The Portland daily press., 1881-12-31
dyes y I assent smiling inyoluntarily to

ment they see fresh face, of they are.
They forget all about their old friends"
my dear Dolly" say in a pacificatory
tone, relations have some claim upon.u
fellow"
sob, yes, much you thought of your rela-
tioas' claims before you saw that this girl
was good lookingl Not''-and Dolly hastens
to correct herself-sthat l think her good
looking; that she is too tall, and how awful
ly she must pinch her waist. WelP' las
like a prudent man preserve golden 81
lence), "and when are you to see her again?
l wonder you did not go off with her now.
am sure you may if you like; don't want
you," with growing ire.
Meanwhile Phil is regarding us curiously.
Poor chap! he knows it's no use making in
quiries here, as the rest of the diners would
have to be taken into confidence at the same
time
81 have promised to look them up to-mor-
row. say, trying to speak carelessly.
"Ah," says Dolly resentfully, "Ionly wish
I had known this afternoon! / met Jack
Bryant, and he would have been only too
thankful to come and take me out. Howey-
err, it's not too late; can send note round
to him."
Half an hour earlier | might have been
piqued by Esuch a threat about Jack, OF
whom am not particularly fond; at this
moment could clasp him to my heart:
''Was that man her husband asks Dolly;
and 1 start as if had been stabbed.
Certainly women are the devil. How Gun
ming they are at finding joint of yoar har-
ness where knife will penetrate. l know
that if he had been her husband they would
have introduced me to him; and yet all the
evening the horrid suspicion gnaws and
worries and torrents me. AS | wait in the
passage at her hotel next morning, as as
cend the stairs behind the waiter who is to
conduct me to her presence, am prey to
nervous irritation.
When enter the room, my lovely cousin
comes forward to greet me. She is alone;
thanks be praised for that! As though in
an access of cousinly affection, | take both
her hands in mine, and scan the left hand
eagerly. There are three gold rings on the
third finger, but each is inlaid with stones
l breathe again.
Corisande seems more arch, more full of
spirits than ever, this morning.
s'You will be disappointed, my poor Rog-
err' she says. "Poor dear mamma has a
1aigrainei You will not be able to see her;
she is in her bed. What penalties one pays
for endowment in this vale of tears. This
is the sad result of our delicious dinner last
night"
II am awful sorry," / remarked, trying
to look so. "But you-you are none the
worsew
sI,' says Corisande, shave the digestion
of an ostrich / do not think that diet OF
billiard-balls would impair it. But tell me,
mon cousin, is this to be regulation call OF
twenty minutes, or have you few hours at
your disposal?'
"All day." cry, joyfully. "Can 1 be of
any use to you?"
HOf every use." she replies, and fixing me
x-;+h +Jooa louaIu owes of bors she adds
ssLet us spend long day together"
Was ever so heavenly a proposition made
to mortal man!
'.It will be quite proper" she continues.
"You are my cousin, you know-my broth
er," with an arch glance.
ssBy all means,' I say: father, grand
father. UNCLE" thinking joyfully to myself
that she is my cousin all the same, and not
within the prohibited degrees in the prayer
book.
ssNo," she repeats, with peremptory lit
tie air, 'smy brother. Now I am going to
put on my hat. / have told mamma, and
Hudson will soigner her until my return.
Apropos, I have not told you, my dear Roger
where propose to take you. We are going
to have real lark. We will go down to
the fair at ST.. Cloud and buy fairings, and
we will lunch in balcony giving on the
river at Suresnes: and best of ALL" with a
triumphant look, 1--WE will go by the penny
boat"
And, making me a little gesture with her
hand, she vanishes.
Certainly, my cousin Corlsande IS as self
willed and original as she is fair. Never
mlndi her programme will suit me down
to the ground. In few minutes she reap
pears, looking more captivating than ever.
Her dress is pale blue cotton, perhaps?
do not know the names of materials; round
her throat is black lace-scarf? Again |
am uncertain. She wears a sort of Spanish
matador's hat with a big tuft, rather on the
back of her head, and she is just beginning
to put on CANT de Suede with Slegions of
buttons.
'Let us go,' says this enchanting crea-
ture.
eyes" in answer to look from me, sit
is very vulgar to put on ones gloves in the
street, but, you know, according to British
ideas, one can do anything abroad"
81 must place myself in your hands, my
fair cousin,' I observe; "for know no more
about the arrangements of the penny boat
iu Paris than the man in the MOON"
'sTrust yourself to me, she answers. "Now
call that uoiture. Tell him." she continues,
gayly stepping in, 'sTo drive to the Pont de
la Concorde.',
ssWon't you tell him?" say imploringly.
Ill tii AWFUL LlSANh; nNAN wv
speak it so divinely."
Thus urged she gave the order. BY this
time she has coaxed on one glove, and
holding out her arm to me, bids me button
it. A thrill of raptureSgoes through me
as / set myself with ardor to the delightful
task.
ooh. naalheur!" calculates Corisande
moment later, and 1 look up and see Phil
and Dolly in the act of passing. At least
don't see Dolly, for she has stuck her para
sol down over her little nose. Phil waves
his hand in CHEEKY, congratulatory sort OF
manner.
Corisande laughs maliciously.
"My poor Rogerp she says.
l am angry to find my face getting hot.
II wish you would not keep hinting," l
exelaim eagerly, ssthat there is anything be-
tween me and-and that lady"
s'Why not?" asks Corisande ceolly. "One
must have ones distractions. Aud that,
suppose, is N. le naari?"
eyes, poor old Phil Chester. one of my
greatest palsF'
Corisande gives me such saucy look that
[ am dumbfounded.
sI assure you upon my word of honor" /
cry,
ssThat is enough, mon cousin. Qai s. ca
cuse. s. accuse, you know. And | can east
" believe you, for give you credit for bet
ter taste than to beseriously epris with such
a very ordinary little person." Evidently
Corisande can hit hard as well as Dolly. L
have learned one thing in the course of my
five lustres and half, never to vaunt or de-
fend the charms of one woman to another.
We arrive at the quay; we take our place on
the wooden pier to wait for the boat; two
minutes more and we are on board. The
company is not very choice-some hideous
old women, one carrying fowls, a sprinkling
of mechanics, and few people who may by
contrast be called respectable. | feel very
unhappy at seeing my superb young goddess
in the midst of these dirty splitting beasts
one mercy it was none of my doing.
shrewdly suspect she did not know what she
was letting herself in for.
''Don't look so wretched, mon cher"
she cries, laughing; sit will be better, pres
entity"
True enough, at the Point de Palma our
most Objectionable fellow-travellers leave,
and Corisande and esconce ourselvs in the
bow. Our privacy is respected. Everything
after this is delightful. II is heavenly day
again; the sky is like one big turquoise.
Corisande points me out the pretty sloping
gardens at Passa; the merry-go-r rounds, the
arbors, and restaurants at Auteuil
'sWe will come here one evening"" she
saws, and you shall take me to the hippo
drome; o, and heaps of placesp'
And she gives me such an Intoxicating