The Cecil Whig., 1874-05-02

why Wnere you SO late III coming
down this evening? l was hoping to
manGuvre to get you near me at dinner"
How good he is after all my crossness
during the morning. But the words
which Olivia had spoken still rankle in my
mind, and l say
81 consider I was very well off-my
companion was most entertaining"
"Oh," is the sphynx- like remark, ut
tered with perfectly impassive counte-
nance-"I presume you have heard all
about Queen Anne's farthingse''
eyes,
"And Woods halfpence, that Dean
Swift wrote about %
''Yes."
"And l presume you have been invited
to inspect them?" questions Terry.
"Sir David says he is going to invite us
all to luncheon tomorrow"
"And of course we must accept the
invitation. Do you care particularly to
gos" he asks.
TERRY appears careless" say to my
self, "why should not ?' So l reply,
aloud, 81 suppose shall do what every
one else does.''
So How accommodating !" muttered in a
low tone, and accompanied by look which
do net quite understand.
| feel the tears of vexaton gathering in
my eyes. l know that have tell tale
mouth which quivers with every emotion.
l cannot say anything to Terry, so I re-
main silent for a minute, and then | rise
and walk steadily across the room to the
young woman in pink, and, sitting down
beside her, incoherently and mendaciously
congratulate her upon her performance.
X K
"Alice," says Olivia, meditatively, the
next morning, as we are dressing, "now,
honestly, don't you think Terry was point
edly attentive to me before all those peo-
pie at dinner yesterday
GLOW should know? l was peintedly
attentive to my dinner
"And to your companion too-every one
saw that observes Olivia.
"Indeed ~ l excaim.
81 know I saw Terry watching you sew
eral times
My heart gives a bound, and l descend
to the breakfast-room, where l find the
aforesaid Terry alone at his morning meal.
He is attired in short coat with innumer-
able pockets, knickerbockers and heather
mixture stockings, whereby l know that
he is bent upon the massacre of sundry
unsuspecting birds. AS l enter, he rises
and says, cheerily--
GOOD morning-you are up early"
81 don't think am; you mean every
one else is later than usual"
"Come, sit down here and keep me
company; I'll ring for fresh Coffee and,
as he goes towards the bell, l say hastily
"Oh, never mind-I prefer waiting
CAN right" he says, shortly, sitting
down again. 81 suppose you are all 60
ing over to Sir David Bigglesworth's to-
day."
am standing at the window, with my
back to him, as l reply
$50 hear-are youo"
Not IL never pretend to ia ke an
interest in matters don't care about"
My face burns hotly. "One often has
to do good many things for the sake OF
politeness-a little pretense and deception
are sometimes necessary
"What creed ~ he calculates. "I am
glad to say l do not agree with you.
consider to act in a deceitful manner quite
as despicable as a direct lie, and the person
who acts so to be avoided as if he or she
had the plague %
My brain reels, and l make no reply.
Terry, who has finished his breakfast,
comes over to the window, and catching a
sight of my face, exclaims in frightened
tone, as he seizes hold of my hand
"Alice Alice what is the matter with
you?''
Nothing-please let my hand go?'
He releases my hand, and l. trembling in
every limb, sink into an arm chair, whilst
he, bending over me, smooths my hair
caressingly, and says, in compassionate
tone
Poor little one You are not strong
yet; the excitement of last night was too
much for YOU
I can bear up no longer, and, bursting
into passionate fit of weeping, l rush
from the room, through the hall, up the
stairs, and never stop until reach NAM
mas bed room, where / throw myself upon
helping mamma to dress; and both stimuli
taneously exclaim, in astonishment-
"What on earth is the matter with
you?''
Mamma-mamma,' l cry, piteously,
''we must leave this. l can act this nc
longer -
"Well, in all my life l never heard Of
anything so selfish,' says Olivia just as
aunt has renewed her invitation, asking us
to stay until after Hallow-eve; and the
invitation has been given for the benefit Of
your health, too ! Alice, you must keeI
up the deception little longer"
| - cannot bear IL VIII not 90 IL !.
| sob.
"Really, Alice, you should not be SO sell
fish," demonstrates mamma. " 1t is abso
lutely necessary that we accept your aunt.
invitation to prolong our visit. l consider
| Terrys attentions last night to Olivia were
most marked
"Of course, if you mean to think onl,
of yourself and your own feelings, a
usual, why, we must be content and bea
it," says Olivia, with the air of a martyr
''but | must say that it is both unsisterl.
and unkind of YOU and she wipes he
eyes with corner of her pocket handker
chief.
| know that Olivia is sincere in layin
the tlatterng JUNCTION to her soul that TER
has serious thoughts of proposing to hel
and know, as well as if had been toll
so, that he has no idea of the kind. There
fore | say, honestly, with the straightfol
ward motive of trying to make her unde
ceive herself