Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-12-31

Their wives. with perhaps an insipid
daughter or two. just emancipated from
the boording-schaol. Young gentlemen,
wanting neither in manners nor educa-
ton, were not more scarce in Monk
shire than anywhere else but after one
or two of them had tried their fortune
with the heress of Belair, and had
been repulsed and when rumour ran
through the bachelor ranks that Miss
Spencelaugh had bound herself by an
oath never to marry, they fought rather
shy of the solemn dinner-parties at the
Hall, and carried themselves and their
attractions to quarters where they were
more likely to be appreciated. But.
indeed. had any of the robust young
squires of Observation-Disclosures
many of them, with their honest home
ly country training overlaid with a thin
lacker of London fast life-been fool
ish enough to enter into the lists with
Mr. Duplessis, they would soon have
had cause to regret their temerity in
so doing for Mr. Duplessis had hum
dred advantages on his side, such as
no young man of twenty, however ac-
complished he might be, could hope to
rival. In the first place, there was his
age; and a mans age, up to certain
point, if properly managed, is an ad-
vantage rather than the contrary in
love-chase, especially if the Diana Of
whom he is in pursuit has to be won
through the intellect as much as
through the heart. Then, again, Mr.
Duplessis had the advantage of wide
experience Of the world. He had
travelled much, and had seen life in
various forms; he was an excellent
| linguist, and had supplemented an
originally good education by sundry
accomplishments picked up in different
countries ; and he knew how to present
his knowledge in it's most attractive
guise before others. To all this, add
the fact, that he was eminently hand
some, and that his style was pronounce
ed to be irreproachable, and it will at
once be seen that Mr. Duplessis was
not without reason on his side when
he expressed his firm belief in the ulti-
mate success of his suit.
That the Canadian was possessed Of
many attractive qualities, Frederic had
been made aware from the day on
which the Belair party had made his
acquaintance so opportunely among
the Pyrenees and as times wore on.
the friendly bond between the two as
sumed that easy. bantering, thrust-and-
parry character which seems to be
educed so naturally from the collision
Of two bright and well-polished intel
lects; which is essentially ofthe world,
worldly: which rarely or never touches
any of the deeper chords of feeling,
nor desires, indeed, to do so; which is
very ephemeral, and easily broken, but
very pleasant while it lasts and is, i'll
fact. such Il gay and sparkling apology
for genuine friendship that many easy
hearted individuals prefer it to the real
article. rs less troublesome, and by no
means so eXacting. So long, then. as
the friendship between them-if friend
ship it could be called-moved
pleasantly along to light music. so
long did Miss Spencelaugh take pleas
ure in the company of the accomplish
ed Canadian but at the first whisper
of love, the sunlight of laughter died
ont of her eyes she turned on him in
all her dark and naughty beauty. and
shuddercd us though II serpent had
Stung her.
| 1t was not merely that Frederca's
heart was already given to another;
there was something beyond that-one
of those lameless unaccountable anti
pathies. which caused her whole ma
ture to rise in revolt against the idea
of ever becoming the wife of Henri
Duplessis. And yet. in the face of
his antagonistic feeling. she had give
en that rash promise to her uncle She
had given it during the first sharp pain
of her bereavement, while utterly in
different as to whatever might happen
to herself: how bitterly she regretted
| it afterwards. no one but herself ever
knew. But when Frcderica perceived
! that all love-like advances ON the
Canadians part had entirely ceased;
that he no longer sought for oppor-
tunity of finding her alone; and that
his demean0ur in no wise differed from
! that of amy other gentleman who visi-
ltAi 1T Ititiii. Silt tpiltlU'ttNt. ilOl uu-
naturally, that seeing how distastefu
/ his suit WAS to her. he had silently
abandoned it; and grateful to him for
his lorbearance. she began slowly. and
almost unconsciouslv. to unbend to-
wards him; and by degrees the int-
macy between them came to assume
its old easy laughing character. which
was precisely the point to which Mr.
DuplesSis was desirous of bringing it.
and from which he began to work
/ atreSh.
1t was the Old easy intimacy with Il
/ difference. as Frederica was not long
| in discovering less hanterin9 and
Satirical than of yare, hut with more
of the earnest feeling of real friendship.
ut least On the part of Mr. Duplessis:
and hasel on Il pleasant communion
orintellectual tastes hitherto unsuspect-
| ea by Frederica. 1t was strange to
discover that Mr. Duplessis's favonrite
ant lorS were hers also. His acquaint-
ance With Dante, and Goethe. and
Schiller, exceeded her ownr and in
! English literature, he was certainly
much better read than she Was. Then
there were other happy points of con-
tact between them. Mr. Duplessis-
like Erxleiics, was passionately fond