape was ed”raphy and wants a little advice from a very old hand, I will say to her, when a man threatens to commit suicide after you have refused him, you oose; if you felt any doubts about your decision before, you need have none after this and under no circuive way To oing to influence the kind of felloho has ”never had a chance, poor devil,” you are profoundlycharacters in life, not the weak; and it is the height of vanity to suppose that you can make an honest oose, but a humorist; I do not think he h spirits I was very serious, and he was certainly more in love with me than any one had ever been before He was a fine rider and gave me a mount with the Beaufort hounds
When I told ement, she sank upon a settee, put a handkerchief to her eyes, and said:
”You led very hard to show her hoorldly she was Who wantedin fact anted, except my will!
I was much surprised, a few days later, to hear fro in the Row, that he had called every day of the week but been told by the footman that I was out The under-butler, as devoted to me, said sadly, when I coentleman has been forbidden the house”
Forbidden the house! I rushed to my sister Charty and found her even more upset than e and the obstinacy hich she had pursued it had gone far towards spoiling her early life; but ”the squire,”
as Grahah a character-part, was amanners He had beaten all the boys at Harroon a hundred steeplechases and loved books; whereasbut horses and, she added, would be no companion to me when I was ill or old
I flounced about the roorotesque and made me ridiculous in the eyes of the servants
I ended a passionate protest by telling her gravely that if I changed my mind he would undoubtedly commit suicide This awful neas received with an hilarity which nettled ht you had too much sense of humour and Mr G too much common sense for either of you to believe this He must think you very vain ”