New-York tribune., 1881-03-27


the Princess though he did not express nlmselL so
frankly. Could It be the curate he thought, eIe-
vating his eyebrows he D,s1 %Rs bsinS Is Sometimes
gifted to produce such emotion IN the iaFest Doson
CHAPTER IX.-CosMo.
II s fine TO let the reader of this story know who
Cosmo Douglas was, whose appearance mau "
This was q fact that Dir. Mountford nad very soon
elected by his inquiries. He did not belong TO any
known house Of Douglases under tne sun; Co.no m,a
frank confession on this point but perhaps u wOuo
be more true to say that it showed the good sense
which certainly was one ol ms ged ro
or consented to in this respect must Dave
been found out very shortly; ana II womb only ony
have been TO his dIscredt to claim good oonnectons
which did not belong to him. Honesty Is the best
poicy he had SAID to himself, and therefore ne nao
been honest. Nevertheless It was ais standIng n,
understand It, 1t had been a trouble to him all ms
life How was he inferior to the other people VINO
had good connections ne had Tecelxed tpe iis s,ne
he was as much gentleman, that curious
English distinction which means everything ana
With,n himself the healthy thrill of opposition with
which The lOwly born sometimes scorn the supposed
superiority of blue blood. He for his part bad some
thing in his heart which entIey for
himself that his friends should be well born. ne
had ms natural a prediction that way as II ms
Rhlelu held
shield Cosmo was not very clear what 1t was In
his boybood he had accepted the crest whlch MS
rather wore at his watch chan and has stamped upon
his spoons and forks, with undOubting 1alth, as II
II had descended straight from the Crusaders; aud
whom he had read of the dark gray man IN carry
Scotch history and of that Lord James who carried
Bruco's heart to the Holy Land, there was sTell
of pride within him and he had no doubt that thry
were his ancestors. But as he grew older dawned
upou COsmO that his father had assumed
the bleeding heart because he found 1t represented
in the old book of heraldry az the cognzance OF the
DOuOlases, and not because he had any hereditary
right to iand, indeed. the fact was tnat g19d Mr.
pliCty that his name entitled MIN 10 inc symO93ii
which was connected with the name, ana that all
those great people so far OFF from the present Gay
were no doubt his ancestors, though IL WIS Voo ia
back to he able TO tell.
MIR. Douglas himself was q man OF the highest
responsibility He was the managing clerk IN 3
solicitors Cfiice with good saasy anu tne ontLse t
confidence of his employers. Perhaps he might
even have been partner had e been OF boider
temper but he was afraid OF responsibility ana had
no DESIRE he said, 10 assume different position or
rise i'm the social scale. That would be for COsIno,
he added, within himself He had lost his wife at o
yery early PERIOD when Cosmo was still child, and
gave him every advantage For himself he lived
very quietly in house with garden out at Hamp,
stead way, small house capable OF being managed
by one respectable woman-servant, who had been
with him for years, and young girl under her, or
sometimes boy, when she could DE persuaded 10
put up with one of these more obIectionaOle crea-
posed TO be best for an English young man. He was
AT Westminster School, and so received into the
fraternity of public school men,. which IS distinct
class IN England and then he went 10 the UnlVer-
sitv When he took his degree he studied FOR the
bar. Both at Oxford and LIncoln's Inn he was IN
for all his examinations In company with the sOh
OF his fathers employer; but II was CoSmo who was
the most promising student always and the most
popular man. He had the AIR and the bearing, tue
je ne seals QHOi which is supposed to indicate lam
iIyJ though he was of no family. Nothing was ever
more perplexing. lie cOud not understand II himself,
What was It that made this wonderful difference
When he looked at Charley Ashley asmile would
sometimes steal over his cOuntenRnce. In that point
OF view the prejudice certainly showed its full ao-
surdity Charley was his retainer MS taithinl toi-
lower-his dog, In way. But Mr. Mountiord.
though be wOuld probably have thought Charley
not a suitable match for his daughter. would not
have looked npon him with the same puzzled air hs
on creature Of different species, with when ne
regarded the suitOr who was nobody. Wheu thls
contrast struck him. no doubt. he smiled with 1T
tie bitterness. Charley had his connections among
the little squires OF the district He had an uncle
guished list OF other-the Gentry OF Great Britain
or some other such bead-roll But Cosmo had no
link at all to the classes who CONSIDER themselves
the natural masters OF the world.
III you will think OF II. II was as troublesome and
unpleasant position could be cOnceived-to have
all that makes q gentleman and 10 he gentleman,
fully considered and received ~ such yet upon cl0e
Investigation to be found TO be nobody. and have all
your other Qualities ignored III consequence. Ii was
hard-it was a complicated, perDlcxing grievance
such as could only occur ia the m9t aItlnc' s.aie %
was by dnt OF bard blows, and people were AFRAID OF
him. But rising in the world bad very different
meaning in Cosmos case. lie haG always known
what II was to be carefully tended. daintily fed,
clothed with the bost of c0tbes-a3 well as dukes
son need have been. He had all the books 10 read
which any dukes could have set his face to; and
though the Hampstead rooms were small. and might
have looked pOky had there been family cooped mp
In them. Cosmo and his father had felt no want OF
sDace nor of comfort. Even that little Hampstead
hou yVaQ r.
had died, though still not much beyond middle age,
and COsmO had his chambers. like any other Young
barrisier and several clubs. and all the advantages
which his father had sworn he should have He had
q little money, and little practice. and was get
ting on III he was not IN fashionable society, he
was vet Ia an excellent net -rsln barTlsters. lit
erary people all rising too. people Of reputation,
people who suppose themselves 10 sway tho world,
and who certainly direct a great deal OF Its public
talk, and carry a large silent background OF its pop
ulatiOn with them. He was verv well thought oi
among this class, went out great deal into society,
knew great many people whom 1t Is supposed
something to knOw-and yet he was nobody. The
mcrest clown could hIve confused him at any time
by asking Which IS your county, DOuglasP Pool
CusmO had no county. He took the deficiency nd
mrably. it is needless tn say, and mover shrked the
truth when there was any need TO tell ~ but yet
his friends knew we'll enough tnat he had no rela
tiOns to give HIM shooting, or ask hm during tho
hunting season; no district had any claim upon
him nor he upon 1t. A man may love his home when
IL has never been anywhere but in Hampstead. But
1t makes great dlfference-even when his friends
make up the deficiencies OF family to him, ana in
vte him. as he had this year been invited. to share
the delights of Scotch mOorstill 10 makes great
difference. And when It is matter OF matrlmony
and of producing his proofs of gcntilty, and Oi be
ing fJ person to marry Anne Mountf0rd, theu the
difference shows most OF all.
When COsmo attained that perfect freedom from
all ties and power OF roaming wherever be pleased
without anV clog 10 draw him back, which was in
volved in his fathers death Though 1t may be 50 ID
for him that this was an event which he deeply re
gretted) he made up his mind that he would moi
mar af laaaf reached
tinction in his profession to make him somebody
quite indepeL lent of conHectons But then he haC
not seen Ammo Mountford. With her, without any
secondary motives, no had fallen honestly and
heartily in love- a love which he would however
have managed to quench and get the better Of. hat
IT not turned out upon inquiry that Anne on'
whom II was entirely permissible TO love, and wht
could help him. not hold him back in the career O
auccnaa- Lie Lad- hnMeNer. mnnN dIsCnsalnna viii