Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-12-25
CHAPTER VII.
TIE SOCIETY PROTECTS ITS MEMBERS.


"T'he case is disposed Of"
On the next morning but one after the |
events chronicled in the last chapter
Lord Guise received three letters by the
same post which afforded him prodigious
amusement. The first of them that he
opened was from Percy Thorold, and ran |
as follows:
MY DEAR GUIsE--I dare say you
haven't forgotten that one evening after
dinner yon induced me and two other
idiots to join what L think you called
Bachelors Mutual Aid and Protection
society, and that we bound ourselves to
abstain from proposing to any woman
until we should have received one an
others permission to do SO. How l can
have been SO silly as to fetter myself In
such a way cannot imagine, but having
given my word, of course l must keep
it. and since | am now thinking of
marrying-or at least Of asking lady
to marry mel must beg you to let me
know when / can meet you and the
other two victims. Please let it be to-
morrow, if possible, as | am much press
ed for time, and for heavens sake let the
discussion be short one! lam sure you
will understand how very disagreeable
this tomfoolery is to me under the cir
culnstance5. Ever yours,
PERCY THoRoLD."
Eustace Moreton's note was even more
concise:
DEAR GUIsE-I couldn't find you
last night to tell you that [ want a meet
ing of that blessed anti-marriags club
OF yours summoned at once. I'm going
70 t., f.e3, f,s nod
if you'll kindly allow me. I'll tell you
all about it when we meet and l hope
none of you will be ill-conditioned
enough to put spokes IN my wheel
After all, its noboiy's business but my
own. Yours in haste,
''EUsTACE MoREToN."
Mr. Schneider wrote at greater length
and in more carefully chosen language,
and this was what he had to say for
himself:
MY DEAR LORD GUIsE-When I
Joined You and our friends, Thorold and
Moreton. some months ago in an agree
ment that we would none of us offer
marriage to a lady without previously
submitting her name for approval to the
other members of our society did not,
confess, think that | should be the first
TO claim the requisite permission and
authority. Fate, however, has decreed
that it should be so. and l feel sure that
l may count, at least, upon your sane
ton. You may have your own opinion
of the lady in question, and it may not
be all that | (who am possibly a little
better acquainted with herr could wish
it to be: vet it would hardly, think. be
consistent with the views which l have
heard you express were you to oppose a
union recommended chiefly, if not solely,
by considerations Of worldly prudence
and advantage. I will not say more
upon this subject now, as 1 hope to have
an early opportunity Of laying my case
before you all.
My time, as you know, is very much
occupied at present, and may at almost
any moment be compelled TO go north.
! am therefore most anxious to bring
this matter to an issue as soon as pos
sible, and if you could make it suit your
convenience and that Of our friends to
meet me in the course Of tomorrow I
should feel greatly obliged. Believe
me, my dear Lord Guise, very truly
yours. -. SCHNEIDER"
If there was one of these missives
which made Lord Guise laugh more
than another it was the last. Upon what
ladies the choice of Thorold and More
ton had respectively fallen he did not
know, though he had suspicious with
regard to Moreton; but as to Mr..
Schneider's selection he was in no rn-
certainty, and the solemnity of that gen.
tleman's style delighted him.
Il was sure from the first that there
was no frivolity about Schneider" he
.. muttered. THE people who set him
down rs fool will find out their mistake
one of these days. What magnificent
NJ p he will make, and what a joke it
will be if Sybil accepts him! If can
only reconcile it with my conscience to
vote for him will certainly do so; but
have duty to perform, and / must not
think selfshly of my own amusement"
In any case the approaching meeting
seemed likely to be an amusing one, and
Lord Guse at once dispatched replies to
his three correspondents. requesting them
to dine with him that evening His
messenger s;.g9dily brought him back
grateful acceptances of his invitations,
so that it only remained to give the nee.
essary instructions to the housekeeper.
Lord Guise. when in London, inhabited
a few rooms in the somewhat gloomy
family mansion in Piccadilly, which his
father, who was an old man in failing
health, seldom occupied.
During the season he was supposed
(the supposition was scarcely verified) tc
take the burden of entertainment off the
ducal shoulders, and the services OF the
ducal chef were therefore placed ut hi:
disposition for three months out of the
year. Consequently four gentlemen sal
down III tiae spacious dining room thai
evening TO q dinner which only one oil
them appreciated. The other three were
far too much preoccupied with theil
own thoughts to pay any heed to the
fare set before them, and it cannot be
said that their conversation was at all
worth listening to.
As for their host he behaved admira
bly,. not smile appearing upon his face
though every now and then he was shaker
{ by an excess of inward merriment. He
exerted himself good deal more thar
was his wont to entertain his guests and
set them az their ease, and he made NJ
allusion whatever to the cause of theil
being where they were until after din
ner. wherl he suggested that they should
adjourn to his den in order to discus
the business of the evening" As soor
as this move had been effected and cigar,
and eceiing drinks had been brought
Lord Guise seated himself at his writing
table, which gave him somewhat the all
of presiding over q council of state, hi
three associates having been accommo
dated with arm chairs facing him. HI
opened tile proceedings in an easy, col
loquial tone, yet in such manner as tt
convey the idea that he regarded then
as quite serious.
well, my dear fellows, you have cal
ed meeting Of our society. as You wer'
bound to do, and here we are. hop
and t,inl: that you viii have reason 3
congratulate yourselves eventually, |
not immediately, upon the benefleen'
working IF the system, but of course tn
system can only be made to work b
each one Of us determining 70 do wha