The Limit   By: Ada Leverson (1862-1933)

Transcriber's Note:

The original spelling and punctuation were retained, except for a few issues that were believed to be typographical mistakes. The full list of corrections can be found at the end of this document.

THE LIMIT

=THE LIMIT=

BY

ADA LEVERSON

LONDON CHAPMAN & HALL

Originally published 1911 by Grant Richards Ltd. Reissued 1950 by arrangement with the Richards Press Ltd.

Printed by Brüder Rosenbaum, Vienna, Austria Cat. No. 5085/4

TO ROBERT ROSS

CONTENTS

Chapter Page

I VALENTIA 11

II HARRY 24

III VAN BUREN 32

IV THE ELDER MRS. WYBURN 37

V ROMER 43

VI HARRY'S ENTERTAINMENT 47

VII DAPHNE 62

VIII IN FANCY DRESS 70

IX A CELEBRITY AT HOME 79

X MISCHIEF 87

XI THE FRIENDS 105

XII A HOME CHAT 115

XIII VALENTIA'S VISIT 123

XIV A SUGGESTION 131

XV MISS WALMER 137

XVI MRS. FOSTER 144

XVII ENGAGED 156

XVIII AT THE CARLTON 163

XIX AT MISS WESTBURY'S 170

XX A PROPOSAL 177

XXI HEREFORD VAUGHAN 183

XXII GILLIE INTERFERES 189

XXIII THE BALD FACED STAG 196

XXIV THE GREEN GATE 203

XXV A SUNDAY AFTERNOON 211

XXVI IN THE ROSE GARDEN 223

XXVII SEEING THE SUN RISE 230

XXVIII "REPLY PAID" 235

XXIX GLADYS 241

XXX "THE ANGLES" 248

XXXI AT EDGWARE 256

XXXII TENSION 263

XXXIII GOOD BYE 268

XXXIV ROMER OVERHEARS 274

XXXV THE LIMIT 286

XXXVI RECONCILIATION 291

CHAPTER I

VALENTIA

"Romer, are you listening?"

"Valentia, do I ever do anything else?"

"I've almost decided and absolutely made up my mind that it will look ever so much better if you don't go with me to Harry's dinner after all."

"Really?"

"Yes. We two you and I always seem to make such an enormous family party! Of course, I know we have to go about in these huge batches sometimes to your mother, and that sort of thing, but in this case it will look better not."

Valentia made this rather ungracious suggestion, looking so pretty, so serious, and yet with such a conciliating smile that it would have been almost impossible for even the most touchy person to have been offended.

The tall, significant looking husband stopped in his stroll across the room.

It was a charming room, with pale grey walls and a pale green carpet, and very little in it except, let in as a panel, a delicate low toned portrait of the mistress of the house, vaguely appearing through vaporous curtains, holding pale flowers, and painted with a rather mysterious effect by that talented young amateur, her cousin, Harry de Freyne. It had been his sole success in art, and had been exhibited at the Grafton Galleries under the name of The Gilded Lily. No one had ever known or was ever likely to know whether the title referred to the decorative, if botanically impossible, blossom in her hand, or to the golden hair of the seductive sitter.

Romer Wyburn paused a moment he always paused before speaking and then said very slowly

"Oh! Really? You think it will look better if I don't go with you?"

He invariably spoke with the greatest deliberation, and with no expression whatever.

"Oh yes, dear, I'm sure it would," she repeated coaxingly.

"Do you mean if you go without me?"

"What else can I mean?"

"It'll look better, you think; eh? Is that the idea?"

He sat down opposite the portrait, lighted a cigarette, and thought. Then he said with ruminating interest