human
Her _title_, my dear Simon, is the Marchioness St. Julian.
gpt
Is that an English peerage, Grand?
human
Hum! What! Oh yes, of course! What else should it be, you owl!
gpt
She is splendid, really! And I'm a very _difficile_ fellow, you know; but such hair, such eyes, one doesn't see every day in those sun-dried Mitchells or those little pink Bovilliers. Well, yesterday, after that confounded luncheon (how I hate all those complimentary affairs!--one can't enjoy the truffles for talking to the ladies, nor enjoy the ladies for discussing the truffles), I went for a ride with Conran out to Villa Neponte. I left him there, and went down to see the overland steamers come in. While I was waiting, I got into talk, somehow or other, with a very agreeable, gentleman-like fellow, who asked me if I'd only just come to Malta, and all that sort of thing--you know the introductory style of action--till we got quite good friends, and he told me he was living outside this wretched little hole at the Casa di Fiori, and said--wasn't it civil of him?--said he should be very happy to see me if I'd call any time. He gave me his card--Lord Adolphus Fitzhervey--and a man with him called him 'Dolph.' As good luck had it, my weed went out just while we were talking, and Fitzhervey was monstrously pleasant, searched all over him for a fusee, couldn't find one, and asked me to go up with him to the Casa di Fiori and get a light. Of course I did, and he and I and Guatamara had some sherbet and a smoke together, and then he introduced me to the Marchioness St. Julian, his sister--by Jove! such a magnificent woman, Simon, _you_ never saw one like her, I'll wager. She was uncommonly agreeable, too, and _such_ a smile, my boy! She seemed to like me wonderfully--not rare that, though, you'll say--and asked me to go and take coffee there to-night after mess, and bring one of my chums with me; and as I like to show you life, young one, and your taste wants improving after Aunt Minerva, you may come, if you like. Hallo! there's Conran. I say, don't tell _him_. I don't want any poaching on my manor.
human
Dare Devils; but though, perhaps, tired of the wild escapades which reputation had once attributed to him, was always the most lenient to the boy's monkey tricks, and always the one to whom he went if his larks had cost him too dear, or if he was in a scrape from which he saw no exit. Conran had recently come in for a good deal of money, and there were few bright eyes in Malta that would not have smiled kindly on him; but he did not care much for any of them. There was some talk of a love-affair before he went to India, that was the cause of his hard-heartedness, though I must say he did not look much like a victim to the _grande passion_, in my ideas, which were drawn from valentines and odes in the
gpt
Woman, thou fond and fair deceiver