Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-01-22

ask for what you wanted would have
been quite sufficient then, and that it
will be quite sufficient now. No doubt
she has impaired her views upon the
subject to you"
She has been very kind and-and
encouraging Percy was compelled to
admit: but / think that was chiefly
because she was sorry for me and saw
how much l needed a little encourage
ment. Then, too, she had faith enough
in me to take my word for it that | did
not leave England from any discredita
BILE or dishonorable cause. But she has
never pretended to know for certain that
you cared for me-"
'.Oh, indeedr' exclaimed Dorothy.
flushing Lp; ''she actually confessed
hat she didn't know that for certain.
I am amazed at her moderation. Still I
don't think l will trouble you to tell me
that long story. Mr.. Thorold; you real
ly don't owe me any explanation or
apology"
So far Percy had not put his case very
skillfully, and her annoyance was natu-
raj enough: but a man who is thorough
ly in earnest is not easily abashed, and
Mr.. Thorold was resolved to have a
plain answer to a plain question. After
a moments silence he said:
81 know you are too straightforward
to trifie with me, and | don't believe
you will think me conceited for confess
ing that I had hopes before l left Lon
don. 1t isn't a question of will or judg-
ment; one loves or one doesn't love, for
the simple reason that one can't help
one's self, and if you don't and can't love
me all the eloquence in the world would
do me no good" Then he stood still
and made a half turn so as to face her.
Must / say good-by now" he asked.
If Dorothy had not rehearsed a scene
resembling this in many particulars she
would have been indeed an abnormal
young woman; but the worst of such
mental rehearsals is that they are liable
to be rendered altogether useless if the
second person concerned in them fails to
act his part, and it must be owned that
Miss Leslie had expected to find her
sutton a little more humble. As it was,
she could only look down and trace lines
upon the 10 with the tip of her boot,
which is no way to treat a man who is
lacking in humility.
However, when this mode of procedure
had led to its inevitable result, and when
some five or ten minutes had been spent
in a n which was doubtless found
agreeable by two deserving persons, it
seemed that, after all, Percy was proper
ly impressed with a sense of his own
u~nworthiness. Having said some rather
~eXtravagant things as to that and having
satisfied himself that he was Dorofhy's
first love (who does not hasten to satisfy
himself upon such points, and how many
men, it may be wondered, receive re-
plies as truthful as that which this lucky
fellow was privileged to receive:) he
lamented, with evident sincerity, that
his own record could not be represented
as equally blank.
There's no use" he sighed, Sin deny
ing that for a good many years | was
very much in love with my cousin Sybil.
Only I suppose it would be true to say
that ! wasn't really in love with her,
but with some imaginary being whom l
pictured TO myself in her place. Ican't
be thankful enough that my eyes were
opened before / met you, Dorothy"
''She is a great deal kinder aud better
than you choose to allow" declared
Dorothy, who could afford to be gener-
Gus.
"Well-perhaps. Oh, yes: I dare say
she is. But I stupidity took her for a
sample of women in general, and not so
very long ago l had quite made up my
mind that l would have nothing more
to do with women for the rest Of my
life. That was how it was that / al
lowed myself to be dragged into that
idiotic conspiracy of Guise's. By the
way, l. must tell you about the conspir-
acy. 1t was one evening last spring.
just before / met you for the first time.
Three of us were dining with Guise at
his club, and he was holding forth upon
the folly of marrying for love. He said
a man in love was the worst poss1ol.
judge of the woman he loved, and
think we all agreed with him more o.
less"
"Do you still agree with himr' Doro
thy inquired.
mo; because I am older and wiser
now than was then; the experience tina
l had had at the time seemed to lend sup
port to his view. Well, there was a goot
deal of talk, to which l didn't lister
very particularly until 1 heard Guis,
proposing to start a select society o.
bachelors for purposes of mutual pro
lection. Every man who joined it wa.
to give his honor as a gentleman that h,
wouldn't offer marriage to any lady il
the course Of the ensuing year with
out having previously consulted his col
leagues. And he was to agree to b.
bound by their decision; that is to say
if they disapproved of her or thought h.
wouldn't be happy with her he was t.
abstain from speaking or writing to he
for six months.
"Of course l treated the whole schem,
as a joke; but l had no particular OBJ
lection to taking the required pledge
because l was perfectly certain that
shouldn't want to propose to anybod,
before the year was out. / dare say tn,
other two men may have had the sam
conviction about themselves: for. as IA
as | remember, we none of us raised an,
difficulties. 1t just shows how littl
one can foresee the future and how care
full n ought to be about committing
ones self"
1T does indeed.' agreed Dorothy. ~
suppose that is why Lord Gdise felt it s.
necessary to protect you. And to thinl
that, in spite of all his precautions, h
should have failedr'
Percy drew a long breath. Yes" b
said, II have had better luck than | de
served, and better luck than / expecte'
last July, / can tell You. Of curse a
soon as / made up my mind that
|, couldn't let Won leave London withou
telling You howl loved you l had +
summon a meeting of this ahominabl
!, society, and then a most extraordinar.
thing happened, for when we met it ap
pea1ed, if yon1l believe me, that two
out of the other three members were il
my ~predicament. Well, NIGH
have Thought that as all we wanted @
each other was to be let alone it waui
, have been easy TO come to an under
standing. bnt nnluckity it did not prov
SO. Tlla two others happened TO hav
fallen In: love with the same lady, SO thu