«Miss Cayley's Adventures»

'Indeed, miladi, your admirable husband was one of the very first to
exert his influence in my favour at Vienna. Do I recall him, ce cher Sir Evelyn?
If I recall him! What a fortunate rencounter! I must have seen you some years
ago at Vienna, miladi, though I had not then the great pleasure of making your
acquaintance. But your face had impressed itself on my sub-conscious self!' (I
did not learn till later that the esoteric doctrine sub-conscious self was Lady
Georgina's favourite hobby.) The moment chance led me to this carriage this
morning, I said to myself, "That face, those features: so vivid, so striking: I
have seen them somewhere With what do I connect them in the recesses of my
memory? A high-born family; genius; rank; the diplomatic service; some
unnameable charm; some faint touch of eccentricity. Ha! I have it. Vienna, a
carriage with footmen in red livery, a noble presence, a crowd of wits--poets,
artists, politicians--pressing eagerly round the landau." That was my mental
picture as I sat and confronted you: I understand it all now; this is Lady
Georgina Fawley!' I thought the Cantankerous Old Lady, who was a shrewd person
in her way, must surely see through this obvious patter; but I had under-estimated
the average human capacity for swallowing flattery. Instead of dismissing his
fulsome nonsense with a contemptuous smile, Lady Georgina perked herself up with
a conscious air of coquetry, and asked for more. 'Yes, they were delightful days
in Vienna,' she said simpering; 'I was young then, Count; I enjoyed life with a
zest.' 'Persons of miladi's temperament are always young,' the Count retorted,
glibly, leaning forward and gazing at her. 'Growing old is a foolish habit of
the stupid and the vacant. Men and women of esprit are never older. One learns
as one goes on in life to admire, not the obvious beauty of mere youth and
health'--he glanced across at me disdainfully--'but the profounder beauty of
deep character in a face--that calm and serene beauty which is imprinted on the
brow by experience of the emotions.' 'I have had my moments,' Lady Georgina
murmured, with her head on one side. 'I believe it, miladi,' the Count answered,
and ogled her. Thenceforward to Dover, they talked together with ceaseless
animation. The Cantankerous Old Lady was capital company. She had a tang in her
tongue, and in the course of ninety minutes she had flayed alive the greater
part of London society, with keen wit and sprightliness. I laughed against my
will at her ill-tempered sallies; they were too funny not to amuse, in spite of
their vitriol. As for the Count, he was charmed. He talked well himself, too,
and between them I almost forgot the time till we arrived at Dover. It was a
very rough passage. The Count helped us to carry our nineteen hand-packages and
four rugs on board; ut I noticed that, fascinated as she was with him, Lady
Georgina resisted his ingenious efforts to gain possession of her precious jewel-case
as she descended the gangway.