Page 236 - lady-chatterlys-lover

’Of course!—. MAY I ask your Ladyship how Sir Clifford
is!—I believe she ranks you even higher than Nurse Cavell!’
’And I suppose you said I was blooming.’
’Yes! And she looked as rapt as if I had said the heavens
had opened to you. I said if she ever came to Tevershall she
was to come to see you.’
’Me! Whatever for! See me!’
’Why yes, Clifford. You can’t be so adored without mak-
ing some slight return. Saint George of Cappadocia was
nothing to you, in her eyes.’
’And do you think she’ll come?’
’Oh, she blushed! and looked quite beautiful for a mo-
ment, poor thing! Why don’t men marry the women who
would really adore them?’
’The women start adoring too late. But did she say she’d
come?’
’Oh!’ Connie imitated the breathless Miss Bentley, ‘your
Ladyship, if ever I should dare to presume!’
’Dare to presume! how absurd! But I hope to God she
won’t turn up. And how was her tea?’
’Oh, Lipton’s and VERY strong. But Clifford, do you real-
ize you are the ROMAN DE LA ROSE of Miss Bentley and
lots like her?’
’I’m not flattered, even then.’
’They treasure up every one of your pictures in the il-
lustrated papers, and probably pray for you every night. It’s
rather wonderful.’
She went upstairs to change.
That evening he said to her: