The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-11-21
Tue PRESS.
[Belgravia.l
The ProctOr's WoOing.
A Tale of Two Continents.


thick of Summer term, and |, Cyril Payne,
NJ. A., Senior Proctor of the University of
Oxford, was calmly asked to undertake the
sole charge for a week of a wild American
girl, travelling alone, and probably expecting
me TO run about with her just as foolishly
as had done at Nice. There it lay before
me, that awful note, in its overwhelming
conciseness, without hope OF respite or in
reference. 1t was simply crushing.
Ny Dear Mr. Payne-I am coming to Oxford, as
Won advised me. shall arrive tomorrow by the
lois A a. train, aud mean to stop at the Ran
dolph. hope you will kindly show me all the
lions. yours very sincerely,
Ida VAN RENSSELAER,.
It was dated Tuesday and this was We'd
nesday morning. / hadn't opened my let
tiers before seeing last nights charges at 8
O'clock and it was now just 10. In mo-
men. the full terror of the situation flashed
upon me. She had started; she was already
almost here; there was no possibility of tel
egraphing to stop her; before L could do
ANYTHING, the would have arrived, have
taken 70 pms at the Randolph, and have
come round in her queer American manuer
to call upon me. There was not moment
to be lost. | must rush down to the station
and meet her-in full academicals, velvet
sleeves and all, for proctor must never be
seen in the morning in multi. If there
had been half an hour more, | could have
driven round by the parks, and called for
my sister Annie, who was married to The
ophilus Sheepshanks, Professor of Compar-
alive Osteology, and who might have helped
me out of the scrape. But as things stood,
was compelled to burst down the High
Just was, hail hanson opposite Queens,
and drive furiously to the station in bare
time to meet the 1915 train. At all haz-
ards, Ida Van Rensselaer, must not go to
Al. 1al, or,1 ,of hQ o0r cd off n
Annie's. whether she would or not. On the
way down had time to arrange my plau
of action, and before reached the station
thought / saw my way dimly out of the
scrape which this mad Yankee girl had so
inconsiderately got me into.
had met Ida Van Rensselaer, the winter
before at Nice. We stopped together at a
pension on the Promenade des Angais; and
as l was away from Oxford-for even a
proctor must unbend sometimes-and as
she was a pleasant, lively young person with
remarkably fine eyes, travelling by herself,
had taken the trouble to instruct her in
European scenery and European art. She
had fancy for being original, so took her
to see Eza, and R0ccabruna, and st, Pons,
and all the other queer, picturesque little
places iu the Nice district which no Ameri-
can had ever dreamt of going to see before;
and when Ida went on to Florence, | hap
pened-quite accidentally, of course-to
turn up az the very same pension three days
later, weere gave her further lessons in the
art of admiring the early medieval masters
and the other treasures of Giotto's city. l
was bit of collector myself, and in my
rooms at Magdalen | fatter myself that |
have got the only one genuine Botticelli in
private collection in England In spite OF
her unnamed American savagery, Ida had a
certain taste for these things, and evidently
my lessons gave her the first glimpse she
had ever had of that real interior Europe
whose culture she had not previously sus-
pected; 1t is pleasant to teach pretty
pupil, and in the impulse of a weak mo-
ment-it was in a gondos at Venice-I even
told her that she should not leave for
America without having seen Oxford. OF
course | fancied she would bring chaperon.
Now she had taken me at my word, but she
had come alone. had brought it all npon
myself, undoubtedly; though how the dick
ems | was ever going to get out OF it could
not imagine.
ASH reached the station the 10. Is was
Just coming in. / cast wild glance right
and left, and saw at least dozen under
graduates, without capor gown, lettering
on the platform in obvious disregard of uni
versity law. But felt far too guilty to
proct0rise them, an | was terribly concious
that all their eyes were fixed upon me, as
moved up and down the carriages looking
for my American friend. She caught my
eye in moment, peeri G out of a second
class window-she had told me that she was
not well off-and [ thought | should have
sunk in the ground when sue jumped light
ly out, seized my hand warmly, and cried
out quite audibly in her pretty family
American voice, my dear Mr.. Payne, am
so glad you've come to meet me. Will you
lr1pn oil
it in England, don't yon?-and get it sent
up to Randolph, please, at once?"
Was ever proctor so tried on this earth?
But made an effort to smile it off. "My
sister is so sorry she could not come to meet
YOU. Miss Van Rensselaer, said in my
loudest voice, for saw all those twelve sin
lister undergraduates watching afar off with
eager curiosity; ''but she has sent me down
to carry you off in her stead, and she begs
you won't think of going to the Randolph,
but will come and make her house your
home as long as you stay in Oxford fat
tered myself that the twelve odious young
men, who were now forming a sort of irreg-
ular circle around us would be completely
crushed by that mastery stroke; though
what on earth Annie would say at being sad
died with this Yankee girl for a week |
hardly dared to fancy. For Annie was a pro-
fessors wife; and the dignity of profess
sors wife is almost as serious a matter as
that of a. senior proctor himself.
Imagine my horror, then, when Ida an
swered, with her frank smile and sunny
voice, "Your sister! l didn't know you had
a sister. And anyhow | haven't come to see
your sister, but yourself. And I'd better go
to the Randolph straight, Pm sure, because
! shall feel more at home there. You can
come round and see me whenever you like
there; and mean you to show me all Ok
ford, now I've come here, that's certain
l glanced furtively at the open-eared I'M
dergraduates, and felt that the game was
really up. could never face them again.
must resign everything, take orders, and fly
to country rectory. AT least | thought so
on the spur of the moment
But something must clearly be done. /
couldn't stand and argue out the case with
Ida before those twelve young fends, now
reinforced by group of porters; and / de-
termined to act strategically-that is to say,
tell white lie. "You can go to the Ran
dolph, of course, if you wish, Miss Van
Rensselaer," said: "Will you come and
show me which is your luggage? Here, you
SIR" to one of the porters-a little angrily
fear-scome ana get this lady's boxes, will
you.
In minute had secured the boxes, and
went out for cab. There was nothing left
but single nansom. DemorallZed as was
] took it and put Ida inside. "Drive to
Lechlade Villa, the Parks" l whispered to
the cabby-that was Annie's address-and l
Jumped in beside my torturer. As we drove
up by the Cornmarket, could see the por-
sers and scouts of BallioPs and Johns all
looking eagerly out at the unwonted sight of
a Senior Proctor in full academicals, driving
through the streets of Oxford in handsome
cab, with lady by his side. As for Ida, she
remained happily unconscious, though l
blamed her none the less for it. In her ma
tive wilds knew such vagaries were per-
mitted by the rules of society; but she ought
surely to have known that in Europe they
were not admissible
NOW Miss Van Rensselaer," said, as
we turned the corner of Carfax, 81 am TAX
ing you to my sisters. Excuse my frank
ness if | tell you that, according to English,
and especially Oxford etiquette, it would
never do for you to go to hotel. Peoples
sense of decorum would be scandaized if
they learnt that a lady had come alone to
visit the Senior Proctor, and was stopping
at the Randolph. Don't you see yourself
how very odd it looks?"
'Well, no." said Ida, promptly; 81 think
you are dreadfully suspicious people; you
seem always to credit everybody with the
worst motives. In America we think peo-
pie mean no harm, and don't look after them
co eharnlv van do Pint 7 rnatlv can't on