The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-01-27
CHAPTER x.

For some little time after the evening
Of the tableaux | did not happen to meet
the Bracknells, so that ] could not Judge
from personal observation how far HilGa
had obeyed her husbands commands and
dropped Beauchamp, but divers rumors
which reached me pointed to the conclu-
sion that she had not dropped that foolish
youth at all; nor indeed had supposed
for one moment that she intended doing
so. Jim, who had returned to London
after flying visit to Elnhurst, amused
me by an account Of remonstrance
which he had felt ii his duty to address to
Lady Bracknell and of the manner in
which his intervention had been received.
lord Staines doesn't see it,, he said
confidentially, 'but between ourselves,
it's as certain as anything can be that she
is doing her best to prevent Beauchamp
from proposing to Lady Mildred,
i expressed much surprise and con-
graduated Jim upon his insight into the
crafty ways Of feminine diplomacy; to
which he replied modestly that be be-
lieyed he was about as wide awake as
most men nowadays. "0ne can't mix
long in London society without having
ones eyes opened,n he explained; "and,
as you know, have good cause 10 dis
trust Hilda
He paused, sighed and then resumed:
II don't want other people TO suffer
through her as have suffered. thought
she might perhaps be disposed to admit
that she owed me some trihing favor, by
way Of reparation for the past; so called
upon her the other day aud appealed to
her to leave Beauehamp alone. 1t seemed
to me that one admirer more or less could
make very little difference to her, and |
couldn't suppose that she had any delib-
crate intention Of making Lady Mildred
unhappy At least that's what J said to
her -
Are you so sure, VI inquired, "that
the loss Of Beauchamp will make Lady
Mildred unhappyf'
"Oh, yes, Pm afraid so-that is, be-
lieve so, " he answered. 'From different
things that She has said to me feel pretty
sTe that she would acoept him if he pro-
posed to her; and after all why shouldn't
sheS | don't myself think him particu-
larly attractive, but he is a good natured
fellow, and he isn't bad looking, and
well, | supp Sc there would he nothing
very extraordinary in any girls falling in
love with him. So, as tell you, made
my appeal to Hilda; and wish / hadn't,
for II didn't suceeed. She began by deny
ng that she had led Beauchamp on, giving
me to understand that he was infatuated
about her and that she really couldn't
help it. Then, when persisted that she
could put stop to his infatuation very
easily if she chose, she got angry and said
that |, at any rate, ought not to object il
Beauchamp proved faithless. asked her
what she meant-because really didn't
know-whereupon she calmly accused me
in SO many words of being in love with
Lady Mildred myself"
"lIow ms sJlentp / exclaimed Sand
how palpably untrue and absurdm
"Wcll, yes,a Jim agreed, II think it
was rather insolent, and of course it was
untrue. don't know about the ahsurdity
of it; but what does seem to me absurd is
that friendship between man and a wo-
man should be considered impossible.
Like q fool as am, said SO to Lady
Bracknell; and she Immediately turned
round upon me and asked why she wasn't
to be allowed to make friend of Beau
champ. That rather shut me up. All
could say was that didn't believe she
cared two straws about Beauchamp's
friendship; whereupon she retorted that
she didn't begeve IN my disinterested
friendship for Lady Mildred. So the dis
pute ended in draw
fro IN ooMTrNuRD.F