The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-11

Leonard was sure to make his way in the world, As for the girl herself, she had never thought of his worldly position or his wealth she only knew that he was a great writer, and one of the best and mo- blest men that ever lived.
 "Do you think you can love me, Bea- trice?" he had asked gently, with ten- der look on his expressive face; and his angry, bitter spirit had found consolation in her answer.
 He did not pretend to himself that he loved her, but he meant to love her, this quiet gentle, pretty creature, whose un- failing tenderness was contrast to the varying moods of the woman who had tilted hin1, and upon whom he had sworn to revenge himself.
 His motives do not seem admirable when set down in black and white, but we may be sure that they were of very different complexion when seen through the atmosphere of his own mind. Bea- trice loved him, and he meant to marry her and make her happy. She should never have wish unqualified that he could fulfill it would be an easy task to satisfy the claims of so simple and unex- acting nature. During his brief en- gagement to Sydonie she had claimed, II not every hour of his time, at all events an account of how every hour was spent She had been jealous of his friends, his pursuits, his very work, while Beatrice, iu her northern home, was satisfied with short weekly letter and the outline oi his doings He realized the vast differ. ence between the passionate love of a woman of genius and the girlish attach ment of commonplace nature, aad con. graduated himself on the fact that Bea- trice could neither give nor claim the deeper feelings of an intense emotion
 From all of which it may be concluded that MT. Dalzell although man of con- siderable literary power and increasing literary reputation, was not deeply skilled in the secrets of the heart, or fully capa- ole of discriminating between the closely allied effects of love and vanity.
 The inevitable result which follows all selfish acts dogged Leonard's married life. He was disappointed in its effects upon his happiness and peace of mind and as these were all that he had consid. cred in the step he had taken, it is ob. vious that the matter was failure. He was too generous to accuse his wife oi anything but a passive share in the dis aster, a.d he was genuinely glad that she showed herself so contented and comfortable in circumstances which be- came every day more wearisome to him
 Does not Mrs. DA'zell find the time at Tendon hang very heavily on her hands ?" asked Sydonie of him one day, as he was lounging on a divan in her Studi0 mafChia0 her nainkinr
 He had fallen back into his old friendly habit of looking in at all hours of the day to criticise her work and advise her as to its progress.
 "Mrs. Dalzell," he replied with cheer full carelessness, "is occupied with hel household affairs. There is not single duty that she ever leaves undone, and these occupy her from morning till eve ming"
 Sydonie was satisfied with his reply. l, reduced her rival to dimensions of a comfortably commonplace sort, while seeming to acknowledge her merits.
 Beatrice and she had interchanged calls, but there was little to produce inti- macy or even friendship bet geen them
 as Sydonie put 1t there was no reap prochement; different tastes, different
 interests, different habits, formed wide gulf, which there was no keen desire or either side to bridge over, nor was Leon ard desirous of promoting friendship which might involve painful complica tions both for him and for his wife, who could only suffer at any explanation o
 the former relations between him anc Miss Marvel. Meantime he saw Sydonis
 often :; he came to London every day tc his club or to the British museum, a: Beatrice quite understood, and as wa: the case only his club was within half hours walk of Sydonie's studio, ano many of the hours he spent in the read , ing-room of the museum were employed
 in looking up some detail of architecture or costume tor his artist friend, to whom . he must then pay hurried visit for the , purpose of expla ming the result of hi: , researches. To both of them these meet ings became the most important part o the day now that he was married he fel that he was incurring no risk either fol r her or for himself, and she fully enjoyed ' that liberty of action which the last guar ter of the ninete enth century has allowed | freely to women with a career. There was piquancy given to Leonard's visit. . oy tnC Ncty iASt tudt tnSy were unknOWT ? or unwelcome to his wife, Sydonie coule not resist the triumph of finding herself I at thirty, more seductive than rival ter years her junior.
 3 As to Beatrice, she would as soon hay. suspected her husband of smotherine 1 her in her sleep, or stealing and pawning [ her few jewels as of paying too much at l tention to another woman. If she some times felt that married life was wanting ! in that perfectness of confidence of which . she had dreamt, she sternly repressed { the thought. declaring to herself that any l failure must be the result of her owr . want of power to understand her hus. . bands wider views and aims.
 , When he stayed away late into the night she would never own even to her. f self that the hours were long and lonely
 and she always met him with smile oi welcome which might well have won his heart if he had not grown to consider i, mechanical-a word he wac fond of m.