The Press., 1894-02-22

strongly upon the absolute nothingness of worldly possessions and social rank, while upon all other occasions his yisi- ble objects in life were to find the most advantageous investments for his money --of which he had great deal-and to obtain the best settlements for his daughters in marriage? Again, it seenl- ed to me that 8 man who really be- lieved in the predestination of a fear fully large percentage of his fellow mor- tals to an unhappy future ought to be more concerned about it and not to be sitting there in his handsomely appoint ed dining room, slipping h1s port with such complacent air, however we'll as- sured of his own safety. am not much of theologian, and don't know what may be the precise grounds for such a belief, but it seemed to me that if felt so sure of. it as the Rev. Cholmondely did the thought would almost drive me into an asylum.
 On the other hand, I was pretty sure the Rev. Cholmondely did not respect me at all. 1t would not occur to him to respect any one with so small a for tune as mine, and indeed when l came to propose for Ella he demonstrated this in sufficiently plain terms. Had he objected conscientiously to giving his daughter to one of my profession, could have reverenced his scruples. But he assured me this was not the case at all He entertained the highest respect for my profession. It was only my rank in it that he took exception to, and the absence of any family interest 1 to render it likely should ever obtain 1 any high military appointment. When endeavored to point out the inconsis- tency between his preaching and his practice in connection with this, he be- came so irritated that I had to drop the subject for the time, and no definite ar rangement had been arrived at when l came in for my uncle's legacy of the | horses.
 Now, here I knew he would be fully consistent. He abhorred racing, not merely from principle, but, like my mother, from actual experience of it's evil consequences. After some schem- ing and nearly spelling the life of a very estimable young clergyman in neighboring parish, who was devotedly attached to her and whom she would have married and been happy woman | but for her parents interference, the Cholmondely-D y-Davenports-for so his wife insisted on their being styled, though Cholmondely was but his Chris tian name-had succeeded in marrying their eldest daughter to the profigate son of gambling baronet, "a more suitable match, the mother called it | Jol 1>o 4ol with the settlements which were not forthcoming, in honor of the alliance. The result, however, of th1s maneuver was disappointing. The baronet was on his last legs, and the young people were now living abroad on the worst of terms with each other and mainly on an al- lowance from her father, with no pros l pect on his part of inheriting anything beyond the barren title. All this on ac- count of horse racing and baccarat, so that to hear that I was going on the turf would not be likely to propitiate my father-in-law elect.
 I say ''elect'' because, although l had been in 8 way refused by her par ents, neither Ella nor had any inten- tion of giving each other up. Ella Day. enport was fine girl and had inherit ed from her father fine will of her own, quite equal to his, and she had at this time rather the whip hand of her parents by reason of her sisters unfor- tunate marriage, which would not have occurred had she been left to choose for herself. Accordingly, Ella refusing to l throw me over, the matter remained in 1 abeyance. There was no recognized en- | gagement, but we perfectly understood
 one another, and regarded myself as
 much bound to marry Ella at some time or other as if we had been betrothed
 with the full sanction of her family. | At this time we did not often meet. The
 Rev. Cholmondely had never gone so far as to forbid me the house, but know | ing his feelings toward me I could not
 bring myself to visit there, preferring
 to see Ella whenever I could at the
 houses of our friends or at the various
 public balls which took place during
 the winter months. We were both i young enough to bide our time.
 Though not without some small for
 tune derived from my father, was by
 no means sufficiently we'll off to marry
 Ella without the e5, 1000 or so dowry
 which her father could well afford to
 give, and no doubt would give upon l her making such a match as might be | deemed ''suitable. I was now 32,
 and as will be readily believed had
 saved nothing out of my pay. First
 had gone to Oxford, but on finding, to-
 ward the end of my second year, that
 was only getting into debt with no sort of chance of obtaining honors-to which, having been in the sixth at school, I had at first aspired, little aware of the standard required for class-I passed mods and went up for the army 1 as university candidate. Then, having
 been gazetted to the Ninetieth Hussars, I
 had served in Ireland and subsequently
 in India, taking part in one of those lit
 tie punitive expeditions in which we
 are continually engaged upon the iron tiers, wherein I gained my captaincy. We had now been home year and a
 half, during which time had fallen in
 with Ella, with the result already men,
 tioned. My mother was staying at Bournemouth. and 1 was with her on leave when Uncle Geoff died and left
 me his horses.
 CHAPTER II.
 The first thing to be done was obvi-
 am no great judge of horsefesh though,
 like most other men, I fancy know a
 good nag when 1 see one, than which