Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-11-13

q certain year at would be possible to
be mora precise. but for various reasons
some degree of vagueness seems desira-
ble) Lord Guise gave a little dinner at
his club. He was fond Of giving such
Observation-Disclosures, he belonged to
that particular club for no other reason
than that it was celebrated for the ex-
cellence of the fare which its members
were enabled to set before strangers
but, either because he did not think it
worth while to trouble himself about
%congruity, or because he was persuaded
that ~incongruity is more an, ing. he
never chose his guests with ard
to the question of whethe- ere
likely to suit each other or sur-
edly he must have been aN the
three whom he had invited res
ent occasion could have / ON
mon, unless it might be an ltion
of good cooking and good wiz.
First there was his old friend and
former schoolfellow, Percy Thorold, a
handsome, square faced, dark haired
and rather serious looking man of a lit
tie over 80, who had entered parliament
at an early age, had soon won distinc-
ton as a debater, and was now o Junior
lord Of the treasury. Then ttHre was
that very good looking and, as rest peo-
pie were inclined to think, hn2elessly
good for nothing young fellow, Eustace
Mpreton. Moreton had been in the
Guards for a time; but had resigned his
commission, averring that he could not
stand the expense.
Whether he or his father found it a
less expensive plan that he should reside
in London without any profession at all
may be open to doubt; but at all events
he had no means of earning his living,
nor prospect of any, nor desire for any.
He was clean shaven, in obedience to
the latest edict of fashion; he had curly
fair hair which grew low down upon his
broad forehead; his sleepy blue eyes ex-
pressed languid contentment with a
world which had treated him, upon the
whole, quite as well a he could expect.
Socially he was much in request, for he
was q good dancer, did not object to
London balls, and knew how to make
himself agreeable. Finally, there was
little Mr.. Schneider, of whom not much
Was known by his host or by anybody
else, except that he had a great deal Of
money, that he was to be seen driving
f~onr-in-hand in the park and elsewhere,
that his Late father had been a German
banker, and that he was very anxious to
.;ain Il firm foothold in society.
OF the four Lord Guise himself was
the eldest and by far the least smart in
appearance. His hair, which he wore
rather longer than is the custom in these
days, was not very carefully brushed;
+ had ashort, reddish beard; his clothes
ii led him loosely; his features were
large and~irregular. Altogether he was
CO. nmon place looking person, although,
q he was the eldest son of a duke. many
p pie had been able to discover in him
a iiraof distinction. He passed for be-
i'm eccentric; but this, perhaps, only
III, mt that his manner were not as
go as they might have been, and that
h was still unmarried.
'.Iir,t Lord Guise remained a bachelor,
Notwithstanding the many seductive and
more OF less direct invitations which he
hal received to change bis condition,
was due not in the least to eccentricity,
but - his profound conviction that when
a man binds himself for life to any wom-
an tis chances are at least ten to one that
THAT man will sooner or later rue an act Of
irr .y.rable folly. He was fond of saying
this. md he was saying it now to his
tire ,uests, who listened to him with q
GO .eal of interest and attention.
iarriage as an institution is a neces-
81; # course" he observed. in his slow,
81 ly drawing accents; nobody
W think of disputing that. What /
p st against is the English system of
a. Iging marriages. What the deuce
h. ,,ve to say to the question? Is any
N such a consummate ass rs TO believe
tlirt ne will be in love with the same
woaatn all his life long?'
II a imagine man being ass enough
for that" Thorold said, with a slight
sIr T..
Well, on second thoughts, so can I.
In point of fact that is just what one
dps5 imagine each time that one falls
Ill 1--we. 1 put it wrongly; what l ought
to have said was that no man a be
such an ass as to believe in the perpet-
uni duration Of another mans love"
Or Of a woman's love-" added More
ia signing, and gazing sentimentally
into his empty champagne glass.
Lord Guise made a sign to the waiter,
and resumed his homily.
The reason why 50 many married
people hate each other is that they have
started with an absurd promise to per-
form impossibilities. One should begin
as n e to go on, and if they were
to set out with a good, quiet feeling Of
mutual regard it is probable or Ugh that
they would manage to pull Il 81 with
out much discomfort. Idc w that
matrimony under any circumstances
would be enjoyable, but it might be
made e~nduIable."
Little Mr.. Schneider, who had around
rosy face and projecting eyes, nodded
approvingly and raped the table.
'Just So" he exclaimed; 81 thoroughly
agree with YOU"
81 thought you would" observed Lord
Guise aryly; "you generally do, you
know. But what about you, Thorold?
Do you agree with meT'
In truth his harangue, though osten-
sibly general in its scope, had been in
tended to apply specially to an individ-
ual case; and this intention was no
secret to Mr.. Thorold, who answered:
"Oh. I dare say you are right. Per-
sonally. l shouldn't much care to marry
upon the French plan; but very likely it
works better than ours in the majority
of Instances. However, it doesn't great
ly signify whether You are right or
wrong, because you will hardly bring
about o revolution In the national
ideas"
II don't know that" said Lord Gnise.
every movement must be started by
somebody. and humble as I am / may
be the first to set the ball rolling in the
right direction. Not that I should ad-
vorsts the adoption Of the French system