The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-02-13

y 4 aa1
Don't you understand What is the use -
a carriage, and horses, aud furnitura ~ "a
wealth like mines What is the use of lifa9
want to do something. want to live'n
The Bishop rose. He drew one of bar
hands gently from her face, and closed HE
own over it. II understand he sa nis
huskily, and looked straight into the fire
The snow ratified against the windou,
and the wind howled around the CORNER ~
the square. He leaned one elbow on tSe
gold-colored plush and rested his fair head
on it, He was very young man, this 10
be Bishop. There was scarcely n silver
thread mingled with the glistening masses
Miss Jollibert, too, as she stood in tba
fire light, looked the perfection of
well-built, handsome featured woman
1t would have seemed as if the weight
of her hand oppressed the Bisb0n
for he breathed very hard as he stood there
holding it, Miss Jollibert's moist ewes star
ing pensively the while into the distant
half gloom of the ante-chamber.
After long pause some thought an
peared suddenly to strike him, for with an
abrupt movement he drew his hand AWAY
and walking across to the other side of the
fire, ostentatiously put up his double eve
glass to examine little Alma Tadema m
on the opposite wall
"Don't confuse your convictions with
your inclinations," he began. "(Your
father had that picture in a much better
light than you have, Marion. AS you saw.
do something, but don't let your inclination
to do something interfere with your con-
victions.-Qf you were to shorten the string
it might be better. why not become
doctorln
"A doctor!" calculated she, dazedly.
''Y -es,n he continued, working with the
string of the picture in an abstracted
fashion. "Or lawyer; there would be
great path of usefulness open to you. |
hare heard OF lady solicitors-and you might
eta inf Totf nyfs-
dare-say there will be lady barristers snd
lady ministers by and by. Why, my dear
you might even become Bishop In Tad
ema's pictures detail, and detail alope-"
"Bishop," interrupted Miss Jollibert in
a preternaturally calm tone "mvconvic-
lions interfere in no way with my aesire to
| do something. Ny convictions are, of
course, the result of conversion"
'Who converted you?" inquired he, still
| with his back to her, and passing rapidly to
another picture. "Was it the ancient
| theologians or the prophets2 Wei, Marion,
| you have asked my advice Shall tell
| you, then, what l think you ought to do
with your life2 | shall soon be growing an
old man. and am a very old friend, so
| may be privileged to say what choose.
| think you ought to marry"
| She answered nothing for a moment;
| then, moving slowly beside him, began to
| converse about the pictures and their vari-
U.s. VI
versational manner which was surprising
| in itself, considering the suppressed emo
| ton of her voice hardly minute ago. The
Bishop turned quickly round, and, closing
| his eye-glass with sharp click, stood look
| ing at her. Just as she was beginning to
| enlarge upon the beauties of certain
| Holy Family she had seen at st. Peters
| burgh, he walked straight back to the man
| tel-piece, and leaning his face on his hand
again, interrupted her without ceremony
| Marion" he said, gravely, II thought
| you wanted me to help you"
| Her eyes lit up, and she answered quickly
| with all the emotion in her voice again
| eyes, and when | ask you to do so, when
| tell you seriously that | have made up my
mind to go into a convent and take the VEIL
| you reply by treating the whole thing as a
| joke, and advising me-to marry This is
not what | expected from you"
| He stood beside her in moment, his
whole manner changing. 81 never sup
posed that it was,' he said. II never sup
/ posed that it was what you expected.
| Nevertheless, Marion, it is my advice and
repeat it to you. l think you ought to
marry"
She looked at him for a minute longer,
| her expression varying betwixt surprise
| and impatience. "What do you meanln
| she asked. 81 repeat that you are treating
the whole thing as a joke; and that think
| that it is very unkind of you to do so.
|
are laughing at me. Marry whom!"
Turning swiftly away he took a rapid
| turn up and down the room; then hating
| beside the tea-table began to finger nerv-
ously with the dainty tea-service.
I'm sure | don't know how to say it to
| you" he hesitated almost tearfully. II
| know so well that you have never suspected
| anything; and | have been so afraid of
startling you; and l have been so ridiculous.
| But if might dare that is-if you would
| allow me-Marion,n he cried, with sud-
| den movement of his arm, which upset the
| sugar-basin and sent q shower of knots pat
| tering over the floor, II would say-1HGTy
| men
AS for the people of Manchester, they de-
| clared they couldn't have believed it, either
of Miss Jollibert or the Bishop. Half of
| them said especially of Miss Jollibert; and
the other half particularly of the Bishop.
| There were no very definite rumors afoat
until one evening when the Bishop went
out to dine with friend, and after dinner
| told little humorous story in his own hui
morous way.
Two days later there were upwards of
| ninety distinct reports of this story, the
| least wild of which was that the Bishop had
| tried to persuade Miss Jollibert to imprison
| herself in a convent but that she had re-
| piled: "No, she would sooner marry him
| than that" and so, from one thing to
| another they were to be married AS to
| the name of wonder the Bishop could want
| Miss Jollibert to imprison herself in a con-
VENT lady of the Baptist persuasion soon
| filled that up. She discovered that the
Bishop and Miss Jollibert were in the habit
of playing cards together of an evening
| playing cardS-Bezique, Or some such game;
that was to say, of course, equivalent to
gambling. So by the end of the week it was
widely current throughout Manchester that
| the Bishop was encountered with heavy
gambling debts, which were about to be
liquidated by Miss Jollibert.
AT the very height of all this the Bishops
fair head, and shiny black coat, appeared
for the first time in the blue barouche, Wis
avis to Miss Jollibert. 1t was a sunshiny
| day, and the Bishop was noticed to be
laughing 1t very often requires only a
| straw, or pin-point, to change insanity to
sanity, unpopularity to popularity ferocity
| to mildness. In this case the Bishops
laugh was the symbolical piu-point. Next
| morning the heavy clouds of suspicion had
| rolled away, and the blue sky shone again.
| Next morning all Manchester was laughing
and smiling with the Bishop.
There was one great mercy, and Miss
Jollibert remarked it herself Putting the
| fiction of gambling, and other ridiculous
| debts aside, no one could say she was being
| married for her money. The Bishops
| purple brougham was fully a match for
| Miss Jollibert's barouche; and his high
| stepping bays would have kept pace any
| day With the blue-gray horses. The palace
| stood isl an questionable end of the town
| it is true but it was a grand old brown
| building with long terraced gardens, sloping
| away down to the river; aged trees and