E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Mary Keeble, Anuradha Valsa Raj, and
Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders
Author of
"Three Weeks,"
"The Visits of Elizabeth,"
"The Reflections of Ambrosine,"
"The Vicissitudes of Evangeline,"
"Beyond the Rocks,"
"The damsel and the Sage"
1909
[Illustration "the Marchioness of Valmond" (Elizabeth)]
Heaviland Manor
Tonnerre
Cannes
Lusitania
Plaza Hotel, New York
Speistville
Plaza Hotel, New York
Latour Court, Long Island
Plaza Hotel, New York
Ringwood, Philadelphia
Plaza Hotel, New York
Niagara
Chicago
Going West
San Francisco
On the Private Car
Osages City
Camp of Moonbeams
On the Private Car Again
Osages City Again
Elizabeth Visits America
After a few years of really perfect domestic bliss Elizabeth and her"Harry" had a rather serious quarrel, which ended in Lord Valmond's goingoff to shoot big game in the wilds of Africa, leaving Elizabeth, who (inthe absence of her mother and her favourite cousin, Octavia, abroad) hadtaken refuge with her great aunt Maria at Heaviland Manor, in an obstinateand disconsolate frame of mind.
Lord Valmond was two days out on his voyage when Elizabeth wrote to herparent:
Heaviland Manor
Dearest Mamma,—I hope you are taking every possible care of Hurstbridgeand Ermyntrude and seeing that the sweet angels do not eat pounds ofchocolate between meals. If I had known how Harry was going to behave to meover such a simple thing as the Vicomte's letter, I could never have letyou take the children with you to Arcachon for these next months—I amfeeling so lonely.
I came to great aunt Maria's because on Saturday night when Harry refusedto say he was sorry, it seemed the only dignified thing to do. I neverthought of course that he would rush off to Africa like this, and althoughI feel I was perfectly right and should act in the very same wayagain—still—well, there is no use talking about it, dearest Mamma—andplease don't write me a sermon on wifely duty and submission—because itwill only make me worse.
I don't know what I shall do next or where I shall go—I mean to take thefirst chance of having some fun I can get. If he could go off in ahuff—but I won't speak of him even—I am going to forget I am married andhave a good time like everyone else does. Naturally, I haven't told a soulbut you about it all—our quarrel I mean—and Aunt Maria thinks I am a poorill-used darling to have a husband who wants to shoot lions, but Uncle Johnsaid it is quite natural, and Aunt Maria heard that and said, "Tut tut," atonce.
There is a tremendous excitement here! Can you imagine it, Mamma? They haveactually got an automobile! It came this morning, and if it had been aflying machine it could not have been considered more wonderful. It isUncle John's fiftieth wedding present to Aunt Maria!—and they are goingin it on the same tour they took on their wedding journey! Aunt Maria, asyou know, has never been abroad since. We all went into the stable yard tosee it. The face of the coachman! (You remember him?—always the same one.)It was a mixture of cont