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

*

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

*

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

*

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

*

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