The Loves of the Lady Arabella
Arabella
The LOVES
OF the LADY
ARABELLA
by
MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL
Author of The Fortunes Of Fifi
Children Of Destiny, etc.
With Illustrations by
Clarence F. Underwood
Decorations by Franklin Booth
INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright 1898
Molly Elliot Seawell
Copyright 1906
The Bobbs-Merrill Company
October
PRESS OF
BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS
BROOKLYN, N. Y.
[Pg 1]
The Loves of the Lady Arabella
I
’Tis not in my nature to be cowed by anywoman whatever. Therefore, when I foundmyself in the presence of my Lady Hawkshaw,in her Chinese drawing-room, with her greatblack eyes glaring at me, and her huge blackplume of feathers nodding at me, as she sat,enveloped in a vast black velvet robe like apall, I said to myself, “After all, she is but awoman.” So I stared back at her with all thecoolness in the world—and I was a seeker afterfavor, too—and but fourteen years of age,and had only seven and sixpence in my pocket.The tall footman who stood behind Lady Hawkshaw’schair made a grimace at me; and I respondedby a fierce look, as if I were about torun him through the body.
“Jeames,” said her ladyship, “go and make[Pg 2]my compliments to Sir Peter Hawkshaw, andsay to him that his roistering kept me awakehalf the night, and consequently I feel very illthis morning; and that his great-nephew, MasterRichard Glyn from America, is come after amidshipman’s warrant in his Majesty’s navy,—andI desire Sir Peter to attend me in my bowdworimmediately.”
Her ladyship’s French was the queerest imaginable,—yetin her youth she had the Frenchtutor who had taught the daughters of theRegent of France.
There was a silence after the tall footmanleft, during which my lady and I eyed eachother closely. I remembered having heard thatshe had defied her father, Lord Bosanquet, andone of the greatest family connections in thekingdom, in order to marry Sir Peter, who wasthen a penniless lieutenant in his Majesty’snavy and the son of a drysalter in the c