The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-05

loved him, not perhaps Win Tue eager pas
sion of a Juliet, of which | do not think my
nature was capable yet deeply, and with
all my heart. Nevertheless, being fully
aware of the folly of stalking my happiness
on the chance of winning man who might
prefer another, or whom L might 1aii 10
please, [ struggled hard to overcome nv in
fatuation. If we had not been thrown so
much together l should perhaps have sue
ceeded. But it was not to be. We were
thrown together day after day, and soon L
saw, with joy indeScrbable, that my love
was returned Before Herbert had been a
month our guest he asked me to be his
wife. l need not say what answer gave
him.
We experienced none of the difficulties by
which lovers are often beSet My father
was delighted. He said there was no man
living 10 whom he would so gladly give HE
as George Herbert; and so soon as our en-
gaeement was made known we were over
whelmed with congratulations.
Strangely enough, the only diScordant
note was struck by my aunt Lavinla.
Il have seen for some time how 1t would
be- and | hope YOU will be happy with the
man Of your choice, my DEAR she SAID.
He is very nice and clever, and all that.
All the same, | wish lie had not stayed so
long in Africa and become king OF those
cannibals."
'Why aunt?"
"How do you know what he was doing all
the time? If You cannot touch pitch with
out being denied, a man cannot live four
years among cannibas without being the
worse for it. l should say. And have not
canuibalS always great many wives Pr
l laughed heartily at this sally of my
aunt's, and repeated it to George, thinking
1t would amuSe him as much as 1t had
amused me. To my surprise, however, he
took it quite seriously. His face darkened,
and he looked almost angry.
Your aunt talks nonsense" he said. 81
am sorry | ever mentioned Mousland. L
have already told you that my stay there
was most painful experience, SD painful
that | would gladly forget it, and / want you
to help ME to do so by never referring to 1t
again. win you, daring?'
l said yes" Of course and i kept my
word. Nevertheless. my curiosity was
reused, and often asked myself what could
be the mystery which Georges words con-
cealed-what the experience he was so
anxious to forget. But l loved him too well
to distruSt him, and though hal cause Tor
curiosity had none for suspicion-yet.
CHAPTER Ill
Our engagement was short. There was
no reason why it should be otherwise. Both
of us had arrived at years OF dis retOn.
Georges means were ample; lie had nobody
to please but himself, an as it pleased him
TO marry quickly we became man and wife
within three months of his return from
Africa. He had country place III Hertford
shire; but it mad been let du ing his absence
We could not occupy it until the expiration of
the lease at the end of the following wear.
Meanwhile, George took house III town,
as to the locality Of which | can Ouly say
that it was in the neighborhood OF Hyde
Park, where we proposed TO 1--we during the
London season, my husbands fortune being
quite adequate for the keeping up OF two es
tahll shmentS
After two months tour on the Continent
We settled down u work on plan We hid
already arranged. George had many en-
gagements. He was going to write a book,
for which his publishers were clamorous,
and the world of science was impatently
waiting. He had also promised c0ntribu-
lions To the editor OF one OF the leading re-
views, and 10 deliver during the season two
or three lectures. l was to act as his
amauuenSlS and helper, and as in these cir
cumstances we should both have our hands
full, we resolved to live as quietly as posi-
LAe, and hold ourselves as aloOl as might be
from social engagements.
For a while all went well. George was
everything could wish, and working with
him ali day at a labor of love, giving an
occasional dinner and going out in his COM
pany one or two evenings a week my life
was almost ideal. L was as happy as a
young wife could be.
And then there came to pass series of
portent0uS events, which began by revtv-
ing the curiosity first suggested by Aunt
Lavinia's doubts, and ended in frisbIful
catastrophe
One evening, when my father was dining
with us, he brought up, apropos Of nothing
in particular, Georges sojouin in MOusa-
land.
you should write a history of your
reign" he said. at would be very inter
estng. But we shall have it all in your
book, suppOse?"
81 shall say nothing whatever about it in
my book-rothing" returned George,
CURLY.
But why not, George? 1 am sure it
would be highly appreciated. To be king of