The record-union., 1896-10-25

way, there's a good fellow; for it's my
firm belief you're dead and gone to par
adise--a FOOLS paradise, of course"
"A FOOLS inferno, you mean. 1 dreamed
last night I'd lost her-I made a sonnet
on that
Gibson sat silent for a moment. study
ing the curious specimen before him.
Then he rose to his feet laughing, and
patted Brownrigg cheerfully on the
back. 1T strikes me we're both rather
out Of 1t, and that at present you're en-
joying a most beneficent purgatory. I
can't give you a hand out but / don't
mind putting up a prayer for your poor
soul whenever I've minute to spare"
So saying he turned down his study
lamp carefully, and Brownrigg went
away under cover of the darkness.
III.
Gibson had washed his hands of the
matter, but only for the moment. Weeks
passed by, and Brownrigg grew paler
and thinner, longer-haired and wilder
eyed than ever; he developed a passion
for strange forms Of dress, and neglect
ed his sub-editorial duties, while his.
jaded brain went to sleep every night
on the wrecks of three Sonnets and an
ode Then Gibson considered 1t was
about time to interfere. He was sorry
for Brownrigg; he was very sorry for
jamie; and he was sorry most of all for
Miss Campbell. Clearly Brownrigg
was not in a state to listen to reason;
SO he resolved to go to Miss Campbell
and open her eyes. 1t would be very
delicate operation, and he doubted
whether he had the necessary skill; 1t
would also be slightly impertinent, and
she might very properly resent 1t; and
II she did so, he would feel more or less
Of a fool; besides, he had called there
three times in the last fortnight. Much
to his own amusement, the man OF
prompt and decisive action found him.
self shaken by thousand doubts and
scruples. So he made up his mind not
to go, and went.
Miss Campbell was at home and alone.
He found her seated by the window,
reading the last number Of the ''Picca-
dilly Review" 1t must have proved
either very suggestive or very dull, for
she had let the magazine drop on to her
lap and was leaning forward, frown-
ing a little, as f.lOst in her own ref1ec-
tions. She started as he came in, and
the faint blush which had spread over
Gibson's forehead was repeated on her
own. She was SO beautiful that he ad-
mitted that Brownrigg might be for
given, and yet he did not feel in the
least inclined to forgive him. That alb
surd parody of passion was profana-
tion of it's object.
The editors task was easier tnan he
expected. Miss Campbell began to talk
about Brownrigg of her own accord.
She had been reading his last article
boI eli falling
off-his style was usually so good.
wasn't it? She paused, steadylng her
voice a little: May 1 say how much
this poem Of yours
1t was really noble of Gibson to
strike in at this interesting point and
explain gently that his wretched sub
editor was falling Off" and that he
ought not to be allowed to cultivate her
society to the injury Of his intellect
and the detriment of his affairs.
There was something about Brown
rigg that appealed to the most chas-
tened sense of humOr, and at first Miss
Campbell would do nothing but laugh.
All at once she became serious. 1T
was you who told me to be kind to Mr..
Brownrigg. What am l to do?'
Gibson suggested that it might be
as we'll to be little unkind to him for
the future Then he told her of Brown
riggs engagement to jamie Morris. He
never quite knew why he thought 1t
necessary to break this news to her
piecemeal; it was ridiculous to sup
pose that she would care; and vet he
felt unspeakable relief when he saw her
delicate dark eyebrows contract, and
her eyes flash with generous indigna
ton. Personally" he added, Il should
like to punch his head; but you can't
possibly punch a mans head when his
legs are SO thin"
mo. and if you did it wouldn't do
Miss Morris any good. Leave him to
me; / think l can cure him without
violence"
AS she spoke the door opened and Mr.
Ormond Brownrigg was shown in.
Miss Campbelrs nerve was equal to
the occasion. She received Brownrigg
with a careless, unconscious cordiality
that excited Gibson's deep admiration.
For the first time he became aware of
something strange about her, u vivid,
unnatural charm, unlike her usual re-
served and stately grace. Gradually
the strangeness of it Jared on him,
and he felt constrained and nervous
and began to wonder whether he looked
as foolish as Brownrigg. He tried to
get Brownrigg to talk about Z book
which had just appeared The poet
made incoherent answers and kept his
eyes fixed on the graceful figure in the
deep arm chair by the window. Miss
Campbell showed no sign Of interest,
but lay back tanning herself and look
ing at the points of her shoes with lazy,
half shut eyes. Then she folded her
fan sharply with a click and raised
her eyes to Gibson appealingly. please
don't let's have any more intellectual
conversation; / can't understand it
bit I've been trying hard to be intel
lectual for three months and ! can't
keep it up any longer; it's much too
fatiguing" Brownrigg looked puzzled
and framed his lips for a speech which
never came She spread out the pink
little palms of her hands with help
less gesture. Really the demands made
on woman's intelligence nowadays are
something appalling. There is only one
horrid ALTERNATIVES; either you must
know something about everything, and
then you're a prig, or you must know
everything about something, when
you're a bore"
Gibson laughed and turned away; he
was beginning to see it. AS Brownrigg
dropped into the low chair beside her.
she made a little face of depreciation.
You're not going to talk books. are
ycu?"
"N-no, not exactly. II was only go
| ing to tell you that Tm-er-bringing
out a small volume Of poems shortly
l thought it might interest you
$50 IL does immensely OF ooa,rco