"Allen, Grant - Miss Cayley's Adventures 01 - The Adventure of the Cantankerous Old Lady" - читать интересную книгу автора (Allen Grant)

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.