The Portland daily press., 1873-05-10
SELECTED STORY.
From the Overland Monthly.
Cousin Godfrey.

"Geofrey listen to me-.
81 am listening, Helen" ;, r. want
swell, put down thai S'upi' Per
10 1eii you pe. ieaning back in the luznrl-
~ ~ -; and patiently aWaiIihS ii
thou :" danoIonments. A faultlessiy h''lusolue
sneI ~ ea tbat rested against the CRIMSON
dan,aSls perfectly regular features, ana WaVy
hair of the true golden tint; a nne, aristocrat-
ic face But it was the urea, tire9' piue eyes
which arrested your attention, and interested
Won in spite of yourself. Wonderful eyes they
were-eyes with such beautiful possibilities
in them, they might have belonged to hero
or saint, instead of, as now, betraying only
the utter wsarying of bldss man of the
world. The little Helen of ten years age
had put that look into words, when she said !:
"Cousn Geofrey's eyes always look as if
they were saying, oh, come, now-let's
restp"
Geoffrey Howard, with his fascinating pres
ence, thirty-five years of age, and empty
purse, was the admiration of all girls newly
brought out, and the terror of worthy ''ma-
mas intent on settlements" His face eX-
pressed an unusual amount of interest as he
sat watching the girl before him. A perfect
contrast to himself, there was still strong
likeness between them; not SO much in out
black hair and large, dark eyes, flashing fire
at one moment, then filled with deep tremu-
lous Stiffness the next. A tender, passionate
face, and the impatient tapping OF the small
slippered foot, betrayed temperament at
total varience with the quietude of her cous-
il AID yet, there was likeness-"the How
ard look" Godfrey called it.
''Wel, ma belle, what is it?"
Helen had turned to the window. and was
s,,4<, tlan lnt Al
ANYTHING to be seen, for it was a foggy after
noon in London, and the street lambs were
already lighted. Twisting piece of paper
round her finger. she said abruptly: sfGeof-
frey, do you remember Sir George Linton ?o
"Ofcourse l do; one couldn't well forget
him after the way he hung round you at the
Merton's, last Christmas.S
"Do you know how much he has a wear ?''
"No, really; l didn't make it my business
to inquire. Do you? .
yes" she answered, shortly, 81 did make
it my business to inquire, or, rather, mamma
did. He has five thousand nov, and will
have as much more when his uncle dies
which will be soon, mamma says.o Ell Pa
'Indeed! Very comfortable. WeH?'
"Well, he has asked me to marry him
that's all.
A sudden contraction of the smooth, white
brow was the only evidence of surprise or dis
pleasure. There was none in the quiet voice
which asked: R
"And what does your mother say?''
'Say? Why, that, as l have been brought
here for the sole purpose of selling myself to
the highest bidder it is more than folly to delay
an instant, now the chance has come" was
the bitter answer.
"Well, Aunt Ju is about right, as she gen
orally is. Don't you think so, Helen p''
No answer came from the quiet figure at
the window-only the same intent gaze, with
eyes that saw nothing, into the foggy, gloomy
street. Godfrey Howard rose, ard went over
to her.
'.Nelier'
A quick sob answered him.
"Nellie! you know / would marry you
myself if 1 could but can't. Four hundred
year doesn't half keep me, and it certainly
couldn't keep us both-you know this, Mel
lie.'
An impatient movement of her hand show
ed BIN she was listening He stood there be-
side her-the only woman he had really low
ed-looking out into the darkening street.
Once again he went over his position, which
ended with sigh, as all previous "goings ov-
er" had done. Handsome, and with rather
more than average talents, he was very well
come guest at country houses; indispensable
at picnics, croquet parties, and balls-'.just
the man to make things go off welp'-declar
ed his friends invitations came to him BY the
hundred; his bill for lodgings was mere
nothing. Married, all this would be changed.
His peerless Nellie in print gown, and him
self in last years cut, was not pleasing
picture to contemplate. 80 de-.
"Nellie !'-and his long slender hand turn
ed the carefully-averted face towards him
Nellie look at me-" She obeyed, gazing
steadily at him, till, suddenly, the dark eyes
dtxrith noe Ia Too, xx.4I.
er quick, painful sob, she buried her face in
her hands. Nellie! you know love you; but
you see how useless it is to wait for fortune
to take pity on us. You are now twenty-t !;
this is your second Season. Aunt In na,lldn't
be made TO see any reason for refusing Sir
George. You know this, Nellie?'
81 do, Godfrey" amE
Who could have guessed, in the silence
that followed, that all the light was being
stricken out of these two lives?
when will Sir George come for his an
swer?'
"To-night. He goes with us to the Kings
''Is he coming to dinner?"
eyes"
"Shall you see him before?''
mo, after"
Silence again; broken, at last, by Helen
rising.
81 am going to dress now, Godfrey. You
60 to the Kingsleys', of ourse?''
They were very much alike now; the same
wearied yoice-the same tired look in the
fearless eyes raised to his.
He let her pass him without seeking to de-
tain her; but as she Preached the door he
stretched out his arms with sudden passion
ate cry-"Nellier'
She came to him at Once-piaced both arms
about his neck, and chung TO him, with a
choking sob-'Geoffrey Geoffreyp'
He put her away, at last, very gently.
Nellie! my poor little darling! Always
remember that I loved you-that 1 loved
youp'
Godfrey Howards musings were yerv pain
full as he sat alone in his aunt's handsome
drawing-room. One by one he had seen his
cousins Drought out' and well-married. He
had aided his aunt in her designs, and rejoic-
ed with her when, one after another, Kate,
Julia, and Laura had conferred their beauty
and accomplishments on men of rank and
wealth. Handsome, dashing girls they were
and very proud he had been of them; but
Nelie-his pet from the time when she used
to escape from her governess to beg him to
have tea With her in the school-room-was
quite another thing. How could he give her
up? But what was he to do? he asked him
self, helplessly. What, indeed?
And Nellie? As long as she could remem-
Der, she had heard good marriage spoken of
as the highest aim in life. Her sisters had
dressed, danced, and smiled to win that prize
and had won it. "The dear girls were so
sensible" her mother said, complacently
She herself had been left entirely TO the care
OF servants, until Laura's marriage turned
her mothers attention to her only remaining
laughter. s'1f dear Helen were only well
married." she remarked, confdentially, TO
Godfrey, II should be perfectly happy-my
duty in life would be done'
Brought up in the midst of all this worldli-
ness, Helen had still retained enough natural
delicacy to be disguised with the plotting and
her mother delighted in. Her
father she rarely saw. She had no intimate
friend of her own sex, so to "Cousin Geoff-
reg" every pleasure, every trouble, great and
small, was brought. From her earliest recol-
lection he had been the hero of her dreams.
At every ball or assembly her step was lighter
and her voice gayer when she caught sight
of those tired blue eyes watching her, and
his cool "Pon my word, Nellie, you are look
ing well tonight" the beautiful Miss How
ard was the theme of every tongue And
now--what now? She dared not think.
Alphabetically, she endures dressing, only
rousing herself to refuse, decidsdly, the
,oupcon of rouge the French woman begged
permission to lay on her white checks.
At last she was ready; there was no fur 4
her excuse for delay; she must descend to
he parlOr drawing-room. where she knew