Transcriber's Note.
A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.
The Romantic Lady
MICHAEL ARLEN
By MICHAEL ARLEN
- These Charming People
- The Green Hat
- "Piracy"
- The London Venture
- The Romantic Lady
The
Romantic Lady
by
Michael Arlen
NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
Copyright, 1921,
By George H. Doran Company
THE ROMANTIC LADY
— B —
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
To
WALTER PAYNE, Esq.
"A VERY ABLE MAN"
I: THE ROMANTIC LADY
THEROMANTIC LADY
I: THE ROMANTIC LADY
NOËL ANSON and I had been greatfriends in our first youthful days, butour lives and ambitions had led us so contrarilythat we had not seen each other formore than six years when, on the night twoweeks ago, we happened to meet at the Club.We had both, of course, so much to say that,as often happens, we babbled on quite inartistically,spoiling many a good story inthe gay, breathless exchange of reminiscenceand experience; from all of which, however,clearly loomed out these great cardinal factsof our lives, that we had both married; mywife, who was a perfect woman, I explained,I had had to leave behind in New Zealand totake care of her old father; while his wife,who was also a perfect woman, he chivalrouslyinsisted, had thought fit to divorcepoor Noël some six months before.
12But there was one story, anyway, whichNoël Anson did not hurriedly spoil. Hekept it long inside him—until that hourafter ten when our corner of the smoking-roomwas entirely our own, and until hesafely knew that I had talked enough to beable now to remain comfortably silent and