Litchfield enquirer., 1872-11-14
From the Transatlantic Magazine.
 ENGAGED.
"Confound if r.

A@~s~S S@AS A<f11 pressed; and readers will own that it was only natural and excusable under tho cir cumstances. laef zssss rtfiagf1sF 2 Rupert Holmes was hardworking bar rister, and was looked upon as a rising man; that is, although he was only two- and-thirty, he was making an income of nearly five hundred year. He had be- sides some little fortune of his own, and was therefore far better of than the great majority of men of his own age in the pro- fession. -. ss s,. <
 It was the first day of vacation; and as he threw aside his legal books, and start ed for his holiday, he felt for the first time how his hard work had told upon him, and how glad he was that he was go- ing away for awhile from his close cham bers and the weary work of splitting legal hairs.
 Generally an early riser, he had break lasted late-so late, that he was obliged to hurry through his packing in order to catch his train for Chichester, where he was going to spend fortnight with his friend Jack Wilmot, before starting for a long ramble upon the Continent. He had, however, reached the terminus with five minutes to spare; had found an empty carriage, had tipped the guard to retain 1t for him-it was before the happy era of smoking g-cariages-and was looking for ward to the placid enjoyment of his after breakfast cigar. ... ...
 The bell rang, the train was upon the very point of starting, and his cigar-case was in his hand, when there was a hustle on the platform, and porter hurried up to the carriage with two ladies, looked in, and unlocked the door,
 '.Now. ladies, look sharp, please; the trains starting."
 The ladies entered, the door was slam med-to, and the train moved out of the station.
 It must be allowed that it was excusa- ble under the circumstances for Rupert Holmes to relieve his feelings by this mental exclamation of "Confound it
 The ladies were evidently mother and daughter. There was a strong resem- blance between them, although the ex- precision was different. The mother was fair, placid, and quiet-looking, rather fur ried at present by the hustle consequent upon being late. The daughter was brunette, with a demure look, through which the fun rippled out at every move ment of the lips and eyes; and it was at once evident, by the little anxious glance she shot at Rupert Holmes as he put his cigar-case back into his pocket. that she understood his feelings quite as we'll as if he had spoken that silent "Confound it !" aloud
 Rupert caught the look, and could scarcely help smiling in return. He then examined his BradshGaO, ran his finger down the list and having resolved upon changing carriages at Reigate, determin- ed to make himself agreeable, and enjoy himself as much as he could till he arriv- ed there. He was in high spirits, which even the little contretemps which had just happened could not damp for more than a minute or two; and he gladly availed himself of the opening, which the elder lady requesting him to lend her his Brad sltGaV made, to enter into conversation. This was at first supported almost entire ly by the mother and himself; but little by little the daughter joined in, and be- fore the train had left London bridge a quarter of an hour, Rupert Holmes had changed his seat for one opposite the la- dies, and was chatting away as familiarly as if he had known his fellow-passengers for years.
 Presently the elder lady took out from her traveling-bag some knitting, at which she began placidly to work; and as the pattern upon which she was engaged was a somewhot complicated one, requiring much attention and counting of stitches, she gradually fell out of the conversation, which, however, was carried on none the less vigorously by the others.
 Rupert Holmes was far too busy 8 man to go much into society. His evening re- taxation consisted in visit to @ quiet lit erary club to which he belonged, and 0 talk over the last new book, the latest art gossip, or the pending political question. To him therefore this conversation with lively, clever, and undeniably pretty woman was a real pleasure, As the train slackened for Reigate he had no longer the slightest idea of changing carriages. As it stopped, however, the young lady said, with suppressed look of arch amusement, "Here you leave us, be- ieve ?''
 'I? no indeed P he said hastily; q am going to Chichester. What made you think so ?" + -
 ''You certainly intended to change you cannot but own that"
 Rupert Holmes colored.
 , '1 do not know, unless you are & con- iurer, how you could guess half-formed
 '1 did not guess at all; was sure of it. When we got in, you were just going to smoke, and you scowled in most ungra- cious way"
 70, indeed !" Rupert put in deprecat-
 "Yes, indeed, most nngraciously; and you put your cigar case in your pocket in pet; and you took out your BradshasU, and ran your finger down to the first stop- ping place, and then laid it aside with 8 determined air, as much as to say, Well, I must put up with it for three-quarters of an hour, and then out I go.' The whole thing was as plain as if you had said it out loud"
 Rupert laughed.
 sIt is of no use my denying the im- peaehment," he said; 'T must really apol- ogize for having been so rude as to let you see you were unwelcome. My only excuse is, that saw that the newcomers were ladies, but did not notice more than that; and I can plead in farther ex- tenuation, that I have seen the error of my ways. and have given up all idea of changing my carriage"
 'l am sure, mamma, we must feel touched at the compliment of being pre- ferred to cigar; that is indeed conces- sion for gentleman to make"
 'sYou are really too severe upon me. 5 Rupert laughed. Ladies' society is of course preferable to cigar; but one does not generally get ladies' society in a rail- way-carriage. One gets the ladies, but not their society. It is bucause ladies don't give us their society, because it is rare that one can exchange word with them, still more rarely engage in conyer- sation, that we take to our cigars. ] would far rather talk than smoke; but l would rather enjoy cigar than the silent contemplation of ladies' attire"
 q think your defence is fair one, g the elder lady said. 'For my own part can. not see why, in first-class carriage, one should not enter into conversation with q gentleman-I mean of course when lady has reached my time of life. Naturally much depends upon the appearance and manner of the gentleman; but supposine no objection to arise upon this score, I cannot see why we should not speak. Up.