Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-28
LOVE AND TENNIS.
CHAPTER !.

both perfectly well, no relative has died, I
haven't lost any money, and yet am wretched
Ihdre been found out By my ,cife; and at present
she Is crying her pretty blue eyes out up stairs
while am alternately cursing my weakness and
matchmaking my fortune down here can
not help thinking that have sort of an excuse
If Tossy would only listen to me: and / set
down here the whole history of our misfortune
in the mOurnful hope that she may consent to
read TINS. although she may not be willing to
hear ME speak.
One night last summer / closed the volume
that had been deghting me with the talk of
the famous eighteenth-century men and women
and as l lay back in my chair i'm the dusk
seemed to hear the voices still speaking.
heard the deep tones of the political prophets
the eager arguments of the philosophers and the
theologians. and the light jests of the careless
wits heard the softer tones OF female voices
and the merry tinkle of feminine laughter; and
as heard them vast longing came upon me-
If the ghosts of bygOne conversations still had
such delights for me, should not feel vivider
JOY when the words came from hearts that were
yet beating, when the CAV lest and SPARKLING
wit flashed from busy brains not yet the spoil
OF the grave, when the airy laughter and bright
smiles illuminated lips that were still rosy with
life! L had dwell too long i'm the printed
world; i was becoming stiff and straitened be-
mingle with my fellOw-men; now take part in
the conversations that perhaps would engc re
the attention of some peaceful student like Ely-
self in the future.
/ should awake into the nineteenth en-
fury. had spent a considerable period in the
years before the Christian era; had seen the A.
ID. in their teens had got lost in ages so dark
that no candle would burn in them; and latterly
had been wandering about In the eighteenth
century
had lived pretty much alone In the world.
SO far as contemporaries went. Parents or
brethren had never known: but my father had
left me TO the care of his brother and the latter
had discharged the trust by having me educated
at private school in England. allowing me to
take leisurely degree at Oxford. and finally
leaving me his fortune, which he had acquired
in some original way connected with ginger
had seen him once or twice, but for the greater
part of his life he resided at Calcutta. / had al
ways been OF q retiring disposition; and the pos
session of comfortable fortune which was
managed by my unce's lawyers, only placed it
In my power to crafty my taste for quiet read
ing and study. | had my name entered at one
of the Inns of Court and had eaten nv dinners:
but had no intention of practising at the bar.
! should have said that my name is Theodore
Lancey. 1t is very curious to look back upon
my former life now / seem to have been al
most hermit.
had and still have a friend named Fitzjames.
He Is quite young, never having been out of the
nineteenth century; but I'm certain respects
have found that he is considerably older than
am. FitZjames prldes himself upon being
young man who knows about things-if not
young man Of the world, then nothing It
seemed to me that an individual with a special
knowledge of the kind he claimed to possess
would be of more use to ME than priests to
HerOdOtus. He would be the very man to in
troduce ME to my fellOw-beings. / accordingly
told him of my wishes. $50 you've come to air
at last" he said .'well. I'm glad to hear it. and
I'll show you round all right What you've got
to do first is to learn the name of the ruling
sovereign and the dates of the Reform Bill and
the Ballot Act. I'm going to run up north to
Strathbiane HydrOpathic Establishment and il
you like you can come with me. These affairs
are all the go nowadays, and you'll see lots of
character there. and we can take a run round
Scotland afterward."
cQuite innocent of knowing what hydropathc
establishments were. consented. and i'm about
aweek after my resolution found myself in the
Strathbiane HydrOpathic Establishment We
arrived late in the afternoon shortly before din
ner. and FTZameS conducted me after hasty
toilet to the drawing-roOm of the house. The
room. which was very large was very full. and
to my excited eyes seemed at first full only of
ladies. l subsidized quietly into a corner behind
book, while fitz5 ames disappeared elsewhere.
felt very much abashed by my intrusion into
this large COMPANY. where everybody seemed to
know some else. and / began to feel the first
$winges Of that unmcrciful nervousness into
which the presence of ladies throws the unac-
custOned swain. As peeped through my spec
tacies. taking notes of the social customs of the
day, as persuaded myself. felt how helpless I
should be if turned adrift in such place alone
"Ah." thought l, IF the old ladies only took
0uif and carried canes. and If the Young ladies
only wore hieth-waisted short gowns and high
combs. l should feel more at home. and should
be able to address them with q hirh-hOWn COM
pliment and a low bow" The company was
certainly heterogeneous. Elderly ladies who
bore the water-fnark OF spinsterhoOd abOunded;
kindly looking matrOns were there; old gentle
men who looked as if only the near prospect of
dinner Kept them from going to sleep; fresh,
bright young ladies, such as i'm all my centuries
have never seen since Nausicaa; and slim young
fellows that reminded me Of the fOppish Alci-
blades. FitZjames presently deserted conyers-
Ing. nay even chatting. at his ease and comfort
ably with what seemed to be a delightful
family-party of ladies. "For" as he afterward
explained, that's the way one has to do here
you know; you're a fool IL you're stiff" /
thought (parenthetically) that 1t was the way
should like to do everywhere, if / only got the
chance Of such pleasant companions. And
after all. l discovered that Fitzjames was an
old acquaintance of these same ladies' and in
deed an firmly convinced that their presence
had something to do with Fitzames' choice of
his first stOpp!ng-place in Scotland
The summons Of the gong was responded to
BY general stampede of the occupants of the
drawing-IoOm, and | was swept along with the
rest to the dining-hall. A compassionate wait
Icss piOtcu ne 10 the seat appOrtl0ned me at
the table, and almost Immediately FitZjames
dropped into the chair beside me- Dinner at a
bydropathic establishment is ALWAYS serious
matter. and those who are knowing seem to de-
vote all their attention to it for the time Our
nei9hbors were not interesting. and our VISA
Wis seemed to be too much engrossed to repay
advances. ii was during dinner that FitZjaines
told me that he had met some friends of his
the two Miss Delayels, and their aunt Miss
Scott, who were spending a short time i'm Scot
land. We could descry the ladies at the other
end OF the long table at which we sat; and |
tEought Fitzj james was lucky fellow to STUN
Ole upon such charming acquaintance so Soon
He offered to Introduce me to them after din
ner, but when that time came was so over
pOwered-it is a humiliating confession-with
bashfulness that couldn't summon up courage
to enter the drawiRg.roo but kept uncOm-
fortably vibrating between the billiard-room
and the reading-room. which seemed entirely
surrendered 10 the male sex. FitZjames did not
seem TO have noticed my behavior. for he made
NO alluson to it; he probably forgot my ex-
tsteace.
The next morning, after enjoying the more
specially hydropathic features of the place,
stroiled into the reading-rOOm to glance over
the newspapers before breakfast There were
two or three ladies similarly waiting and
shortly afterward I noticed Fitzames' friends,
DoiaCpis nDtn fh.ar