, 1873-11-30
A CASE or CONSCIENCE,

From tht Gdiary yfar December.
T1,ore waa something about Mlss Gi1martin
which lad always baflloa me.
Did she like me or not She waB not for
tress onyily taken. II tho oil motto DO truo,
Ci.atrau oni lmrlc,
Fon1me Hi1i ctoutc,
Va 30 rostlrc,
thcn might hore, for rho did llaton to mo with
All attention which WIS aattcring, and abs did
look at mo with pair OF ntool-bluo eyca which
woro bcwll1eling
Bhe was never cruel or contempt11ouB, ns are
some women (nore's tho PITY. but abe aaas a
lttlo too bright; I had q nuspiolon occasionally
that che wns laughing at me. 9ho was ono Of
tloao women enormously worth winning, but Of
whom men sro little afrstd-wonon ulloso in
tolocts dominate tho hoart.
, It was this uncertainty which WAS hanging
over mo (oombinol with lnr admirable dauclng)
Which induced mo to ask 1tas GiImartin to dance
with me In the Gorn,an cotillion At Delmonco's
On certain evorlng.,
Bl,e had Just boen returned to mo by an ap-
prociativo partner whom 1oponed my case. II
have caso Of conscience to lay before you. Is
there ,; cry s,y time lilo tho pfo'0nt' hlian Gil
"Well, I think vo can count Oh f,teon min
utoB at leapt," saia my partner, "antl that IL
enough for any caso Of oonscfeneo' Now X It
we're matter ot worldly prudonce, should not
ask you to accept so nhols time"
of, oyon at Tho other ond Of Tho hall, marshal-
Ing Ills forcos, and wo shall not DO callod On to
DO gay tor several minutes. think will ven-
"Do go worry quickly, tt,on." said hfiea Gilmar-
tin, " for ToninY's tactics arc as uncortain as
Napoleop's, aud be may DO horc in two minutcu.
Now toll nc, what dreadful thing have you boen
doing? IL there dus! Impending, or have you
been chenting ut carda2 haTo you brolion tho
heart Of woman, of ms nave s you 4 eeen aoen
your fortune !"
miss ailmarttn tolong to tito common
people; i have no destination; shall mover rise
have none Of these things on my mind"
" am sure, 1Ir. Russell, TINT you have boon
bettiug on anu unsuccessful horBo."
Miae Ginartin," said T poudorounly. IT am
about to PROFOUND to YOU the moat serious ques-
tion eror asked by o man to = womau-o3copt
ono! am going to ask you how man should
behave to tho Wonan he has ongagod himself, If
ho has ooascd to love ler."
'tAnl you expect mo to answer 20 nomensous
s,9u auesttSn ndts as that Immediately and in the Cor
II DO not know what expect, exactly (you
being wo1nan), but do expect to know hettor
after you hasa done talking what / think
myself, -,
md your politenoss It'll more still, thank yo,,
for oonfossng that I am D woman that Is &
compliment ii itseit."
=" OF tho very highest character, my denr Miss
diln1nrtin. The eloqueaco Of compliment can
an 3aFns, gs gG + nI ads, aass 81
"Then am to tell you how an engaged man
should behave to wmaau to whom hc has
pledged himself, after La finds out TINT ho has
ccased to love hor2"
"WelL then, 7 should anauor tho question by
aalsing another: What is the position Of tho
lady? Is clio rioh or poor, alone in tho world, or
surrounded by D powerful family7"
"Ah-you are won'n. You aro begging tho
"Aud that, nrr. 1susaoq, ia uhat you mon neuer
do, and You tleuer use 5sllouost bubtorruges in
argument, and Jou s.erer try to turn your adver
stres feon rd you arc always so just aud
"Sarcasnl, my doar NIins Giluartin.
plays OH your beautiful Iips like tho ahcet.llght-
ming On the sllilnicr-olbud, aud gitters but to
charm, not to wound y
:" Now you arc talking sensc, therefore will
If" '''-''
"DIisu Gimartin, loyi:y is sbecolning sometimes,
bnt wien u nun deliberately asks woman ar,
Important philosophical question concerning his
"Oll, don't prose, 5cacoch you! I do ro-
member now-somothilg about brenking OH M
engagement was it notf Yes, Beom to collect
myself: you want to git out Of acrape; you
Do d. II not know how; YOU want ne to hop you.
"Sliss uilmartia. you arc triaing with
the rghta Of matI I have come to
you in o BoriouB spirit to ssk you very
important question in cthics, on one Of those
exceedingly delicate points Of human conduct il,
0j1 fa%$a
ntead OF giving me goDd advice you make mo q
grindstoae on which you are simply whattinG
your wits. Now ash Is this kind? Il it humano7
Romcnher, nm felbw-boing!"
AIR. Russell. blulh With the modification
OF a detected felon, but I do declare that haye
mover considered you grindstone-n0. not for
one moment griudstono Mlr. Russell, II you
do not Withdraw that Offensive epithet, l shall
burst into taara!'
II withdraw 1t. md coniags myself = sco,1n-
drol an murderer, it :oa wiAA; but will you tell
"Thoro III Tommy Fletcher beckoning for us to
come; we must 60 and danco.''
When ZIG returned to our chairs, and had re-
what she thought Of my question. II oy0r
woman was mistress Of the arts OF fence land
they ali know good deal aboutit) Miss GilmAr-
tln was that woman.
"You ask NC il nun is bounl in honor to
marry woman whom he laa ceased to loYo2"
said my tormentor.
"No, ! do not ask you anything of the kind.
ask you il man who, being engaged to roman,
finds that hc has ceased to love lor, ought,
eithor in consideration OF hor happincan or his
own. TO marry her, thus doing 40 undor false
pretansea."
"Well, should Say that man find
ing himself In that dilemma nllould tell tho
young lady how lle fools, aud leave it to hor, al
ways promising TINT she is Sol OF, surrounded
by q powerful family"
Then you would treat the rich girls hotter
than you would do the poor ones p
"No, would not do that; but II were en-
gagged to peer gizl, who stood aioua in the
world, tcould loYo Gor nnyhow."
"Ah! dear Mis- Gilinarin a vomaa's sopA-
istryl ne,ncmber the poets lines:
Like Dian's hss, unnsked unsought,
IuSe g'yca itbslf but Is not bought;
Nur voice nor Rouul betrayy
Its deep inpassioned gaxc.
Have I any right to marry any woman, rich or
poor, to whom hare promisod nv love i
| suddenly find tlat I have not thu
power to give her" my logo2 Should
not DO more honorable lnan II I confessed to
her my uttor bankruptcy, and aaid to lor boforo