Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-12-11
CHAPTER V.
USELESS ECSTACE.

sl~
"Iou hare drrircd just IN time tc stand
mp for yourself"
Lady Belvolr. like the generality of
perfectly selfish people, was good nat
urcd. So long as she got what she want
ed she was very willing that others also
should get what they wanted. Indeed,
she much preferred their doing so, be-
cause il is pleasanter to associate with
cnntentel than with disconterited NOR
tails. As for Percy Thorold, he was,
perhaps. of all her captives the one OF
whom she was the least proud and whose
allegiance she was the least anxious to
retain. For one thing, he had wearled
her to death: for another, she was quite
well aware that he had been in love, not
with her. but with a girl of her name
who had long since ceased to exist;
finally. lle had never for a moment sue
ceetlesl i'll touching her heart.
Consequently her feeling toward him
was one Of simple friendliness. and
Us she knew him to be an excellent man
in all respects except those which she
cared forl she was honestly pleased to
discover that he was s1nitten with the
only girl in the world whom she ever
found tolerabic as a companion. She
found various means CT bringing them
torathar aud amused herself wher shn
bad nothing better to do by watching
the progress of their mutual relations.
They We're obviously falling in love with
one another. but We're just as obviously
unconscious of it, so that their satisfac-
ton il meetings which they had never
arranged and their i'll concealed disap-
pOintment when, as sometimes hap
pened. those meetings failed to come off,
formed pretty and refreshing little idyl
for diSenchanted woman of the world
to contemplate at spare moments.
Lady Belvoirs spare moments, to be
sure, were not numerous, for she had
many irons in the fire, and these nat
urally required pretty constant atten-
ton. Sill. she was not SO se'f Ell
crossed but that she could OCCASIONALLY
devote a little time to t. iEt-Ie ests Of
an old ana valuef friend, a, Il is Ger
Jaii thai Al this period Perc, Tlorold's
"Pll iJn II her underwent marked
cha'iSc for the be- - ne s.,rinp
am SUNNI Event on, and ? ms engage
-.-1'..o -, ami rupture with his cousin
passed into the category of ancient his
tory, he became q more and more fire.
,ueut visitor in Carlton House terrace.
He was still by way of stunning the
gay world. but perhaps his reasons for
so doing Were no longer the same as
they had been earlier in the year. 1t is
only quite young and quite old men who
go into society for society's sake-the
Others submit to it in order to meet
somebody; and if that individual can be
met Ist as easily and far more comfort
ably at afternoon tea why should busy
politician neglect public affairs for the
chance of few hurried words in a
crowded ball room?
But, of course, busy politicians cannot
always count upon being free between
and 6 O'Clock. and that is why Percy
was unable to put in an appearance at
Lady Belvoir's one afternoon, although
he had previously given Miss Leslie to
understand that he would be there.
"My dear girl" Lady Belvoir said
when her friend entered, Il am delighted
to see you, but I'm afraid you won't see
anybody except me today. / did ask
Percy to look in. but have just had 9
note from him to say that he is bound tc
be at Westminster
''Blt really | don't want to see any
body except you," Dorothy replied, with
pardonable mendacity.
ION. well, if you are sure of that
Lady Belvoir paused for a moment anG
laughed-''if you are sure of that" she
resumed presently, ''Tll ring and orde1
tea. All things considered, don't know
that l particularly care about seeing
anybody except you. so won't send yor
away"
These two women. who had so little i,
common, had by this time at any rate 6
considerable number of common ac
quaintances, and upon these their con
versation not unnaturally turned. Thu!
justice, without very much mercy, was
done to many persons who, by reason o.
the uarrowness of the present stage, have
not been introduced to the reader, a.
well Us to one or two who have. Mr.
Schneider. for example, if he had beer
concealed behind one of the numerous
screens which adorned the room, woult
have been forced to listen to certain
truths about himself which could hardly
have failed TO make him unhappy, al
though he might have been to some ex
tent consoled by hearing Lady Belvoil
take his part.
Il don't know why you are always 81
hard upon my poor little Schneider,
she said. He isn't clever. of course
but one can't expect everybody to b.
clever"
''No-only don't think he is gen
tleInan," Dorothy replied.
Has any one ever had the effronter,
to assert that he was? What do yoI
mean by gentleman? l mean a person
entitled to use coat armor, and I don
see what all the other elaborate defini
tions that one hears have to do with tn,
subject. Schneider has just about a
many ancestors, suppcse-a few NOR,
or few less-as half the men whom
receive"
ssVery likely; but I was thinking o
his manners rather than of his birth
and as for half the men whom you re
ceive never can understand why yol
receive them
The truth was that Dorothy could no
enter into the good humored disdai1
with which Lady Belvoir regarded he
suitors. one and all: and as rightly O
wrongly she thought better of her frient
than most people thought, it provoke,
her to see the encouragement freely &C
corded to persons who had no right at al
to expect anything of the kind. One o
these was announced before Lady Bel
yoir had time to reply, and at the sount
of his name Miss Leslie made a grimace
MFR, Eustace Moreton was probably en-
titled to the use Of ceat armor, but tina
did not alter the fact that he was lazy
selfish and inefficient.
Now, if Dorothy disliked this youn
gentleman-as she did very cordially
he had no great fancy or admiration fo
her. and, although he did not go SO ia
AZ 10 make face at her, he allowed 1t
be plainly seen that he was both SUI
prised and dispieased to find her IN tn
room. What business had he to .
either the one or the other? That wa
what Dorothy wondered and what Lad
Belyoir could have told her.
But Lady Belvoir only laughed q htti'