National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-01-25

manner, and q certain amount of
talent for drawing, which always
made his illustrations in demand,
and on the proceeds of which he liv-
ed, for the last dollar of his patrimo-
ny had been expended by the time
his education was finished, and he
had established himself in his art.
This knowledge, that he was not
matrimonially eligible, and the 9th
er fact, that SO many women raved
about him, had, as said, made her
very distant towards him at first,
and she was utterly at a loss to
know what had brought about the
change, and established their more
than friendly relations. She knew
well enough that he meant to ask
her before they parted for some
pledge of cOnstancy, and she had
settled her own course in her mind.
She did not ask herself how much
she cared about him, or whether she
was ever likely to care as much for
any one else. She preferred to put
those points out of sight, and consid-
er only the manifest impossibility of
nothing plus nothing being equal to
the demands of fashionable life, and
she had never thought, in those
days, OF any other kind Of life as
possible. So she had a purpose this
afternoon. She meant to make him
see the matter as she did, and she
meant to make him see it before he
had subjected himself to the pain of
hearing, or her to the pain of futtering
any no."
She nodded gayly as she met him,
and said few merry words as they
went down the steps together but
he was in no lively mood, and her
gay sallies provoked no rejoinder.
She walked on, thinking how to be
gin what she had to say, feeling
conscious all the while that he was
looking down on her with gaze
full of something she dared not
meet. So she looked down also,
poking the leaves from her path
with her sun-umbrella, and feeling a
little less at ease than her wont was.
"I 1t is SO good of you," he said, at
last, " to give me one more walk,
busy as l know you are to-day,
among these dear old scenes. l be-
lieve every one of them is photo
graphed ON my heart and brain. l
think l shall never forget one tree,
or one of these old rocks, or just how
the tide comes up among those crags,
or sunset tlushcs sky and sea. There
is only one thing makes mans
memory SO clear-One thing which l
have learned this summer for the
first time"
Lu Haversham trcmbled little.
She felt mutinOus longing to hear
what he had to say-tO let him go
on. Something told her that her
while life would hold no sweeter
draught than he was offering her
lust now. She must have cared for
him more than she had known, else
these low words, this tender, plead
ing tone, would not be SO dangerous
ly sweet. But she had mapped out
her course beforehand, and she
would not be lured away from it by
any false lights.
"Don't be sentimental she said,
ait is not at all becoming" and this
time there was something hollow in
the gayety of her tone. - Don't you
know sentiment is out Of fashion I
l, at least, was brought up to look
on it as forbidden fruit. Of course
l mean to marry some day, but that
will be an affair of common sense,
not sentiment"
"What do you means"
Max Pembroke's voice was low
and little hOarse. There was an
earnestness in it which compelled
the truth to her lips. She answered
him as frankly as she would have
acknowledged the facts to her own
soul.
Merely what say. Not that
despise sentiment, but that l am too
poor to indulge in it. l have moth
ing of my own. When l marry il
will be a man rich enough to give
me all that have been accustomed
to. shall not be happier wo
man, Vt make my chosen lord bet
ter wife, for having talked senti
; ment with you under the tree a
, Seaview. Let us conflne ourselves
to nonsense"
He stopped, right in the patl
, where they were walking, and tool
| both her hands in his.
Look at me-" he said, almos
, sternly.
, She looked up at him, her darl
cheeks crimson, her great brow
, eyes telling him what she meant b
should never know, her lips temp
ing him with the ripe sweetness al
l other mans money was to buy, som
, day.
]. "If it were not for this-th
: worldly wisdom, this cursed pr,
: dence, you would have loved me
}. he said, after he had read the stor
! in her eyes. "Very well-I sha
b not envy the man who will Le yot
}. husband. I would not exchane
9 with him."
:. "Your words are not choice" 81
n said, with an indignant tone an
glance, but, at the same time,
o grieved quiver Of lip and eyelash.
e He released her hands, and DO,
q ed courteously.
o If l forgot myself, pardon m