, 1882-08-25

AtNl, AINl All,
You see Lucjus thought himself quito
n good man. ! don't want to say a word
against him, only it he is one then there
are plenty of good men about, that is
all. So much the better that there
should he, OF course.
His young wife, though hardly of
what you would call strong character,
inherited from the late Higgins large
share of that pertinacty which he had
turned to such good account; and she
pours ont the coffee this morning with
an mir of innocent triumph in her blue
eyes at having carried her point.
"And so Mrs. Fitzgerald insists on
Lady Nerulam and her daughter being
invited" mused her husband. "The
Neruams of all people in the world |!
For Percy, too As if Birdie Verulam
las she was familiarly called, her real
name being Bertha, would marry Per-
cy|
Percy is Amelia's brother, older than
she is by four or five years. Rich, of
course. Huggins Senior left his thou
sands equally divided. But the son had
not acquired any of that genteness and
good breeding which seemed to have
come to the sister as II by magic. In
Lucius Fitzgerald's mental phrase, "He
is an insuflerable young cub, talking
slang by the yard, and only fit to herd
with bagmen and shop-boys."
"Yet he is his brother -in-law, must
be made the best Of, and is even now
coming on the 10th to meet Lady Con-
stantia the fastidious and her delightful
ly-tine daughter II only they would
send an excused But no Circum-
stances would never go and risk their
cherished old reputation for spitefulness.
How they must smile now-that is, if
if they ever do smile"
So cogitated Lucius; and his little
bursts OF wicked exultation at losing the
battle rapidly gave way to ever-increas-
ing doubts and fears. He Was sufficient
ly grand seigne,r to remain uncrushed
by the Percy trouble. eva pour Ie
Jedu;trere :" but the other matter
seemed, as he reflected upon it, to hour
ly contain less and less of what was
sweet, and more and more Of what was
bitter. Granting that there is always
something of rapture in meeting our
souls ideal once again, SO long, that is,
as she is not on the arm of a successful
rival, what good could possibly come
out Of this untoward encounter? And
for momentary thrill, q Joy that was
first cousin to sorrow, was il worth
while to j1opardize even such very gray
colored domestic felicity rs now be-
longed to himp Yes, the more he
thought of it, the less he liked the pros
.pect. Visions Of strange, heart .rending
scenes, tragic duets and more tragic
tries. began to fit across his brain by
night and day. After all, he had suf-
fered narvelously little for the lack OF
Miss Verulams society since his mar.
riage. Indeed, this had often been q
subject of wonder to him. He was really
comfortable enough with Amelia, and as
to romance, passion, ecstasy-was the
whole thing worth while? Was he not
getting just shade too old, or, TO put
it plainly, too fat and lazy, for these
fatiguing toys?
All this time Amelia was perfectly
happy and serene; for when Lucius was
with her lie was more than ever auc
petits soinsj and then had she not gained
her own way in the matter OF inviting
these geruiams? l..
And they were coming, too. "Were
going 10 pay other visits III the neigh
borhood, and should be so delighted" I"
Lady Constantia's nota had SAIL.
For some days before they arrived
Mr.. Fitzgerald had good deal of spare
time on his hands. with which his vito
did not interfere. She was so engrossed
in her first hospitab'e preparations, anl
in adding touches Of beauty to the some-
what hastily furnished rooms, that shs
had little leisure to bestow upon her
husband. Tho quittance would hay-
been, perhaps, something Of mercy ~
any other time hut as hour after hou.
passed on, and the time approached
nearer for the arrival of the VerulamI.
Mr.. Fitzgerald grew more and more do.
jected, till at last even Amelia was conf
PEELED to notice it, aud she inquired with
some solicitude what allied him. ~
course he brisked up suddenly and saiG
" Nothing How could he own thu
he either longel for or feared the arrival
Of these people? IN point Of fact lp
was absolutely beginning to- dread it.
"You will go and meet them at the
station, Lucius? 1t would be no unciyll
to let them come up here all alone. But
| think / had better stay and receive
them in the hall that is the way, is it
not, in your world?'
Eyes, yes. You always hit the right
mark, love which was more than he
did, for lie bobbed down and kissed her
plump on the nose, and barely smiled
at his mistake.
With this he dashed out Of the room,
leaving Amelia little bit disconnected
at his ill-concsaled excitement. A mo-
ment later she heard the sound of
wheels, and looked out of the window.
Mr. Fitzgerald, in a whitecllapel, was
going down the drive.
"Hoae to meet the Verulams in that
thing Impossible :" cried his wife.
Il ordered the carriage"
Bat Lncius Fitzgerald had gone to
meet the Yorulms, and &c had the bar,
nuchr. He wuuld inst drive himself to