Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-01-15
CHAPTER Y.
THE CHIEF coysrRAron IN DANGER.

* z.=2lD|
"N0ic, SY'H, I'm going to hare it out
trith lJOu."
One afternoon, toward the close of the
year treated Of III this unpretending ac.
count of shameful conspiracy, q some-
what detected looking gentleman was
seated before the smoking room fire of a
mansion in the Midlands. He had been
out hunting. and. as circumstances had
caused him to abandon the chase rather
earlier than ether people, he had en-
scouced himself in this comfortable arm
chair to smoke cigar and mediate
while before going upstairs to dress for
dinner. 1t WIS the chief conspirator.
His muddy boots reposed upon the steel
fender: his right arm hung loosely by
his side, his fingers almost touching the
floor; his head was 50 sunk forward upon
his breast that his nose and his reddish
beard net. Anybody seeing him would
have said: Here Is man who is tired
out; in another five minutes he will have
fallen asleep. dropped his cigar, and
burnt a hole in the hear th rug"
Lord Guise. however. was not sleepy;
he was only pensiye, depressed and un-
easy III his mind. What he was saying
to himself was:
This is becoming simply intolerable!
Wherever | go I am bound to meet
that woman. 1t really almost looks as
if people did If on purpose. Not that 1
should mind meeting her if only she
could be ordinarily civil; but one does
like TO be answered when one speaks
Hang it all. why can't we be friends:
We always used TO be. Now. / don't
suppose there is {: man in all England
who cares less about that kind of thing
than l do; still. | defy anybody to say
that he enjoys seeing a pretty woman
either yawn in his face or turn her back
upon him every time that he makes an
effort to perform his social duties. And
have never denied that she is a pretty
woman. In fact, pretty isn't the word;
she is absolutely beautiful-the most
beautiful woman | have ever seen, for
that matter"
Here Lord Guise heaved long sign,
shifted his position and took several pulls
at his cigar, which was nearly out.
I'm not sure" he resumed presently,
''that haven't been a little bit too hard
upon Sybii Belyoir I'm not sure that /
haven't been too hard upon women gen.
orally. One grows more tolerant as one
grows older. After all, what harm is
there in Irritation? And how do know
that she has ever done anything worse
than fiirt? ! don't believe she has. and
certainly | don't believe Il tithe of the
stories which men who haven't exchang-
ed dozen words with her in their lives
think themselves very knowing for tell
ing about her.
"A nice lot they are themselves! !
could tell her one or two things about
some of these fellows who are always
hanging round her which would make
her open her eyes, l suspect, though she
is by way Of knowing everything. OF
course it isn't permissible to tell tales,
but, upon my word, / sometimes almost
wish it was! Talk about the duplicity
of women! Why, what can you expect
of them when they have to contend
against the duplicity of men,
1t will be perceived that in the course
of the summer and autumn Lord Guise's
views with regard to the sexes had un.
dergone some modification. But tha,
perhaps was scarcely enough to accoun,
for his low spirits; because, although one
is sorry to have formed unjust judg.
ments. one does not exactly make ones
self miserable over mistakes to which
haiYnr Ir1t n1 rr-a or5 ai1 1;nIIa All
indeed, to sum matters up, Lord Guise
was unhappy because lady whom he
had known from her childhood would
have nothing to say to him. He was alse
puzzled; otherwise possibly he would
have been less unhappy. While he was
revolving disconnected thoughts anG
vague conjeettlres in his mind his hos
"a ruddy, jovial old gentleman-tramp
ed in and threw himself down upon 6
chair, dropping his hunting crop.
well. Guise,' said he, you've missed
the quickest thing of the season."
THAT observed Lord Guise, sis Of
course. Who ever went out on lamt
horse without missing the quickest thins
of the season? I don't want to heal
about it. thank you. We shall have ;
good many trustworthy accounts of i
before we are allowed to go to bed, M
doubt. 1 suppose all the other men wer,
well in it from start to finishG'
'tWell, most of them, 1 believe One
or two of the women, too. must sa,
enjoy seeing women ride straight t.
hounds"
Il don't believe it," answered Lore
Guise politely.
''Oh. you're miso-what- d 'ye-call-it
we all know that. You don't enjoy see
ing women in the hunting field or any
where else. BY the way, what's wrong
with Lady Belyoir that she won't com,
out? She was as keen as mustard las
year.
I'm sure | don't know" answered
Lord Guise. Perhaps her nerve is be
ginning to GO
''No fear. only wish had half he
pluck; but at my time of life one find
ont that one isn't quite what one used t,
be. Do you know what my wife says
She says she believes Lady Belvoir ha
stopped hunting because you don't ar
prove of it.
THAT observed Lord Guise. gettinl
up and stretching himself, lis flatter
ing TO me: but rs a shot it can't b
called good. Lady Belyoir doesn't hon
or me by asking for my opinion of he
proceedings. and nothing is more ce1
tain than that. if she did, she would de
cline to be influenced by it. When Lad
Belvoir has given up doing all the thing
that l disapprove of she will be tolel
ably promising candidate for the Saliva
ton Army.
s.Oh, well. one must make allow
ances," said the good natured old gen
tisnan. Perhaps if you or Were il
her plaee-young and pretty and indie
pendent of any control, you KNOWN
should act pretty much as she does, eh:
81 haven't doubt of it, answere
Lord Suise. LET Us be thankful tina
we are not exposed TO the same tenpta
tions. It's about time TO go and dress
isn't it.
Possibly this plea for lenieney, comm
as it did from an unprejudiced outsider
and Ginning in with the voice OF ms ow
conscience, mar not have been withou
4 certain effect upon him. At any rat
when he had dressed and had joined tn
large party awaiting him in the drawn
,ooIn Lord Guise was always late fe
a;nners he felt ready to make any a