The Portland daily press., 1879-04-05

Mfss M Dut 10 you mean
D. On, please don't hurry. Think it
Mrs. M, Will it?
d. l am not clever, nor interesting; but
If you don't mind me, will do anything I
can. You shall have any sort of society you
like fast or slow; literary or swell, or any
thing. OF course there would be plenty of
money, and jewels, and cooks, and all that.
You can have gowns and check-books, and
pin-money, and
Mrs. NJ. Aud find my own washing and
beer. Lord Dawlsh, you are offering me
situation?
D. -Yes-no-I mean that l.
Mrs. M. A thousand thanks. The wages
are most tempting; but have no thought of
leaving my present place.
D. I fear that have been offensive.
beg your pardon. l had better go. Good
morning, Mrs. Melton.
Mrs. M Good-by Lord Dawlish.
$50 he goes out; straight,vay her mood
changes, and she avishes him back again
Mrs. M. (sotdl He will never come back
can't let him go forever. I can't afford to
lose friend who makes me laugh so much.
Flitterly may say what he kes-a goose! a
sparrow grasshopper! I shall call him
back.
$50 she calls to him doaon the stairs: then
from the UindOao; and as she calls from the
aoindoav, he comes IN at the door, matches
her aachile, then speaks.
ID. Did you call me, Mrs. Melton?
Mrs. M. Is the man deaf? have been
screaming like peacock; and all for your
| sake-all because L don't want you to 60
away angry.
D. thought it was you who were angry.
Mrs. NJ. No. it was you.
D. Very well.
Mrs. M. You must drop the preposter-
Gus subject forever; and we will be good
friends, as we were before. Sit down and be
| friendly.
d. Thank you. That would be capital. We
will be as we were before--as we were be-
| fore.
Mrs. M. Are You sure you can bear the
disappointment?
D. Oh, yes. We will be friends, as we
were. That is much better.
Mrs. M. Lord Dawlish, you are simply
delicious.
D. Am L? Thank you. And l may
| come and sit here sometimes2
Mrs. M. In spite of Flitterly.
D. Flitterly be
Mrs. M. Yes, by all means.
(Then he meditates, and after due dtlibera.
| ton, speGks.)
D. should like to ask you something,
Mrs. Melton-something personal.
Mrs. M. Ask what you like. aud Will
answer if I choose.
D. May ask as afrend-only as a friend,
| you know-if you are quite determined never
to marry againP 1 know that it is no bust
ness OF mine; but [ can't help being curious
about you. Idon't think am curious about
| anything else. But you are such. an ex-
| traordinary woman.
Mrs. M. Extraordinary because have re-
| fused to be Lady Dawlish. 1t is strange,
very. o, don't be alarmed; have refused.
l n mr. Nd r
fused rank and wealth. Wealth means
| gowns and cooks from Paris, brougham
and victoria, a stopper, tiger and a pug;
rank means walking out before othe- women,
| and the envy of all my sex. am a woman,
| and refuse these luxuries. You were mad
when you offered them.
D. don't think that / could be mad.
Mrs. M. Not another word upon the sub
ject.
D. But won't you satisfy my curiosity2
| Mrs. M. I never knew you SO persistent.
d. never was before.
| Mrs. M. Such ardent curiosity, such des-
| perate perseverance, deserve to be re-
warded. | have nothing to do for the
moment, and there is one luxury which
no woman can forego-the luxury of
talking about herself. You needn't lis
ten If the effort is too great; address the
chair or the universe. You will hardly be-
lieve it of me; but I cherish sentiment.
There! Years and years ago-how many l
am woman enough not to speciiy-I lived
with an aunt in Paris; you hate cousins, I
ann not in love with aunts; however, she
was my only relation; there was no choice,
and there 1 lived with her in Paris, and was
finished; there was nothing to finish, for |
knew nothing. Well, it was there, in Paris
Il was quite child-it was there that l
one day met boy scarcely older than my
self. am in love with him still. Quite
idylic, isn't it?
D. Very likely. In PARISH Paris.
Mrs. Nj. There never was any one in the
world like him so brave, so good, so boyish;
he reioiced in life, certain of pleasure and
purposnq noble work.
D. (aside) Cousin John! Cousin John,
of course. Confound Cousin John!
Mrs. M. He fell in love with me at once,
almost before had fallen in love with him.
We were both SO absurdly shy, SO silly, and
! so young. l can see him blush now, and
could blush then. But l shall be sentiment
al in minute; this is egregious folly; of
course it is folly, and it was folly; of course
it was merely childish fancy, boy and girl
sentiment, calf love; of course weeks alb
sence would put an end to it: and OF course
love him still. But forgive me, Lord Daw-
lish. Why should I bother you with this
vermont commonplace romance?
| D. like it. 1t interests me. Go on, if
| 1t does not bore you. 1t reminds me of some
thing which had better forget.
Mrs. M. You shall hear the rest; there
| isn't much. He was taken away, and-I
| suppose forgot me. I came out in Paris.
went everywhere. was vastly gay, and terri
bly, unhappy. My aunt was youngish, and
good looking. in way; she was dying to be
| very uncomfortable until--until I married.
| oh, told him the truth, the whole truth.
l told him that the love of my life had gone
by. am glad I told him the truth.
| D. An American, was he not?
| Mrs. M. Yes. I was grateful to him and
proud of him. He was so good and true.
But he made light of my story. He thought
like the rest that it was mere girlish fancy;
| that l should soon forget: that There,
you have my story! Touching, isn't it?
ID. 1t is most extraordinary.
Mrs. M. What is most extraordinary?
| d. Your story is like my story.
Mrs. nj. It's everybody's story. It's COM
| mon as the whooping-c0ugh or the mumps.
But come, give me the details of your case.
D. The details! If I can remember
| them.
Mrs. M. If you can remember! Who
| would be man?
| d. 1t was in Paris
| Mrs. M. In Paris?
| that we take it as told.
Mrs. M. Go on. must hear it.
d. was sent to Paris when I was boy,
with bear-leader. There I saw girl-a
little bread-and-butter miss nd-and got
fond OF her-awfully fond of her. She was
the dearest little grl-the best little thing.
She was lke-like-
Ms NJ. Go on. What happened?
D. Nothing.
Mrs. M. Nothing! Nonsense! Some
thing always happens.
d. Nothing came of it. They said bow
and girl and calf-love and all that, like the
people in Your story; and they packed me off
to England.
Mrs. M. Why did you go?
d. ! was always fool. They said that
it would try the strength of her feelings;
that, if we were both of the same mind when
had got my degree, the thing should be-
Mrs. M. And you never wrote?
u. No.
Mrs. M. Nor did he-never one line.
D. They said she wished me not to write.
Mrs. M. How likely! These men, these