The Vices of the Virtuous; A Sketch of a Jealous Temperament (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III MAMMY MAKES PLANS My babyish escapade and show of temper had certainly been somewhat of a revelation to Jack, and had as certainly served to sink me in his estimation. 1 had lost caste, and felt it. He became much more careful not to give offence, and talked down to my level, asking me?much as one would a child?what I had been doing all day, and whether I had had a pleasant time. We jogged somewhat drearily through the next month or so. I had returned the visits which were paid to me, and had not got much further in my acquaintance with any one. We hunted once a week, and that was exciting; but, take it all round, life was dull?very dull indeed. Jack suggested getting some people to come tostay in the house, but I had always promised my mother that she should be our first visitor, and, week after week, she wrote that we might expect her in a day or two. I believe both of us were heartily glad when a letter arrived, one morning, to say that she was, " positively, leaving Scotland," and that?if convenient? she would come to us for a good long spell; remaining over Christmas and the New Year. I know I was delighted. My mother is Scotch, and she has an immense and absorbing enthusiasm for the game of golf?which she has played since her babyhood. At the time of my marriage, she was still a strong and handsome woman; and?in spite of the fact that she was neither so young nor so slight as she used to be?she continued to play her favourite game in beautiful style. People had tried to persuade Mammy to remain in London throughout that season, wear some of the lamented clothes, and, just for once in a way, occupy her little house in South Street.But Mammy considered such a proposal to be altogether absurd. " / stay here ! " she had exclaimed, in her best dramatic sty...