, 1872-12-25

have some practical test of the value OF many
protestations All! tell yon-
| To know what one has 7aot to trust to,
| Is worth all tho ashes and Dust too,'
which may be brought into ones face by the
| test"
Scarcely worth human life, should say, -
remarked, dryly.
| She shrugged her shoulders.
body ?" che asked. f.stuart Carew would do as
much for braYado any day; and, if he has any
| thing Ike true mettle, he will
| - scarce think that you do him the worst turn
| II you whisper, "Fsiend, what you'd get first
or, II he does, it would certainly be well to know
| it-in time. Men do not, as a rule, grow more
complaissnt after they are made secure Of what
| they desire"
coquette," said I, irritated beyond all patience.
| aAnd pray, will you be kind enough to tell me-
how you expect Stuart Carew to cross the riE
sThat is his affair."" she said, coony. ri
longing had for one Of the lovely Provence
roses which knew that Jefferson" (this was
her gardener) "has blowing just now. So,
when Stuart Carew asked me, rather sentiment
he should give me, I-bearing in mind the wild
story he told at dinner yesterday of how he once
crossed and recroBsed a mountain-dood in the
Andes, for canteen OF brandy which had been
161L D6luuu-1 lHOu54E pI6BuIQpL QpLuOuBly enough,
no doub) that perhaps was IS veil worth q
risk as canteen OF brandy and said that I
would take rcse from my greenhouse in Z.
OF course, the gentleman was somewhat aston
iehed- d-incredulous OF my being in earnest at
| first, indignant afterward. He took the liberty
Of limiting what you have been good
enough to express openly that + was a vain and
heartless coquette. Whereupon, 7 took the lib
erty OF telling him that he very impertinent,
and furtharmore"- her color rose and her eyes
pprEfa5 hAra-Hthat mt haiti
WAS more than one thing in the world which q
man expected to obtain without earning and
this Was womane love-"
80, Rosalind!''
"Weu, is it not true?" she asked, sharply
Are we not forced-we women-to take eucry-
thing on trust? 4 man professes-what does he
not profess ?-but if we set him even the least
task whereby he can prove his sincerity, is there
not an outcry Of indignant protest? We are
heart1ess, vain, sinful-Heaven only knows what
not-becauBe ne do not choose to surrender our
selves without warrant that We are gaining
something in return"
"Faith is good thing, Rosa1fnd," said I.
"That may do for sentimental schoolgirls, who
have never yet appreciated that the vast majori-
ty Of men think that women would rather live
on lies, 80 they be sweet" she answered, SCOTT
fully. ~ have had s,1rfeit of them in my time,
h9Weyer:'
"Not from Stuart Carew,'' saidI, impetuously.
"What do you know Of Stuart Carew?" she
demanded. "You know that he has the bluest
OF blue blood in his veins, that he is handsome
and graceful, high-bred and cl1ivalrous, above
the majority OF men; but you do not know that
he may not be as mercenary at heart as Harley
Wynne,, who married that rich, vulgar idiot in
K the other day."
"Rosalind, for shame!' cried.
!" You don't know what it is to be very rich
woman, Lucy" ehe said, with pathetic accent
in her voice. t.Ycu don't know how one sees so
much meanness that it forces suspicion on one
at last. People say that am heartless and
51]4T r bad Ir-a 1ore IT,
learn"
Looking ut her that n1oment-seeing the cloud
which swept over her beautiful FACET could be-
x1ieve it, and felt then what I have felt often
since, that the fate which gives woman great
wealth is rarely Kind one.
It was soon after this that Stuart Carew re-
entered the room. Ra was fully equipped for
riding, having exchanged his velvet coat for q
suit Of gray tweed, whiah VAS not half 80 be-
suggestive fox-Iunting ali. He came in with
whip and g20Tes in hand, gay end insouciant
IS ever.
"Ladies, have you any commEnds for X--7"
he asked, in his pleasant, musical voice. "Any
letters to mail, and gloves to buy, anything
which single ho1seman can take or bring with
out overlooking himself and 6teed, and rendor-
ing desth in q quagmire inevitable to both p
Miss Hope, if you can write note in fire min
Z" o Mr.. Carew!' cried Hope. astonished and q
little aghast. You-you surely are jesting!
You aro not really thinking OF going to & To-
;'That is exactly what he is thinking off, said
Hal Bereford, who had followed Stuart into the
room. sAnd he is thinking OF getting drowned
in the Wye, too, or am no judge Of water
course. Confound the fellow! Can't some Of
you ladies' say something to bring him to his
sensea?"
Several tried-I among the rest-though saw
in his face it would be unavailing. Rosalind
Was still sitting in the bny-window with book
- L. .rf,n -A 1411r
until Hal Bereaford directly appealed to her:
stCau you say nothing, Miss Earle ?" he asked,
! bias,t1y- IT have rarely known a more reckless
adventure than this on which Stuart Is bent"
her cheek and Ighht n hsr 81 ga Which had been m
there when the subject was hrat broaehed. We
all listened eagerly to hear what she would say,
and 7, for my part, could not avoid giving her m
imploring glance which I might as we'll have be-
slowed on the picture over my head.
"Is it more reckless adventure than that in
the Andes Of which We heard yesterday :"
she asked, in her clear voice. II could not do
I A1r. CareW such an injustice as to suppose that
he would not risk quite as much to carry tie
notes and bring the gloves Of dozen imprison-
ed ladies, as to recover canteen OF brandy"
Poor Stuart; I caught one glimpse of his
face az he received this truly feminine thanks
for the risk he was about to run. Its expression
was curious mixture OF bewilderment and NOR
tifcation, for there are few thingsmore mortify-
ing to man who fancies he knows women, than
to receive unequiyocal proof Of having committed
great blunder in feminine tactics. After min
ufe he crossed the room toher side. did not hear
then, but heard afterward, what passed between
them, while the rest of rs shrugged our shoul-
ders aside to each other, and young lady, who
was looking over 8 book Of engraVings in q cor
ner confded to a gentleman who was assisting
her, that Rosa1ind Earle WAS the most shameful
t1irt abe had ever known-
.sWbat do you mean BY talking in this way :"
Stuart Carew was meanwhile saying to Roealind.
tsYou know that I am going to K for You-
for you a1one-and what have o dozen or hun
dred other women to do with the matter?"
~ thought heard you placing yourself at
general disposal" Rosalind answered. careless1y.
IT you brought my roso, it would be quite as if
it Was delivered By the penny post with half
dozen notes aud gloves-and flowers, perhaps-
besides. Many thanks, Mr. ew,"-1ooRing
up at him with her lustrous, mocling eyes,
*tbut an not SO humble as I should be, per-
haps, for rarely care to be one Of a multitude
in anything"
The young man absolutely b1ushed-many
people who knew Stuart Carew would scarcely
credit it-but he absolutely blushod, realizing
~ T. TN