Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-11-12
I said particularly Mr.. Muller, the gentle

never have got the letter. Why, my dea
child, the waiter knows nothing about &C
cent, and modified vowels, and all the res
of it. Null. Mul. e-r. ler; Muller, t
rhyme with sculler, don't you knowq''
"Hush, here comes papa; there's th
tap-tap of his stick. How can you dane
about like that" (for Charlie was executing
series of energetic pas seuzs on tn,
hearth-rug) "when everything is so seri
rious, I can't imagine. 1 feel as if should
faint
While Beatrice's father, the Honorabl,
Horatio Merryweather, is slowly descend
ing the stairs, we must explain matters {
| little.
Charlie Miller was generally called Char
lie Sherwood, his mother having married
Captain Sherwood about two years after
her first husbands death. Lieut.. Milsel
and Captain Sherwood had besn gea,
friends, ard when the former died, leaving
charming young widow of four-and- TWEEN
ty, and baby boy, Captain Sherwood
thought it his duty to supply the husbands
place. He had treated his step-son as his
own child, and few people suspected that
Charles father was dead, and that the
numerous brothers and sisters who adored
him were his relations only on his mothers
side.
He had meG Beatrice Merryweather at a
country house in Scotland. Thetwo young
people had been good deal thrown to.
gether. Beatrice was pretty, Charlie was
ardent, and they became engaged.
Now Mr.. Merryweather had standing
feud with the Sherwood family about some
ridiculous lawsuit. The disputed point
was the boundary between two moors, and
a great deal of good money had been
thrown away over very little bad land.
The very name of sherwood was an abomi.
nation unto the Honorable Horatio; nobody
dared mention it in his presence. The
good gentleman was terrible invalid, at
least he thought himself one, which is the
same thing, only worse. Any excitement
was said to be bad for his nerves, and any
shock was said to be bad for his heart. 1t
may or may not have been so, but one thing
was positively certain, any contradiction
was bad for his temper.
Mrs. Merryweather, large, warm-heart-
ed woman with no angles of mind or body,
acted as butler between the miserable by.
pochondriac and the outer world. How
she retained her genial, kindly nature, not
to speak of her adipose tissue, was mar
vel to all acquaintance. One would have
expec ed both to be worn away by the cen
slant wear and tear of her fretful husband 's
continual complaints. But Mrs. Merry.
weather seemed to fatten on them, and tc
grow sweeter and sweeter in proportion as
her lord and master grew sourer and sour
er. They had a large family. Horatio,
the eldest son, was at Oxford developing
his muscles instead of his mind; Beatrice,
the merriest, maddest maiden of them all,
was, as we know, secretly engaged tc
Charlie Sherwood, or raj her Charlie Miller;
Kittie, the next girl, was studying in Ger
many; the rest were good average children,
but have nothing to do with our story.
Mr.. Merryweathsr, tall, cadaverous in
dividual, now entered the room leaning
upon a stick. It was early in May, and the
twilight was gathering; but though the
lamps were lighted in the dining room, the
butler had not thought it necessary to light
them in he drawing-room.
Mr.. Merryweather looked anxiously
round for his visator. He had never beer
abroad, and had great prejudice against
foreigners, SO that Mrs. Merry weather had
had much difficulty in persuading him to
invite the eminent Professor of Geology to
his house. There stood Charlie, looking as
if ''the eternal feminine" was much more
in his line than fossiliferous strata, &c.
Mr. Merryweather was an extremely
puuctilious man, and never omitted any
conventional form of politeness. He was
also very particular with regard to the re-
finements of the toilet; scrupulously nice
and neat himself, he required others to be
the same. Charles appearance therefore
impressed him very favorably. He lad ex.
pected to see ragged-looking individual
with long hair, and dubious linen; one,
moreover, who would wear the inevitable
spectacles and huge square boots of
his kind. But the clean, well-dressed,
we'll -put-together young man before him
was very differeptaffair.
Mr.. Merryweather advanced with more
cordiality. 81 am glad to make your ac.
auaintance, sir" he said affably; ''my
daughter speaks of you in glowing terms" !"
The spurious Professor shook hands de-
ferentially with his host, and then made a
low bow toward Beatrice.
She turned away and pretended not to
see. "How stupid he is" she thought,
trembling with nervous apprehension; pa
pa means Kitty, Of course"
Bnt her father had no suspicion of any
thing wrong. He presumed the Professor,
naturally enough, was expecting an intro
duction.
"Ah, yes. This is my eldest daughter,
Beatrice; not quite so gifted as my daush-
ter Katherine. am afraid you would find
her sadly wanting. She is far behind your
pupil"
81 think should be satisfied with the
young lady," said Charlie, bowling again,
magnificent professional salaam which
Beatrice was obliged to return, looking in
tensely uncomfortable as she did so.
s'You must forgive me if l do wrong-ii
I make mistake-everything here is Sc
new to me-" said Charlie. slowly.
"Pray don't mention it, !" cried MIR. Mer-
ryweather. He spoke quite eagerly for him
this quiet, respectful manner was exactly
the kind of silent flattery which the naatadt
iimagimaire enjoyed He went on: 81 hope
you will like England. You must consider
us all quite at your command. shall be
happy, as far as my poor health will allow
to do anything to render your visit agree
able"
sThen the question is settled beforehand
| off in