The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-06-25
Misrrilanp.
NELLIE'S ROMANCE.
CHAPTER !


$50 YOU gre going to be married, Nellie Z" said
BERTHE Egerton, str oking his tawny and decidedly
handsome moustache. They were alone in the
conservatory, and the musicians were playing The
Nable waltz and the dancers were whirling
around like msd.
"Yss," she said, and she said it little ruefully,
as if she still carried her heart about with her,
and had not given il into the keeping of her fu'
turs lsrd and master.
II don't believe you care for him, Nellie Vince,
though you are going to marry him
No." she answered slowly; II don't. Indeed.
on the whole" she added, candidly, 81 think
detest him"
The Vinces were miserably pocr-those most
unfortunate of beings, poor gentlefolks.-the sort
of people who in the coarse Of season, suffer a
dozen martyrdoms from petty notifications with
an endurance which, if known, would excite the
envy OF the ghost of the nevCr-to-be-forgotton
Spartan boy, and oxtinguish his glory forever :;
the sort of people who have an appearance to
keep up, and nothing to keep 1t up with They
gave a dinner twice year, and starved for
fortnight before, and grumbled for a fortnight
after it. They never went to theatre unless
they had orders given to them, and then they
hired brougham, because cabs cost nearly as
much and were more vulgar and they stinted
themselves for wesk after the indulgence. The
girls went to all the parties they were invited to-
"because," explained polite Mrs. Vince to Col
Vince, whs. if he had little money, had much
pride-"because, said Mrs Vince, they might
get Off" Besides, going to parties was less ex.
pensive than giving them; so the girls went in
their everlasting muslins, which were iroued
when they were tumblsd, and washed when they
were dirty. Heigh.ho! They were so poor,
though they didn't show 1t much-that is, not
much, considering. They wore cheap gloves and
common dresses, and made tho latter at home :;
and they passed by the bonnet shops, which they
never were allowed to enter. with y sigh They
pretended to like walking better than driving
and to dislike all wine chat IL, at home except
ing olaret, which was twelve shllings dozen
And they kept small fires. and threw ND the Gin
ders: and didn't feel inclined to go to church on
collection Sundays; that is the colonel and Mrs.
Vince didn't. Nellie and Clara, and Arthur
went to high.church, whore there was always a
collection bat they ignored the bag altogether,
aud when it came around sang very loudly, and
looked at their hymn.book very attentivoly; so
they didn't notice it,
Nellie was the eldest GIRL pretty rather, and
decidedly spirited; clever, too, and lively and
amusing. She was 81, all bat week, and look
cd younger and felt older. She had been in love
with BERTHE Egert0n all her life but he had moth.
ing besides his handsome self and pretty name to
boast Of; 30, though they understood each other
~ perfectly as though there had been dozen
proposals between them, they bowed to circum.
stances. He WAS supposed to be barrister, but
he had never had brief in his life. He had an
uncle rolling in money, who had sent him to col
lege, and promised to do something for him, and
who had paid the fees for his entrance at the
Temple; but BERTHE, though he had acquired
great knowledge of the world, had acquired little
knowledge of law; so his uncle was not pleased.
Now, "Moneybags" as his nephew irreverently
BALLAD hin waa N aNdvuOk ,,obla
not have been lamented; but he showed no signs
OF dying, and if he had, perhaps there might be
nothing in his will for BERTHE, though he was his
nearest relation. Altogether, therefore, things
were hopeless; they could not marry on love and
live on air ; besides, BERTHE had righteous hor.
rsr of poverty. Nellie was romsntic-very de-
cidsdly romantic,-though she pretended to be
matter.of-fact In her heart she was horribly
disappointed that BERTHE didn't propose Gretna,
or Its equivalent, since that useful institution
WAS abolished. She was In love, very much in
love, and if he would have only asked her, would
have married him, and settled down to genteel
poverty for the rest of her days with the greatest
subtraction; but he didn't, On the contrary, he
bewailed his poverty, and said he thought he
shonld propose to plantations" -Plantations
being West Indian heiress with plenty of
money and little beauty. Therefore, Nellie.
after being talked to, and having all the advan.
tsgss explained to her by her polite mamma
and being leetursd and called "My dear dauph.
ter" by her proud papa, had accepted old Brown.
low. They were to be married in July, and this
was May; so she had two months freedom vet.
and then--but she resolutely forebear to look any
further.
Old Brownow was as rich as jew so it was
all excellent match people said, and they were
more attentive to the Vinces in consequence, es.
pecslly to Nellie. He wasn't handsome he was
30, and Father gray. He wasn't over head and
ears in love with Nellie,-he adored himself too
much for that The fact was he wanted a mis-.
tress TOR his house, and some one to head his tn.
bic, and he thought she would do. He had hesi.
tated between Nellie and her younger sister
Clara. Clara was prettier, but Nellie had more
spirit, and that had decided him. He liked her
independence and spirit, though he intended to
cuTb 1t 50 tar as he was concerned. Clara would
have accepted him much more willingly She
liked the pomp and vanities of this iuiGuitous
world and rather envied Nellie on the whole
and admired her diamond engasement-rin,. par-
ticularly.
Nellie had not seen BERTHE since the evening
that ring had been placed on her not at nil will.
ing hnge-, tai they me, at the Wilfords party
Luckily, old Brownlow was not there SO they
had it all their own way. They had danced
about dozen bars of the '1Iable," and then be-
taken themselves to that dim-lighted and re-
markedly convenient CONSERVATORY
"Detest him !" said Berthe pheasant, certain.
ly;' but he seemed rather pleased on the whole
Or et least, decidedly not sympathizing, as hc
ought TO have been
Indeed, do. Berthe" They were sitting down
now IN the cosiest corner of that cosy Irritation
why do you marry him, then"
"on, he's rieh,' she replied very little
"Worldly young person you must be-" he said,