The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-02-02
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THE BEAUTY.

Lena is seven and thirty years old. She
is the best dressed woman in London. And
the best looking, she adds iudiciallv and
with the candor for which she is distn-
gushed She has a house in Park lane
She has villa on the Biviera of which she
is immensely fond-when she is in England
which she always hates. She is of the
world, worldly. She is so shallow and
brilliant that one feels she ought to make
a great name. She knows something about
everything. She reads before she comes
down in the morning, during the prolonged
rest she always takes for the benefit of her
perfect complexion. She reads theology
when theology is the fashion. She is a
Buddhist one week and a mahatma the
next, an agnostic pretty frequently. Agnos-
ticism is so convenient She talks over her
beliefs with her admirers. There is point
and audacity about her statements which
make them infinitely more telling than if
they were the soundcst of arguments. No
one argues with her however. Her beauty.
her perfect poses her wit, her brilliancv,
her fine sense of humor, her complete
vanity and dissatisfaction make argument
in some sense impossible. The laugh is
always with her. TO put her in the wrong
is quite out of the question. ''She is so
confoundedly clever, you know" some
pf hnr iu b., 10
foundedly clever.
Her beauty is perfectly preserved. An
excellent digestion and heart and con-
science which have given her no sort of
trouble have contributed to this desirable
result. 81 shall he 81 next birthday" she
is in the habit of saying with the most
delightful candor. 'And | should he con-
stantlv mistaken for my own daughter if
were not so very much better looking"
Her vanity is as transparent as that of Il
child admirng itself in new frock in a
looking glass. 1t is. as it were. the weak
point in character that is otherwise strong.
Lena will lap up greedily the most fulSome
of compliments There is no fatterv too
blunt for her ear Her pride and her
cleverness cringe to it. Her worship of her
own beauty would be ridiculous if it did
not strike note that reverberatcs in
tragedy. To he lovely and admired has
been the whole aim of her life She has
sacrificed her soul to it and achieved it,
Lena was married at 10 81 was the
handsomest girl in London " she SAYS to
her husband, looking at him with perfect
scorn and good humor down table glitter
ing with glass and silver. ~ might have
married anybody. And married YOU"
Her husband does not answer He sell
dom replies to Lena's innuendoes. He has
habit of sitting with his hands crossed
behind his chair and his gray head little
bent. He is Il fool, of course What could
he have been but a fool to think that Lena,
brilliant and 10, could be marrying him for
anything except his money? What can he
be now hut fool to 20 on worshippinG this
woman who insults him a dozen times
day with her scornful good humor and her
cruel wit? The world-the world always
knows-says he has only himself to blame
for her treatment of him. The world scorps
scarcely less than she does herself his slow
patience and long suffering, his persistent
kindness and forbearance 'Ny husband
has no brains to speak Of, You know" says
Lena conversatonally. Her husband can
hear the remark from the other end of the
table. ''IIe wrote Il prize poem at Cam
bridge" she continues. enjoying herself
very much. "That speaks for tself.n
Lena is wearing diamonds which this fool
gave her a week ago. Her bad taste is
so eNecrable that one wonders ever society
applauds her: OTIS dreadful shame"
people say, and accept her invitations to
dinner next month with perfect pleasure.
But there is indeed something about Lena
which leads the world as well as her hus-
band to forgive her. 1t may be her wit or
her beauty, or her manner, which makes
some women and all men lose sight of or
care nothing for the nature which they
cover, or it may he that even Lena is not so
bad as she represents herself
There is good in her. There is a certain
impulse and generosity which would be
very good if they were not so exceedingly
brief. There arc days and moments when
Lena is quite pleasant and civil to the man
who has married her and given her great
wealth, great fathfulness, great affection.
The day he brings her home the diamonds
she is surprised into pleasure and gratitude
'Iou can kiss me if you like she says.
And he is fool enough to touch her cheek
reverently with his lips She wears the
diamonds all day for nearly week. Her
pleasure over them is like the pleasure of a
child. She tries them first in this position
and then in that. She looks at herself in
all the mirrors i'll the drawing room. They
dine alone in the evening, and she is
wholly gracious and brilliant and good
humored. She has put on her very finest
dress. She has made the maid do her hair
hundred times. diamonds suit me