The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-02-15
CHAPTER VII
The Prude

CHAPTER VII
The Pr-ude
On the evening of the day that had
seen the meeting between Holes and
/ Tucker, at about the same hour that
/ Sir John Lawrence was vaInly repre-
senting at Whitehall the expediency
Of closing the theaters and other
places of congregation in view of the
outbreak Of plague within the city
itself, His Grace Of Buckingham was
sitting down to supper with a merry
company in the great dining room Of
WalHngford House.
Eleven sat down to a table that was
laid for twelve. The chair on the
Dukes right stood empty. The guest
Of honor, Miss Farquharson, had not
yet arrived. At the last moment she
had sent a message that she was I'M
avoidably detained for some little time
at home, and that, if on this account
It should happen that she must deny
herself the honor of sitting down to
supper at his grace's table, at least
she would reach TVallingford House
IN time for the reading with which his
grace was TO delight the company.
1t was in part fiction. There was
nothing TO detain Miss Farquharson
beyond a revival Of her uneasy intui-
tons, which warned her against the
increase of intimacy that would at
tend her inclusion in the Dukes
supper party. The play, however, was
another affair. Therefore she would
so time her arrival that she would
find supper at an end and the reading
about to begin.
His grace found her message vexa-
tious, and he would have postponed
supper until her arrival but that his
guests did not permit him to have his
own way in the matter. AS the truth
was that there was no first act in
existence, for the Duke had not yet
written a line of it and probably never
would and that supper was to provide
the whole entertainment, it follows
that this would be protracted, and
that however late she came she was
likely still to find the party at table.
They We're a very merry company,
and as time passed they grew mer-
rier. There was Etheredge, Of course,
the real promoter Of the whole affair,
and this elegant. talented hbertine
who was ultimately-and at a still
early age-tO kill himself with drink
ing, was doing the fullest justice to
tho reputation which the winecup had
already earned him. There was Sed-
ley, that other gifted profligate, whose
slim. graceful person gave little in
dicatioH of the roistering soul with
in. Young Rochester should have
been of the party, but he was at
that moment IN the Tower, whittier
he had been sent as a consequence
Of his utterly foolish and unnecessary
attempt to abduct Miss Mallett two
nights ago. But Sir Harry Stanhope
filed his vacant place-or, at least,
/ half-flled It, for whilst Rochester was
both wit and lbertine, young Stan
/ hope was a ibertine only. And, Of
/ course. there was Sir Thomas Ogle.
| that boon companion of Sedley's, and
/ two other gentlemen whose names
/ have not survived. The ladies We're Of
/ less distinguished lineage There was
! the ravishingly fair little Anne Sey-
mOUr from the Dukes house, her
/ white shoulders displayed in q decol-
| ietage that outraged even the daring
| fashion of the day. There was Moll
Davis from the Kings house seated on
the Dukes left, with Etheredge imme-
| diately below her and entirely engross-
| ing her, and there was that dark,
$50.
den, languidly spreading her nets for
Sir Charles Sedley, who showed him
self willing and eager to be taken in
them. A fourth lady on Ogle's left
was making desperate but futile at
tempts to draw Sir Thomas attention
from Miss Seymour.
Supper was done, and still they
kept the table, over their wine, wait
| ing for that belated guest whose seat
continued vacant.
Above that empty place sat the
! Duke-a dazzling figure in a suit Of
shimmering white satin with diamond
buttons that looked like drops of
water
Alone Of all that company he did
not abuse the wine. Again and again
/ ne waved away JDe VeIVet-1OOteQ
lackeys that approached to pour for
| him.
From the chilly heights of mis- own
unusual sObriety he found them gross
and tiresome; their laughter Jared on
him. He strained his ears to catch
some rumble of wheels in the court
yard.
Sedley in a maudlin voice began to
sing a very questionable song Of his
own writing, whilst Miss Howden
made a comedy Of pretending to ST.
lence him. He was still singing it,
when Stanhope sprang up and
mounted his chair, holding aloft a
dainty shoe of which he had stripped
Miss Seymour. and calling loudly for
wine Pretty little Anne would have
snatched back her footgear but that
she was restrained by Ogle, who not
only held her firmly, but had pulled
her into his lap, where she writhed
and screamed and giggled all in one.
Solemnly, as if 1t were the most
ordinary and natural of things,
| lackey poured wine into the shoe. as