Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-12-18


| hear Of her imminent departure. and
promised that he would call in Ebury
street in a day or two, after which he
moved away in search of Lord Guise, of
whose red beard he had caught glimpse
earlier in the evening.
But Lord Guise, when discovered, was
standing with his back against the wall,
propounding original solutions of the
Irish difficulty to a knot of amused poll
ticians, and it was evident that there
was for the present no chance of obtain
ing his undivided attention. Percy,
| therefore, passed on in quest of some
body else, whose undivided attention he
was fortunate enough to secure ere long.
Miss Leslie, when he Joined her, was one
of group of three or four persons: but
these slipped away one by one imme-
diately after his approach. and he could
| not help remarking that similar phe-
| nomenon had occurred under similar cir
cumstances more than once of late. He
had no objection to its occurrence, only
| it certainly seemed to show that his
courtship had lasted long enough
II have just been Mortified to hear
from Mrs. Leslie that you are going
away" be began.
! 'Ishouldn't have thought that that was
such very horrifying piece of news"
said Dorothy laughing. Most people
| do leave London in July, don't they?"
Yes, unless they have the bad luck to
| be members of parliament. But didn't
realize somehow that the end was so
near Shall you be sorry to go:"
| Il shall be sorry for some things" an
swered the girl 1t has been very pleas
ant, and people have been very kind to
us. Oh. yes, 1 shall be sorry
Il wonder whether you will be half
| as sorry as | shall be!'
To this it was obviously impossible
| that Dorothy shodld make any reply,
for how could she gauge the depth of
Mr. Thorold's probable sorrow? Conse-
quently she held her peace. and he went
on to tell her how dreadfully he would
miss her, how empty London would
seem after her departure. how he would
hate the remainder of the long. weary
session. and & good deal more to the like
| TO say rather more than he ought to
have said without going farther still,
but as it seems likely that the majority
of those who will read these pages have
| been in love once in their lives, some
| clemency will doubtless be displayed in
| their Judgment of him. He could not
propose to her there and then by reason
| of that ridiculous pledge, but in few
| days at the outside he would be free to
declare himself. and he was naturally
eager in the meantime to find out, if he
could, what answer he would receive to
his declaration.
1t cannot be said that quarter of an
| hour of investigation brought him to the
point of actual certainty; yet at the ex-
piration of that interval he was in high
spirits, and since he took away with him
one of the flowers which Dorothy had
been wearing in the front of her dress,
it may be assumed that he had no reason
| to despond. Before wishing her good
night he had ascertained that she would
be at home on the following Wednesday,
and that she did not expect any other
visitors on that afternoon.
Meanwhile, he was not the only per-
son who, at the same time and place,
had reluctantly determined to convene
an early meeting of the Anti-Matrimo-
| NAL league. Lady Rnlv~i- T,n~,>i1"~''+
in emeralds and diamonds, was present
at this reception, and Lady Belyoir, like
Mrs. Leslie and other less notable per-
sonages, was about to withdraw the
light of her countenance from London.
She said SO to many of those with whom
she conversed, and among others to Eus-
tace Moreton, who of late had dogged
her footsteps wherever she went.
! Il knew you would be off before long,
he sighed. We'll, tell me what day
you mean to start, and I will order the
funeral"
Whose funeral:" she asked wonder
ingly. Not mine, hope?'
"No, mine. I'm going to cut my
throat. Did you ever happen to set eyes
on man who was utterly and quite
seriously in despair? If not it might in,
terest you to take look at me. because
that is what am"
Lady Belvoir availed herself of this
permission, and there was great deal
more of tenderness and compassion than
of wonderment in her gaze.
"Poor boy!' she exclaimed: ''this is
what comes of fancying ones self cynie
before ones beard is well grown. II
serves you right, and yet am sorry fol
you. What woman has been treating
you SO cruelly?"
"As if you didn't known
"How can I know if you won't tel
me:' Lady Belvoir asked, with slight
smile. "Come--who is she?'
Il can't tell you," answered Moreton
mindful Of his obligations. "At leas
l can't tell you now. and don't think
ever will. 1t wouldn't be of the slight
est use. She is great lady and great
beauty; there's no harm in my admitting
that much. Well, you know what an
IAN impecunious nobody. Of course
she would laugh in my face if I had tn,
audacity to tell her that I loved her
Added to which, she has only beel
amusing herself with me; she doesn'
really care two straws whether I cut m,
throat or not
"Great ladies and great Beauties" re
marked Lady Belvoir pensively, "are no
always so inhuman as they are though
to be by young cynics. Am I grea
lady? Well. suppose am, and hav
been told that am not altogether plain
In fact, you yourself have told me so,
believe. Yet / am sure that you woul(
never think of calling me hard hearted.
Moreton knitted his brows and looked
at her suspiciously. "Are You laughing
at me?" he asked
"What Is there to laugh at? Come an
see me some day before go away-yo,
shan't meet Miss Leslie this tine-and
will show you that at any rate am no
too hard hearted to feel for friend il
distress. Perhaps also" she added, ''
might be able to give you some informa
ton and advice about this mysteriou
fame of yours, if only You could max
up your mind to let me hear her name
Women do sometimes fall in love, yo
know. and when they do they are capa
BILE of any folly"
Lady Belvoir." exclaimed Moreto
eagerly, ''suppose-just by way OF an in
! stance, you know-suppose You were tn
!; woman, and the man was some fello,
, like myself, without money or positio
or anything, would you, do You think
. could you"-
"Oh. I don't know" she answered