New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06

the glimpse he had had yesterday Of the girl. He
rather admired bouncing, BARNARD, horld style OF
beauty, such as. one would have supposed, ms
exquisite refinement would revolt against
=
IL.
Denis had been asked 70 this big picnic, for Denis
mas indispensable almost to gatherings of the kind :;
but he had promptly declined the invitation. lie
despised and detestod Hammond Murgajroyd rs
deeply it was IN his genial nature 10 delesI ana
despiSe any one lie couldn't stand the fellow )
IN ,ocnt egotsm and Arrogance. ami his ludicrous
contempt OF his own town and tOWnslnen ana
trade. Denis not himself at home Ia ms sord
surroundings. but he had the good TASTE ana the
good nature not to find fault with them. lie
kills borouuh folk no doubt had their t.aractcr-
lstlc faults but they had also chdTlctcrlstlc
virtues to cOuuterhalanCe them, and Deus
Enthusiastically preferred 20 dwell on their
virtues II stirred what gall he had TO hear 4 man.
who had all their faults and not enc of their
virtues speak of them with the scOrn of a supreme
superiority. What wocld the fellow have beel but
Tor Miisb0IOuEh That gOrgcd uea M fleece
suo1ld think the sheep pOor crcaiure-tbis stirred
Therefore he declined Mr.. Murgatroyds invita-
tom much to that good lady ; distress Tor IN 80
busy place as Marlborough 1t was diihcut 10
secure many otuer men. besides parsons f"r
picnic. Moreover. one ever made hiH self moro
useful or pleasant than Denis. Therefore Mrs
Murgatr1yd "was put about" as she expressed It,
by bis refusal on the plausible plea OF business.
Hal pening TO meet htm ih town she c0hdtscchttl
TO eutTcat him to reconsider the matter and. If
possible. to postpone his business engagemeut
What WAS itl Denis, who WIS the worst lana in
lad vs. entreaty. had 10 beat confused retreat and
to rcract his refusal of The invitation
Thus 1t was upon this mcrest accident Of his
meeting Mrs MurgatIo,d in Marlborough that
Denis's whole fate and future hung, as We shall
see.
in store for Mrs. Murgatroyd than that Of Denis's
first refusal of her invitation. Miss Arnott with
her companion failed 10 keep her tryHt at Taunton
TowtrS-the scene of the picnic. II was "A cruel
mort hca;iOn To Mrs Murgatr0yd, who bad been
boastng every one OF her acquisition to her party
of the heress. She was upset aud enragei rs also
was Hammond; and since neither Of them was
given 10 considering or consulting ether feelings
than their own. the unfortunate guests were made
| uncomfortable by the sullen gloom of their hosts.
! Denis did what he could To retrieve the day. tie
! attended to every one and every thing. aud tested
| and prov Oked tests ana made snnsnIhe IN the
shady place" that ielt by all but Hammond to
! he an immense relief
| Under no circumstances would Hammond have
paid the least attention To any to any wants
! but Ills If he was satisfied ard at ease, then
| every one should be comfortable ami cOutented.
! " It's the same to him who wears shoe as If the
! whole world covered with leather" saws
Persian pro verb; and ia another than its intended
sense il expressed precisely HammOnd's idea, that,
! if he comfortable every one should feel com
| Portable. II he had been in the best OF tompers
therefore, he woud not have taken any hOspitable
trouble ahuut his guests; being IN anything nut the
best of tcmpers he resented the troLble Denis took
about them as an impertlnence He feared Denis
however, who, as he knew to bis cost conld say
when provoked, quite as cutting, and much more
clever things than himself; and he ventured
therefore, to express his resentment only through
MS manner aside 10 his mother.
"The beggar seems to think that the whole
place belongs to him," be growled. But his mother
could not help, as a woman, seeing that, but for
Den Is, the whole thing would have stopped dead
like a clock run down and she bad the grace to feel
rather grateful than aggrieved.
Even as it was, the affair went dead slow, and the
guests were glad to escape after lunch from under
the suen shadow of their hosts. Thus it happened
! that. when Miss ATnOtt and her companion came at
| length upon the scene; there v as hardly any one
! but Mrs. Murgatroyd, Hammond and Dcnis-whO
was at last attending to hlmselfEto receive them
| The belated guests were profuse in their apologies
| which Mrs Murgatroyd accepted with very good
grace indeed she could hardly help dong, for it
| seemed that, beng strangers in the country, they
| had gone miles and miles ont Of their way.
| " | might have guessed il was that carriage"
| Hammond said aside TO his mother; al isn't she
who takes Il about, but II that takes her."
| However, he made himself most agreeable to the
young lady, while Denis, of course, was told of TO
attend upon her companion. She had recognized
| him at once as the hero Of the cakc-ShoD; ana.
after he had been introduced TO her and had gone
on to get her some lunch, she turned 10 say some
thing eagerly to her friend, who thereuUOn laughed
aud looked at Denis with great interest Then she
turned 10 her companion and nodded in her iOcund,
and even Jolly, manner, laughing gleefully the
while.
Denis. always at home with dependents-to
whom, however he was markedly deferental-was
soon on the very pleasantest terms with Miss
Ponsonby She was a girl after his own heart
bright frank, unaffected, with a rather imperious
AMI decided manner. which was charningly
piquant and provoking.
she said when she had done perfect Justice to the
good things Denis had supplied to her.
| "Well, no, you didn't" replied Denis with a
delightful frankness, he held up a glass of
claret against the light In lazy and deliberate
manner.
But you were late yourself" she retorted for
| Denis had not quite finished his lunch when they
| arrived.
SNo such luck" Denis answered dismally a.
had two clock hours of II, they say here before
you came. But Pm much better now thank you. y
| ba add "A
| look up at her.
| After two hours lunchingi l should think so.
But what's to he doue now 7" she asked, as though
| lunch over there was nothing left to live for.
@The Towers" he answered tersely. Can You
| climb I"
IL can, but my charge can't" glancing over at
her friend. where she sat comfortably with Ham.
mOnd at her feet.
mot unless you have brought perambulator,r
| he said laughing; for there was something
ludicrous In both the ideas suggested-that of this
big bouncing woman being in the charge of any
one. and that If her climbing anything. But you
might deposit her with Mrs Murgatroyd fol-
an hours safe keeping getting receipt. Do" he
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