Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-01

l. be was likely W ""No
a indelible impression on appetite
v already sharpened by hunger. lie la
himself out, indeed, openly for admir-
a ton. and all was grist TO the mill OF b
: vanity. lie was pleased when in 81
!. ciety he heard himself pointed out
n the Lotus-lover," but he was ais
s pleased when strangers in the stree
a stared at his long, floating hair,
r small boys made derisive remarks
D Even the hostile reviews his friends
5 regularly and considerably sent hi
{ gave him more pleasure than the senC
: crs anticipated. The world--that is
: say. the small literary clique which con
/ stituted his world--was talking OF MIN
and that was all he desired.
Filled. therefore, with pleasant con
, seriousness OF his own individuality, b
, nreceded Kerr into the room, and Mrs
| Campion, coming forward TO meet him
, received more than usually fatuou
smile. Kerr, looking at her with som
curiosity, saw a small woman dresses
in brilliant colors, wearing on her bosom
and head humming-birds instead o.
flowers. Her dark-blue eyes, set tot
near together. and her flaxen, finely
crimped hair, drawn up over q cushion
and slightly powdered. gave her
touch of eccentricity not altogether un
becoming. She held out her right hand
TO Kerr and at the same time gave Lin
burn her lsft.
"Dear Lawrence" she said to the
latter, "when will you learn punctu'
atty? Mr.. Campion has been using
horrible language think for your
sins you shall go and cool him down."
Kerr began TO apologize.
81 am sure you are not to blame, y
said Mrs. Campion sweetly, inwardly
admiring his masculine beauty" as
she termed it. ~ know Lal Of old.
lie has never kept an appointment
yet"
Try me, murmured Linburn 81
swear / would move Heaven and earth
TO keep it,"
1.-The best thing to move would be
your looking glass;" said the lady; 81
never knew such Narcissus. When
you are my age you will not be so fond
Of it,"
If Mrs. Champion really disliked her
mirror it struck Kerr that she must
nevertheless take a good deal OF peni-
tential discipline at it, for the general
perfection of her "get-up" indicated
the expenditure Of as much time and
thought as a.writer in one Of the quar-
terlies gives to the preparation Of his
article in the British Museum.
II think you know every one here,
Lal," said Mrs. Campion, "and | shan't
introduce Mr.. Kerr, because it is such
a waste of time. I'll just give him a
geographic sketch of everybody, and
then he'll feel quite one Of us. That
is Schonbein in the velvet coat and
knee-breeches. Whether his stockings
suggested his name or his name his
stockings | am unable to inform you.
He and Mr.. Linburn hate each other.
He considers Lal's books a plagiarism
Of his paintings, and Lal considers
the paintings plagiarism of the books.
Both are equally unintelligible until
personally explained by the authors.
The lady talking to Mr.. Campion is
Mrs. Highbury Banks, and very much
regret he did not meet her before he
met me. The little golden lady on the
sofa is my dearest friend, Mimi Web
ster. am going to ask you to take
her in to dinner, Mr.. Kerr. / should
like very much to keep you for myself,
but / must 60 down with Mr.. Web
ster--he is such a bear if | do not
take him in hand. The two little inno-
cents sitting on the sofa are two Of my
girls here she looked at Linburn and
they both laughed C'my girls " were
rather a joke among Mrs. Campion's
friends; she talked of them so fire.
quently, yet suppressed them so effectu-
ally)--" and the lady standing by them
is their governess, Mile. Leceur. By
the by, don't think / have let you
speak to Mr.. Campion yet"
As she did not take the slightest
pains to subdue her voice, these bio
graphic sketches " were distinctly heard
all over the room.
Mr.. Webster, red-faced individual,
presumably a clergyman from his dress,
certainly WINGED at her reference to
himself; but he had no excuse for
being more susceptible than the rest Of
the world, and he had been given plenty
of opportunities for getting used to
Mrs. CampiOn's manner, which, if free
from the polish of polite society, had
at least the effect Of breaking down all
barriers Of conventionality. 1t was
useless to be conventional in the pre-
sence of a woman who would call you
by your Christian name and tell you
what she thought of you as soon as
look at you. Persons who did not like
this sort of thing, and there were doubt
less many who did not, could always
avoid it by staying away.
Now, when she ceased speaking,
every one broke into EXPLANATIONS OF
denial and reproach, while, under cover
of the noise, Kerr found himself In
stalled by mimi " Webster, a pretty
lady with a bushy head, who affected
Botticellian attitudes.
The owner Of KOlokythia Lodge
leaned moodily against the mantelpiece,
insensible to the Establishments Of Mrs.
Highbury Banks. He hated waiting
for his dinner, and his feelings were ex-
acerbated by finding that LinbEn was
the delinquent. He was not the least
jealous of the young mans intimacy
with Mrs. Campion, but he considered
him an affected idiot, who spoke
jargon he could not understand,
and who INDUCED in style Of dress
which appeared to Mr.. Campion quite
sufficient grounds for his incarceration
in Bedlam. The host expected nc
more pleasure or profit from the eve.
ning's entertainment than his dinner
could afford him, and ne saw no sense
in deferring it for a person who so lit.
tie understood the sacred character o.
the feast as to spoil his appetite by af
ternoon tea, and could triae with his
digestion by eating sweets and dessert.
Mrs. Highbury Banks lay in a loung
ing chair almost at Campien's feet. She
was q swarthy woman, With hair Ia