Page:O Genteel Lady! (1926).pdf/40

 thing symbolical...symbolical of what? Mamma was in Italy with this symbolical young man. Venice and the Grand Canal; Naples and Pompeii; Florence and the Arno; Rome and the Colosseum—and Roger Cuncliffe.

Mrs. Andrews rat-tatted on her door. The gentleman who had left the box had returned. Perhaps it was Papa!

Had the gentleman fine brown whiskers? Did he wear a green cape?

The gentleman had a very small flaxen Dundreary. The gentleman wore a plaid ulster and a small Highland shawl beneath.

Not Papa, who was prouder of the almost feminine beauty of his beard than of his great classical learning. Not Papa, but Augustus. 'Oh, God,' she prayed, 'guide me. Give me strength to send him away and forgive my disliking him.'

Strangely enough she stopped, before descending to see this hated young man, to lay off the ugly brown merino that she had much affected since life had grown so serious, and hooked herself into her black glacé silk. She adjusted her point d'esprit collars and cuffs. This slightly tragic dress she knew always had had a disturbing effect upon Mr. Augustus Trainer. Although she intended to 'part with him forever,' she was almost as anxious to appear handsome in his eyes as she had been two years earlier when she thought him a great mind. Then the girl ('vixen' Mr. Trainer would have called her if he had known all) hung black onyx and pearl ear-ringsearrings [sic]