St. Paul daily globe., 1889-10-23
HOW RE GOT OUT OF IT.
A Society Tale.

CHS he9"
"No-by all that's lucky-he has got
out of it.'' .a ....-.-.:.
Such was the prologue. This was the
piece.
He had drifted into it. She was very
pretty, and undeniably we'll dressed,
danced to perfection, and possessed
that perfect ease and grace of move
ment which marks the highest London
fashion and gives it the stamp pecu-
liarly its own.
30 SO they met, night after night, dane
ing valse after valSe together. They
sat in flowery alcoveS and on twilit
staircases, and talked in a manner be-
fitting the occasion; soft murmurS, half
sentences, whispers very close to the
shell-like ear. All this was no doubt
very pleasant. So the season went on,
and this reprehensible young man
ginning to ask himself, had she
a heart to be stirred at all? Had he
himself, and if so, why did her charm
ing company never cause it one single
extra pulsation? Yet he found undoubt-
ed pleasure in her society: the dances
she gave him made the whole evening
to him. He was never weary of contem-
plating the sway of her graceful figure,
the poiSe of her pretty head, with its
clustering curls so artistically ar
ranged; and her voice was so
sweet, though it was true that
her conversation never wan
dered from the yeriest cOmmonplaces of
society talk. Yet she dScourSed on
these in manner which was seduction
itself. Beyond taking her at the end of
dances to her mother, he had made no
particular acquaintance with Lady vi
(as her friends called her-a mode
which we will also adopt. But one
evening she said: "Will you take my
mother down to supper tonight? Her
usual cavalier has deserted early and
gone home."
OF course he offered his arm directly
with the utmost courtesy, though it
must be said his mind rather misgave
him and. indeed. the end of half an
hours study of this lady's fascinatIOns
left him much wiser if rather sadder
man.
But we must introduce her ladyship
with due hOnOrS, as, indeed, she de-
serves. Lady vi was, in the order of
events, somewhat older than her daugh-
ter. But if this was inevitably so, as
we fear it was, she was not the one to
admit so damaging confession. The
one inyariabie complimentShe expected
was: "fwO sisters surely! Impossible!
This young lady your daughter? l must
be allowed to contradict YOU"
In truth she was surprisingly young
looking for lady certainly twenty
years older. At a little distance you
might cOnceivably mistake one for the
other, especially against the light. The
art of dress was employed with that
ioI, onnnaaIu, itcaIf aHx
vi was, no doubt, fully aware of all the
resources of modern civilization, and
she made skillful use of them all. Her
manner was even softer than her daugh-
ter'S; her voice had a penetration
which impressed the coldest listener.
Beneath that delightful and artistic ex-
terror keen and subtle intellect was
constantly at work. Nor was she wont
to waste its refinement on trash of
books or the like. Her studies We're the
world in which she lived. The men,
the women who inhabit our sphere,
supplied her with those objects of
scientific investigation and interest
which other people are SAID to find in
the follies of the microscope and other
toys.
1t is also we'll known that whatever
subject il keen intellect chooses for its
special study, the greatest proficiency
may be looked for in even short time,
and this lady had not studied for moth
ing; she ought indeed to have graduated
in hOnOrs.
So he found himself, as it were, i'm
paied beneath a lens of searching and
pitilesS strength. His writings and
contortions and awkward attempt at eX-
trication only amused the professor and
served to no purpose whatever. 10 turn j
him inside out was Els 'tGrInent0r'S eYi-
dent intentiOn; and the victim, driven
to extremity, was forced to summon all
his resources in Self-defence, and this is
what he did.
He piled her on that evening with
every attention he could devise. Alter
supper was over he never left her Sldeor
danced again. He attended her to her
carriage. Shawled her with the utmost
sOlicitude, paid no heed to Mabel's re-
proachfuI looks nor found a word to say
to her. In short. he transferred himself |
bodily to Lady vi, and became from that
evening her devoted and abject slave.
At Hurlingham, at SandOWn, at Hen
ley, at balls, feteS, regattaS and garden
parties, he was her constant attendant,
insomuch that people began first to
litter and then to whisper. And those
agreeable and good natured remarks
were freely exchanged which such
little games of skill are apt to provoke. |
Lady vi accepted his, and, indeed, |
any mans attention as a matter of |
right of course. She accepted,
we may say, without specially |
encouraging them, asserting it was all
on Mabel's behalf that men, and young
men ran after her so. Mabel had so
many admirers, and they all paid at
tentiOn to mamma as a simple matter of |
duty. This sounded very well, and was
said very often, and was not believed |
by anybody.
Now Lady vi had husband!
A husband is fact which cannot be
wholly ignored, or entirely left out of |
the calculation by the female portion of
mankind. And facts are stubborn
things, and Sir Hercules was more than |
a commonly stubborn thing. Our hero |
had always behaved as if he were en-
tirely unaware Of this particular fact. |
1t is true he had never seen Sir Her
cules in outward and visible shape, |
general accompany his daughter |
and wife, spending his time chiefly |
ut his club in more cOngenial society. |
He might be seen looking out of the |
bow window in st. James any day be-
tween IL and Z, attired in blue frock, /
q very stiff cravat and buff waistcoat. |
Sir Hercules had served in his time with |
distinction, but it was a good many |
years ago. He succeeded, too, i'll main
taining strict military discipline in his |
household, to which the two ladies were
fain, however unwillingly, to render |
submissive obedience.
Beyond its limits, however, he al
lowed them considerable liberty of ac- |
ton, asking no questions and making |
no objections to late hours and eXpen-
sive dresses; matters which he eensid- |
cred TO be part Of the nature of women |
and inevitable. But there were mo-
ments when the gout prevailed. and |
the raging lion of the desert was gen.
tie compared with Sir HireuIes under /
these circumstances. He was then
IN fact, as his valet expressed |
it, neither to have nor to hold. At such |
times did Mabel flee before him like the |
frightened faWn; but her mother had |
not this liberty Of escape, and was
forced to listen, much against her will