The weekly standard., 1869-09-22
The Box Tunnel.
BY CHARLES READE.


The 1915 train had glided from Padding
ton, May Z, 1S47. In the left compartment
of certain irst-class carriage were four
passengers: of these, two were worth des-
cripton. The lady had a smooth, white,
delicate brow, strongly marked eyebrows
long lashes, eyes that seemed to change
color, and good-sized delicious mouth,
with teeth as white as milk. A man could
not see her nose for her eyes and mouth; her
own sex could and would have told us some
nonsense about it. She wore an unpretend-
ing grayish dress, buttoned to the throat,
with lozenge-shaped buttons, and a Scotch
shawl that agreeably evaded the response
bility of color She was like duck, so
tight her plain features fitted her, and there
she sat, smooth, snug and delicious, with
book in her hand, and soupo0n of her wrist
h just visible as she held it. Her opposite
neighbor was what I call a good style of a
man-the more to his credit. since he be-
/ longed to corporation that frequently turns
out the worst imaginable style of young
men. He was a cavalry officer and twenty
five. He had moustache, but not very
repulsive one; not one of those sub-nasal
pig-tails on which soup is suspended like
black as coal His teeth had not yet been
turned by tobacco smoke to the color of
juice; cloths did not stick nor hang to him;
he had an engaging smile, and what liked
the dog for, his vanity, which was inordi-
nate, was in its proper place, his heart, not
in his face, jostling mine and other peoples
who have none-in word, he was what one
oftener hears.of than meets-a young gentle
man. He was conversing in an animated
whisper with companion, fellow-officer :;
they were talking about what is far better
mot to do-women. Our friend clearly did
not:wish to be overheard for he cast ever and
anon a furtive glance at his fair els els,
| and lowered his voice. She seemed COM
| pletely absorbed in his book, and that reas-
| sured him. At last the two soldiers came
| down to a whisper, (the truth must be told
the one who got down at Slough, and was
lost to posterity, bet ten pounds to three,
| that he was going down with US to Bath
and immortality, would not kiss either of the
ladies opposite upon the road. "Done, done"
| Now l am sorry man have hitherto prais-
| ed should have lent himself, even in whis-
| per, to such a speculation, ''but nobody is
| wise at all hours" not even when the clock
| is striking five-and-twenty; and you are to
| consider his profession, his good looks, and
| the temptation-ten to three.
| After Slough the party was reduced to
three; at Twylford one lady dropped her
| handkerchief; Captain Dolignan fell on it
! like tiger and returned it like lamb; two
| Or three words were interchanged on this
| occasion. At Reading the Marlborough of
our tale made one of the safe investments
| Of that day, he bought Times and Punch /;
the latter full of steel pen thrusts and wood
cuts. Valor and beauty deigned to laugh
at some infamed humbug or other very
| punctured by Punch. Now laughing together
| thaws our human ice; long before Swindon
it was a talking match-at Swindon who so
! devoted as Capt Dolignan-he handed them
out-he souped them-he tough chickened
| them-he branded and cochinealed* one,
and he branded and burnt sugared the
| other; on their return to the carriage, one
lady passed into the inner compartment to
inspect certain gentleman's seat on that
! side Of the line
/ Reader, had it been you OF |, the beauty
would have been the deseter, the average one
would have stayed with us till all was blue,
yourselves included; moi more surely does
our slfs II szcsss Is Il butter. yhaa II ess
64ass 10 A sshs- hand ...sz
alight face downwards OF the carfet Byt
this. was bit of q fop--Adonis dragoon-
aud SO Vents ren,ained IA . tefosG-tsss With
/ him. i gu have seen dog meet an unknown
| female of his species; how handsome, how
enpresse, how expressive he becomes such
/ was Dolignan after Swindon, and to do the
dog justice, he got handsome and hand
spmer; and you've seen acat, conscious of ap-
preaching cream--suoh was Miss Haythorn ;
she became demurrer and demured; presently
4 our captain looked out OF the window and
laughed, this elected an enquiring look from
!, Miss Haythorn. '''ss'i
II "We are only. a mile from the Box Tun-
sllncl.', ,,sy -,sE .a.sls,rq s,oqess1.B.s
II "Do you, always laugh a mile from the
Tunnel 2" she asked -, s.,s..,,, i',a..t,.,-,r,
/ "Inyariably. -sga .1TsIi s.s,-7.r ,.,..,g
''What for go -
/ s'Why, hemi it's gentleman's joke"
Captain Dolignan recounted to Miss Hay
! thorn the following: ~1,-0
Il l"Alady and her husband sat together go
Il lug through the Box Tunnel-there was ont
gentleman opposite. 1t was pitch dark
after the tunnel the lady said, George, how
absurd Of you to salute me going through
the tunnel / did no such thing.' u sYot
didn't2 No! why@ Because somehow
thought you did. zaF
:, Here Captain Dolignan laughed and en-
4, deavosed to lead his companion to laugh