These charming people

These Charming People ———— MICHAEL ARLEN


BEING A TAPESTRY OF THE FORTUNES, FOLLIES, ADVENTURES, GALLANTRIES AND GENERAL ACTIVITIES OF SHELMERDENE (THAT LOVELY LADY), LORD TARLYON, MR. MICHAEL WAGSTAFFE, MR. RALPH WYNDHAM TREVOR AND SOME OTHERS OF THEIR FRIENDS OF THE LIGHTER SORT: WRITTEN DOWN BY MR. RALPH WYNDHAM TREVOR AND ARRANGED BY Michael Arlen
NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY Copyright, 1924, By George H. Doran Company THESE CHARMING PEOPLE —B— PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA



THESE CHARMING PEOPLE
THERE was, and (by the grace of God) there still is, a lovely woman whom it once pleased a young man to call Shelmerdene, because, he said, though it is not her real name, it becomes her better than any real name could. And about Shelmerdene books have been written and for her men have died, which just shows you the sort of woman she was. Now it happened one day that Shelmerdene returned to England after a long absence abroad in Persia, but I can tell you nothing about that because I know nothing of Persia, except that it is rather inadequately governed by a Shah who is a pretty fat young man and wears a diamond in his hat.
Among other entertainments that we, her friends, contrived for Shelmerdene, as a welcome and a token of our enduring affection, a great house-party was arranged by Aubrey Carlyle; whereby, on a week-end in May, a great company of agreeable people was gathered together at Malmanor Park, a vast Elizabethan sort of place in ancient red that lies on a velvet plain between a brooding hill and the peculiar wood of Carmion; for it is said of Carmion Wood that only foreigners may hear the singing of the birds therein, whereas for Englishmen there is nothing but the sighing of the boughs and the rustling of the leaves. What truth there is in that legend I do not know, but I don’t suppose there is much.