Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-28

Highlands before meeting their father, Colonel
DELAYED, at Edinburgh on the following Satur-
covered that We were going BY exactly the same
| route, and had persuaded Miss Scott, who was
little nervous about travelling without an es-
cort, that it would be for'every ones advantage
were to start the next forenoon before lunch,
| but, said Miss Tossy, i"I think We'll be able
| SO, Mr.. Lancey p
If the guilt of silently asserting be less black
than that Of verbally expressing concurrence, 1
am entitled to the slight advantage. saw my
self plunging deeper and deeper In the mire I
| longed to tell Miss Tessy all, but dared not
Coward.I iuiled my conscience with sOphistries.
What need to open her eyes now! A short
week AMI we should part, probably never to
meet again; then why cloud the happiness of
that week! She had said she could never like
any one who couldn't play tennis: it was too
much to resign all chance Of Miss Tossy's smiles
and good opinion: How enved that other T.
Lancey! Would were he, and a Unsuitable
hero in Miss Tossy's eyes.
On Monday morning l awoke in low spirits
| l sprang up, and oh Joy, Twas on fortunes can
the very button! 1t was raining heavily. Blessed
| climate of Scotland there would be no tennis
But the trial OF wearing dismal cOuntenance
to hide joyful heart was almost as bad, and
| even now l cannot think of that mornings
greetings without feeling my cheeks burn with
shame The rain continued all the morning. but
shortly after we got into the train the sun strng-
gled through the clouds, and we had fine
afternoon and evening. We had quite con-
siderable tour marked out for one week. and
never shall forget these delightful days. Fitz-
james was splendidly capable man to travel
with. and managed everything, while to me. as
book man. was intrusted the duty of ex-
| huming the interesting Items from the fat green
| guide-bOok for the general benefit l don't sup
| pose gulde-boOks usually move any sentimental
regards in the hearts of their pOssessors. still
less when they are heavy and fat; but cherish
an affection for that guide-book that is undying.
and never see it's corpulent form without feeling
| as though l beheld an old friend. l felt less
nervous than ever, and Miss Scott Miss Tossy,
| and got through an enormous quantity of talk.
| Ihanks to the Incidents of travel and to Miss
SCOTS presence, lawn-tennis did not often come
| upon the tapis. but, when it did, it gave me a
| twinge as though my conscience had tooth
| ache.
Saturday duly found us in Edinhurgh. had
oeen somewhat nervous about the Cc!!aGcii
| Papa would be very pleased to see me, and
| thank me for all my trouble" But there is
always lurking uncertainty about young
| ladies' papas. Col. Delavel who was waiting
| Tor US in the Royal hotel. was not one of your
| truculent old fellows with bloodshot eyes and
| loud voices, but was as quiet and retiring as
| was consistent with an erect martial figure and
| a heavy white moustache. He received me
very kindly. Every glad to see you, Mr.. Ian
cey. You've been looking after these two
better than do" assured him it was a
| great pleasure, etc. ''By the way" he went
on, -! wonder whether you are any relation
to told old Jeremy Lancey in Calcutta, Ginger
| he was my uncle.' "What! you're old Ginger
nephew! I'm delighted to see YOU Why. you
| must be young Theodore Lancey. that got al;
My dear boy, shake hands again"
This was all right; this was charming sort of
''papa." Before the arrival of Fitzjames, who
| had walked from the Waverley Station. we
| were on the best Of terms. The Colonel insisted
| on our taking rooms at the Royal; indeed he
| secured rooms for us himself before we could
make any objections which neither of us had
the remotest intention Of doing. We stayed in
| Edinburgh three or four days enjoying peerless
| weather, and charmed with that most beautiful
of cities. The Colonel was in great spirits and
| trotted round with us to all the lions. Miss
| Scott seemed to consider her responsibility as
extingulshed by the Col0nes presence. and she
| generally remained with him while we Younger
four indefatigably assembled all the stairs and
| steps and steep paths that led to anything to be
\ seem titZjames. with an admirable consistency,
| generally led the way with Miss Delayel while
Miss Tossy naturally tell to my lot. gradually
| grew less and less nervous and tongue tied i'm
her society, and often found myself talking to
| her with the utmost sang-frOd. and even eX-
changing mild tests with her. But it was not all
pleasure. was too deeply involved in iniquity
! to escape punishment and every time lawn
tennis was mentioned felt as though had re-
ceived stab avoided the subject AS much as
possible in conversation. and vet sat IN at nigbt
| reading all the available literature on the game
| for which wrote to my bookseller in London
| gradually acquired a tOlerabie theoretical ac-
| quaintance with the terms of the game, but I
was always in agonies of alarm lest l should
| make some utter and irretrievable bunder when
l ventured to speak on the subject Nav nv
worst enemy never be in such tortured But
was still Fortunes favoritc aud even nv re-
luctance to speak on the subject was regarded
as peculiar delicacy on the part OF 81. Lancey
| the great player" in not wishing to bore papa
or aunt Margaret with selfish topic. With the
Colonel was in high favor, and he found me
an unobtrusive listener to all his old stories. in
not few of which Jeremy Ginger" was a
| figure.
When we left Edinburgh the Colonel to take
| his girls down to his place in Herts, and Fitz-
james and to further travel. received a most
cordial invitation to visit the Delavels mme-
dlately on my return south. For moment as
! looked at Tossy's blue eyes and pouting lips
| leaned to assent, but when she exclaimed. "Do
| come, Mr.. Lancey. and We'll have some splendid
! games of tennis" shuddered at my danger and
! made my excuses as we'll as might thought
that Iossy looked disappointed. and had not all
the others been present, l believe l should have
| flung myself on her mercy and revealed ALL
| The Colonel insisted, however. on my promis-
ing to visit them at Christmas, and 1 con-
sented. There could not surely be any tennis at
| Christmas time.
did not relapse into the bygone centuries
when l returned to London. / had found INV
contemporaries so very pleasant that resolved
to take up my permanent abode in the nine
teenth century, and revisit my former haunts
only occasionally. Fitzjames gave me much
help in bringing myself down to date, and in
deed began to like him more than had ever
done before. He knew the Delavels. and was
always willing to talk about them, and it is a
great assistance to friendship when two fellows
like to talk about the same people. He used
sometimes to rally me about my tennis. and crv
that it wasn't rair Of me finding my way into
ladies' favor under false colors. 1 never could
summon up courage 10 tell him how serious a
matter it was to me, and by-and-by he forgot all
about it. Ipractised tennis very diligently, tor
though knew, Of course, that could not com
tinue under my present character, as champion.
still Miss Tossy had said she didn't think She
could like any one who couldn't play, and re-
solved to emerge from that category at all haz-
ards. 1 joined a suburban club, and several
times Went to see the real T. Lancey play. and
when l saw what Mss Tossy had thought me
able to perform almost swooned. The glazing
difference was too frghtful.
Christmas week came at last, and with Il a
cordial note from the Colonel repeating his in
vitation. The note ended with a regret that
there would be no tennis, unless insisted upon
| DlaVinD in the hnt ~ dara 4hop ,,,n,,Id