AUDREY CRAVEN
BY
MAY SINCLAIR
AUTHOR OF "THE DIVINE FIRE," ETC.
"Made subject to vanity"
NEW YORK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
1906
AUTHOR'S EDITION
TO
MY MOTHER
AUDREY CRAVEN
CHAPTER I
Everybody knew that Miss Audrey Craven was the original of "Laura," theheroine of Langley Wyndham's masterpiece. She first attracted theattention of that student of human nature at Oxford, at a dinner givenby her guardian, the Dean of St. Benedict's, ostensibly in honour of thenew Master of Lazarus, in reality for his ward's entertainment andinstruction in the bewildering art of life.
It was thunder-weather. Out of doors, a hot and sleepy air hung over thecity; indoors, the forecast was no less heavy and depressing. Not so,however, to Miss Audrey Craven. The party was large and mixed; and tothe fresh, untutored mind of a tyro, this in itself was promising. TheDean pursued the ruinous policy of being all things to all men; andto-night, together with nonentities and Oxonians of European renown,there was a sprinkling of celebrities from the outside world. Amongthese were Mr. Langley Wyndham, the eminent novelist, and[Pg 2] his friendMr. Percival Knowles, the critic who had helped him to his eminence.Having collected these discordant elements around him, the Dean withdrewfrom the unequal contest, and hovered, smiling ineffectually, on theoutskirts of his little chaos. Perhaps he tried to find comfort in aconscience satisfied for a party spoiled. But for Audrey this wildconfusion was rich in possibility. However baffling to those officiallyresponsible, it offered a wider field for individual enterprise; and ifshe did not possess that fine flow of animal spirits which sometimessupports lesser minds under such circumstances, she had other qualitieswhich stood her in good stead. Conspicuous amongst these was anindomitable moral courage. She prepared to hurl herself into the breach.
Wyndham was standing a little apart from the herd, leaning against thewall, as if overcome by an atmosphere too oppressive for endurance, whenhe saw his friend approaching him. Knowles was looking about him witheyes alert, and that furtive but uncontrollable smile which made ladiessay, "Yes; but Mr. Knowles is so dreadfully cynical, you know."
"By the way, Wyndham—I don't want to startle you, but there is a ladyhere who particularly wants me to introduce you to her."
Wyndham turned on him a look terrible in its dignified reproach.
"Anything but that, my dear fellow. No more introductions to-night,please. I've just suffered[Pg 3] torture from an unspeakable youth fromAberdeen, who expected me to rejoice with him because Oxford is at lastrecognising the 'exeestence of a metapheesical principle in the wur-r-ldand mon——'"
"I admit that the party is dull, from a mere worldling's point of view.But it's a glorious field for the student of human nature. And here's anopportunity for exceptional research—something quite off the beatentrack. The admirer of you and all your works is the lovely Miss Craven,and I assure you she's creating a sensation at the other end of theroom."
"Which is she?"
"There, the girl with the copper-coloured hair, talking to Broadbent."
"Ah, that one. No, thanks