Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-25

detected him. Miss Miokron, who -
| debnfanst like myself At tho drawing
room next week, assured me he was
genius greater than Wagner, and, 70.
sentipg my inability to be awsd,
crushed me by saying it needed to be
educated up TO IL. 10 | was lain TO
look for the most comfortable arm
chair and try to supply my lack Of ed
ucAtion By listening to Marcus making
himself unpleasant to the other two.
Aunt Alpha says that regal style Of
leaning back and allowing myself to be
smused is perfection and suits me. |
don't understand. ] was not amused,
aud never told her it suited me. II
| doesn't; it bored me excessively. l
| fell asleep that night dimly thinking
| that il her motive had been to show
me, ca uno oosncs, the weariness and
vanity Of society, her selection could
| not have been improved upon. ]
don't wonder mamma. having been
brought up in England, would never
come back. The drawing-room was
happily over. / didn't tread on my
train or stumble over wand or back
into anybody's face, and Aunt Alpha
remarked / was as self.possessd as an
American. haven't asked Marcus
for an explanation, remembering his
last. If people are rude enough to
stare, is that a reason why should
blush and giggle? She says they look
because they don't believe my face is
my own, that it's painted =; but if 1t
we're ] should not be the only one.
Lady Mickron told her it was absurd
for an Indian girl to pretend to such
lovely pink and white skin. II go to
Lady Mickron's ball / shall stain my
face brown.
Lady Kipgsroyal's ball the same eve
ping, everyone told me, ~as q most
brilliant Inauguration. Perhaps it was.
can Imagine why Cinderella enjoyed
herself so hugely. II was her first
ball. and she knew that night Of triumph
would be over at IL, and perhaps she
would never again have what my aunt
calls society at her feet" If she had
night after night and day after day
without the prince--I think she would
have gone back more than contentedly
to the hearth and left society to her
sisters.
If only the English year was over, and
could 60 back to Rhonda Ghaut and
never again hear of the duty one owes
to society! If that phrase were not so
often on Aunt Alpha's lips | should
love her; as it is like her. Society
must dun her members beyond con-
science, for my aunt was older than
mamma, and all her life long she has
never ceased fulfilling her duty, and
still society apparently demands more.
When Lord Ryvenbourn sets me free
will never owe, or pay, either, duty
to people in the same rank of
life as myself. England has certainly
developed my obstinacy-the one
heirloom my grandfather bequeathed
me. When | said goodbye to my
guardian on the steamer was as beau
tifully. utterly Indifferent to my future
ss even Miss Mickron's mother could
have wished. Whether Lord Ryven-
bourn graciously condescendsd to &C.
cept me as q consort or courteously in
tlmated Z" ] wouldn't do" was equally
agreeable to me. Now my one hope is
that l may break off the engage
ment. Such contracts are absurd,
painfully absurd. l don't understand
my sudden esgerness myself. 1t can't
be mere girlish prejudice, for | haven't
seen him ; although he's supposed to
be somewhere in England, he has not
shown any curiosity to see his unknown
fance. If could only think be breads
the end of our last year Of grace as
much as do!
| said was painfully eager to break
it off; SO | was yesterday to-day my
only hope is that he will refuse me.
"Meaina," said my aunt-she was
sitting in my pretty morning room look
ing over the park day or two after
Ascot" it's an awkward thingto say,
but under the circumstances it would
not be pleasant if people thought l took
advantage of you, and" No, /
couldn't try to give her phrases, but
understood her to say / had better not
give my cousin Marcus any hope until
my engagement was formally broken off.
| am afraid the alacrity with which |
meant to set her mind at rest must have
oveIshot its aim, for she asked me
gravely if had met any gentleman on
the voyage Of whom was thinking.
"You couldn't in India in the seclusion
you lived in" she added, as if revolv-
ing . puzzle. "But if you were an
old woman like me, or were in love
with some one in India, you couldn't
be colder to all the homage you get. 1t
can't be an excessive idea OF the obi
CATION Of that engagement"
"No, it can't auntie," | acquiesced
again too cheerfully. "Till Ascot,
never troubled to remember Lord Ry-
yenbourn was in existence but why do
you always speak as if I saw no one in
India? You know that between Mr..
Alroy and the Governors wife I saw
oil that was worth seeing of life out
there"
Aunt Alpha received my assertion
with preoccupied manner, explained
by her next words:
"Why did you say till Ascot? What
made you remember him there? He
could not have been there"
mot that saw, but then shouldn't
know him. answered as carelessly
as could, moving to the balcony. Tell
my aunt or any living soul what had
reminded me! No, not for all the
rsjah's money.
On the cup-day Marcus had signifed
bis intention Of escorting us himself
from our villa at Windsor, q PROPOSE
ton my aunt received with Q sigh; for
his escort meant that while he was on
guard even the faithful trio dared not
approach too near. 1t had been his
way from childhood to take sudden aud
lively ayersions to otherwise harmless
people, and in some way, as Aunt
Alpha patheticslly expressed it, made
them feel they were not want.
ed. That morning he certainly