The cover image was restored by the transcriber and isplaced in the public domain.
THE
EXCLUSIVES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
Printed by J. L. Cox, Great Queen Street,
Lincoln's-Inn Fields.
THE EXCLUSIVES.
CHAPTER I.
THE CLOSING SCENE AT RESTORMEL.
On the evening previous to Lord Albert'sdeparture, while Mr. Foley and Lady HamletVernon were intently engaged in playing atchess, Lord Albert announced to Lady Ellersbyhis intention of leaving Restormel, andpaid her the usual compliment of thanks forthe honour she had done him in inviting himthere.
"You have lost your queen," cried Mr.Foley, addressing Lady Hamlet Vernon,"now in two moves I will give you checkmate,lady fair. But see—what is the matter?—she[2]is ill—she faints—lend assistancefor heaven's sake!" Lord Albert flew towardsthe spot, and caught Lady Hamlet asshe was falling to the ground. The usualremedies were applied; and when sufficientlyrecovered, the sufferer was carried to herroom, apparently still unable to speak.
"I hate all scene-makers," said LadyBoileau; "if there is a thing I cannot bear, itis the getting up of a sentimental catastrophe.—Don'tyou, Mr. Leslie Winyard?—Don't youthink it is the acmé of bad taste?"
"Oh! most undoubtedly; nothing arguesa decided roturièrism more than allowingyour feelings, if real, to get the better of youin public; and if feigned, nothing is so easilyseen through as counterfeiting them, therefore,either way, it is at best a mistake."
"One don't look well when one faints—thatis to say, really faints," observed LadyEllersby; "it is surely best to avoid doing so."
"One may always command one's-self,"observed Lady Baskerville.
"Oh!" said Lady Tilney, who now and[3]then really thought and felt right, "it is veryeasy to distinguish between a feint and afaint; and I believe every body would ridiculethe first, and nobody would like to dothe latter; because, as Lady Ellersby observes,no real fainting, or crying, or any of the convulsionsproduced by the feelings, are theleast graceful, except in the beau ideal of aMagdalen, or on a painter's easel; and secondly,because nothing is less likely to produceinterest than these kind of physicalcauses; for, as some great author says, 'allphysical sufferings are soon forgotten evenby the sufferer, when they are past, and byour f