The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-12-20

| }
tempered by her own perfect honesty
of thought and her acknowledgment
of the responsibilities of life.
Utterly unconscious of the character
of the girl whose affection he proposed
to himself in his idle, careless, conf
dent way to win. Gervoise commenC-
ed the seige without a suspicion that
failure could possibly await him, and
that very confidence stood him in coed
stead, for it gave him a firm and up
right bearing before the girl which she,
IN her innocence, might and did take
for outward evidence Of the mems c0li-
Scia 1cch. Up to a certain point Ger
voise seemed to carry all before him.
The respectful admiration with which
ne began his approaches soon gave
way to the less restrained intercourse
of naturally agreeable intimacy, which
in its turn, drifted into the lively friend
illness possible between those whose
tastes IN the less serious matters Of life
are similar. Gervoise was now keenly
anxious to advance still further; but
here he met with his first check.
To Miss Merriewether it was a very
different matter to consider a man as
pleasant companion for day, and to
allow her mind to entertain for a mo-
ment the idea of that man as the prop
and mainstay of whole life. 1t was
not enough that the metal should APP
pear to be gold-it must be hall, mark
ed and true to the core. Nevertheless,
her mind was often deeply moved by
the obvious advances of the man who
knew, in his worldly wisdom, how to
work upon the sweet weakness OF a
woman's mind, and who did not fail to
hint that, had he such one as 4 guide
and conscllor, his life might and should
| be more useful in the future, and all
his forgotten yearnings after the good
and noble should revive within him.
And all this well-acted humility and
delicate fattery, applied to the point
which was her weakest, because she
thought it was her strongest, took more
hold upon Miss Merriewether than she
dared to admit to herself or he to hope.
He looked capable of good thing
Strong, handsome, genial, clever, ana
well-connected, he might be the very
partner of whom she had dreamed,
who could aid her with every sit be
longing to him in the great purposes Of
good which she had in her mind. Why
should she not be the means Of rou5ina
him from the slumbrou5 frivoiity of his
present life? And yet-her money.
He was poor, she knew. Was she
never to be sure of being wooed for her
own sake alone? She must judge for
herself, and it must be no hasty judS-
ment. She would be very circumspect,
and yet as the idea of cold calculation
with regard to this man passed through
her mind, she felt pang at her heart
which told her, unwilling though she
might be to admit it that the poison
had begun to work. How is it posi-
bic that innocence and truth should
hold their own against worldly wisdom
and guile unless a miracle should i'll
terpose on behalf of the former.
A morning shooting party had ended
in lunch in charmingly sheltered
nook at which the ladies had joined
the sportsmen, adding materially to the
picturesqueness and yiyacity of the
scene, but considerably interfering with
the continuance of the sport after lunch
was over, and eliciting sundry savage
and ungallant growls from certain old
and ardent sportsmen, who considered
women utterly out of place anywhere
but in a drawing-roon. Gcryoise,
however, was not one of these, and he
had willingly laid aside his gun and
consented to stroll home with some OF
the ladies, the more readily as he seem
ed to see an opportunity of pressing his
suit to a successful issue. This, how.
ever, was denied him; but when al
last he parted from his fair companion,
be left her in little doubt as to hi.
: speedy intention, and in a great anC
conflicting state Of emotion as to thl
result of them. Nothing WAS said
however, that day, and, after a mos
pleasant evening, the gentlemen re
tired to billiards and cigars, and til,
ladies to rest, or rather to those mys
} ferrous rites which preCede that act
Like the others, Murlel retrcatcd to he
5 room, and, without much delay, t.
| bed but, finding her mind un5ettie,
| with the occurrence Of the day, al,
L longing for sympathy and advice, sat
i at last rose hastily, and, donninG h.
y dainty dressing gown and slippers
y made her way to the room OF her hos
/ tess, with whom she often enjoyed
Y late chat, and in whom she was hall
5 inclined to confde her difficulties
# This bestowal of confidence, however
i was harder task than she had countc,
t on her friend was tired and sleepy
: and not by any means in mood 70
! receiving confidential utterInces, an
y it is only into really sympathetic ca
t that such utterances can be poured $
It finding it getting late, Muriel said 800.
e night, and, Selling her bedroom cani,
rushed to her own room once more. He
d very haste, however, led her into diff
0 culties, for at the first corner she cam
I to sudden blast which blew out he
: candle, and left her in absolute dark