New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-15
CHAPTER III.

knowledge her hypocrisy and ask forgiveness
CHAPTER III.
Two days later Mrs. Thomas returned the
DucheSs's visit inst as the latter was receiving
call from a Young gentleman OF artistic procllvItcS
who had been in turn an artist. dTamatIst. poet
and novelist. He had been more or less successful
in each line Of art, but suffered from having gone
from one to another. and was in tins way hut one
Of large css, of clever yonng fellows who, Ike the
provcrblal rOlllns-stone, though they "oiA hiIu
gain little.
I'm the few wears he had devoted to each art he
had according TO his account, M least. come 70
know almost every well-known person connected
with it. Whether ne actually did or not au IN,
able to saw but II is fair to suppose he knew goou
number aud occasionally added TO the list If a story
he wished to tell required to have some particular
celebrity its hero 70 be interesting or worth tel
ing. 1t is moreover OF but niue consequence
whether he knew all of whom he spoke OF or not.
for bv using their names he made ms conversation
Mt all times entertaining, and sometimes Whch you
could believe all he said. interesting As We'll. =.
Though undoubtedly gifted with brains, the line
that is said 20 separate thu sublime from the rdrii,
lous seemed TO run exactly through the mudie OF al
his productions so that critic was almost AWAY
forced to admit that although there were points ol
merit in each. there was suCh strainlhg 10 DE-
original and to outdO on his own ground some one
else that they were failures Indeed stranlng to
be original was the rock he split on. Tor he would ne
original in everything, or. at least sufficiently
original that very rev WouI9 o '.DlG ~ ~ lIol
whence III stylc was borrowed. In painting ne was
aesthetic till it began 70 be too much subject Tor
ridicule In poetry, Ike the famous Bunth0rne ne
somewhat rerembled he was tieshly. EYcn IN n
religion lac would be original, the old forms oil
Christianity were too prosy or too imaginary 10 saIt
him. h. looked cu for one more 10 hls taste ana
selected poStiyi.m. With some people he passed a.
genius. with others as clever, but muCh mistaken
Young fellow with others ~ an extraordinary Won ng
fellow. and with all aS one not very conpfehehSIOIc
He was liked, however. by everyone, for he was "a,
plea SAINT IN conversation Is he was good natured
and kind. His weaknesses and little toible5 were
put ND with for the sake of his better qualities, and
lao --.ls %
Mrs Thomas. as soon rs they were Introduced
seemed to take to one another at once lie ie tncre
was more in her than N the stcrcOtyped ladies he
had been in the habit Of meeting in drawing rooms
and he got her 70 talk. His iayOrie subject beng
his own writings, he would have had her opinion
about all of them, but especially on ms novel, Inc
Modern Sweetheart % which he very proud
but that she had unfortunately not read any OF MS
works. 50 he thought America would be gQod SUD
iect He was thinking Of writing novel about ms
cousins in the West, and some hints might be gath
cred besides. it would be civil to say something
about il. lIc accordingly began
DO you know, Mrs. Thomas l have often
Thought Of writing a novel about your country. I
think il would be- n capital subject. W hat class OF
society would yOu recommend me to write about !!
aOhl the ofiice-seekcrs and the mill ionnaires
though | went little into society that scarcely
know what the principal foibles OF people III the
Eastern States. Which are Of course. the principal
ones. The M0rmous. IN California, would. l lahcy,
be a very good subject Also
But the Mormons don't live in California, do
they
Oh. YES. or at least little to the west Of it,
answered Mrs Thomas. feeling she was little un,
5 lfc and might commit herself slOrlIy, IL she Hau
not done SO already.
But the west would be the sea. or the islands in
It; You can't mean You have treated these uuior-
tUnatc people badly rs to relegate them INTO the
ocean
Mrs Thomas laughed; there was a cynicism in his
tone and 4 latent smile under his eyes that made
her feel uneasy. she had forgotten where salt Lake
City was. and no effort SIZE made could recall the
M I'M d tlp state IL III ana as a SUSPICION
flashed her mind that she was beng led INTO
a trap she determined to cut the whole thing, anu
SO rcDel Oh. of course the " est ~ the ocean;
meant the east but quite forget where they I've
| ALWAYS had au adherence OF them, and Their
name Is assoc.ai ted III my mnd with my poor nus
bands death. The passengers IN the ship that we
were in when ne got drowned were almost ali MOT
mons ct IL, talk of something else you have beea
in Paris hcaI the pictures IN the Louvre are ex-
ccllcnt.'
Thus did this clever little lady ovado an at,
tack that in another sentence would have stranded
her he artist pOet-jOurnallst-noyClls could say
no more, and, although he generally saw pretty
deem into female aflectatiOn, unable TO make
I'D his mind as 10 Mrs. GhOmass reasons Tor break
ing off the conversation 50 after hastily replying
aud saving a few words about the lullCries,
Grand Opera and the Louvre he joined IN
conversation with some people next hlln, ana uhiii
she lett, few minutes later, Mis-. Thomas heard
Of him no more.
The Duchess introduced her to two ladies, and
another conversation started that does not m
terest Us sufficiently to repeat | he two ladies'
came with their brother youth Of about sixteen
summers and as many Winters" as poor Aficilus
Ward would have SAID. His face had no character
Islcs II showed neither clevcrncss nor manlIucss
he was . very feeble creature KIND Oh puppy5
head mounted on a body tall aud slIght-yery tail
and very slight. lie was dressed with great care,
but spoke at tunes very tOolIshiy indeed. lie made
a point of attending every first night at the thea
tres and prided himself upon being an authority
upon ali matters theatrical
He considered himself moreover a competent
critic. and was fayorite butt OF Mt. George ia
vantage, the pOct-noyeiSt ere, OF Whph coh'e
quently he lived in great dread. he quick eye OF
Mrs Thomas that If he We're battered as she
knew he would like to be BATTERED, he would make
an excellent Boswell 20 sound her praises every
where aud so was as courteous to HIM rs dld MOI
prevent her from improving her acquaintance with
his sisters. But daily too long. As the room wa,
now filling with fresh visitors, she rose 10 CO. ana
hoped as she wished good 20 her new acquaint-
anCes, they would come and see her 81 Epson
House. To each there was an attraction. Davah-
tage asked go come and see "A VeIlt3Dlc turner
landscape. The embryo dramatic cnttc ana ms
sisters we're also asked the first TO see some theat-
rical portraits, the latter some Venetian shawlS
and old lace. of which articles Mrs. Thomas had
learned from their conversation that they were
very fond.
Then she left and, as as she was gone. was
voted charming by every one.
Davantage said, with charactstc honesty, in ex-
pressing his opinions, she was one of the incest
women he had ever known though with slight
laugh he must say she was little vulgar.
All! that was due to the way you reminded ed
her of her husband" sar the Duchess; she
seemed greatly PANIED ut IT,
Yes. perhaps it was, said Davantage, feeling
unite generous al cOucedng "a point a. daresay
did upset her a httie. but somehow | suspect
that story Of hers is not quito Tghti us Httie
Bit TOO theatrical u beexact IN all its bearings"
"Ab don't say that" said the Duchess, . it
seems i'll natured when you know her so slightly
and she's so kind and NICE"
yes, Lady Epping, i, is she's charming must
admit. / propose We all go and call ON her"
'Oh. yes. :" answered the young Bos@ells sisters.
a. think shall 60 tomorrow" said DaYantage:
have been asked 10 attend a dress rehearsal OF
= at - the day after tomorrow; the
NEXT dav is Sunday 50 must think must go to-
morrow. All pardon me, Miss jones. LEI ine put
yonr cup Oh thu tea tray; / didn't notice you had
8oIsbed aud now my dear Lady Epping, must
saw good bye | fear | have been boring you all
for long time I" and he left.
porbans far the first time In fashionable society