New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
Neither of the couples wished for q long en-
gagement.
Archie Urquhart as perhaps was to be ex-
pected. had been rather astonished at hiinsSir
when he came to cogitate over the events OF the
afternoon IN the quiet OF his own chamber ana
by the assistance of an excellent manila Archle
belonged to that class OF men VINO Rehuihey
adore and admire a woman as long as they are
in the same place, or house or company as she
is in, but who. on leaving that particular pace,
or house or company stralshtWay pun atcI ' u
cool down. Call them not tickle. for they are
not so AS long as they have chance OF meet
ing their flame. they are wholly hers But take
away that chance let one or the other leave the
port with no definite prospect of return-Archie
Urquharts are easily consolable
And It may be that it was because Archie
lTrurhart felt he could not rely UPON himself,
could not trust himself should he be separated
from Lima. that lie was In hurry TO get mar
ried
For this was what his chief had said to him on
parting that evening:
What fool you have been. Urquhart. to get
Yourself engaged / know positively that you
to be transferred to Shanghai next month month;
| would have told you before If had guessed
that you were going to make such an ass OF
yourself.'
the kicking he deserN ed. had gone home ana
sworn at his boy: and then, feeling ashamed or
himself. had come to the unalterable resolution
Of going to the Consulate to have the Danns put
up the very next morning.
AS for Mr.. Freke. he was In no such hurry.
Like the bbomaniac whose offer has been ac-
cepted he was quit, willing that his property
should remain or show In anothers window Tor
a time labelled Sold" to be sure, but admired
and envied and regretted by too late bidders
The prize was his Che ignored the fact that no
one had wanted 1t but hmselO and he did not
now much mind whether the two years OF Eva
contract with the Lloyds elapsed before ne
should place her in his own sanctum. Indeed,
he was by no means prepared to marry her at
once: for will not the girl to whom you are en-
gagged be even more ready to oblige YOU IN the
matter of copying than your own wife? Ana, as
has been already stated. It principally. If not
entirely, with view to his own library that MI
Frcke had acted. .
But Eva was by no means content to wait.
She was in n very devil of a hurry to be gone,
to quit the scene of her humiliation. to be able
to answer back Mr.. Lloyd as he so richly de-
served to be no longer the servant at the peck
and call OF those odious children. but free IN
dependent her own mistress, at her own dis
posal Poor Mr.. Freke, he entered not at all
into her vision Of the future. He was simply
the means TO her end. the machine who was TO
pay The only virtues that Eva felt redeemed
Mr.. Freke a marital appendaGe were that
he showed no signs Of getting bald, ana mat MS
teeth were undoubtedly his own.
1t is a lament3ble fact, but true one, not
withstanding It's lamentabty, that the Eva
Joyce who went to bed that evening was not the
Eva Joyce who had got up the morning before,
And undoubtedly on Archie Urquharts broad
shoulders rested the responsibility for the warp
in Eva'S life.
She had never had fair chance, poor girl.
had come but with It had faded away all the
desire use it for good. She was conscious
of nothing but greater restlessness an over
powcrirg wish to have done with the irrevoca-
hle TO lie married and to show Archie Urquhart
that she did not for him. He should be
made to smart; she would make him tinele; ne
should see what fool he had been; ne shoulu
he sorry, and make that girl Allen sorry 100
that he had not chosen differently.
Yet though all her thoughts began continued,
and ended with Archie, Eva was quite positive
hirr1N he,t
and simple.
Both Mr. Freke and Mr.. Lloyd protested
against speedy marriage but In vain. Eva was
bent on it, and when Mr.. Lloyd brought forward
what seemed to her bridegroom crushing OBJ
jection-the payment Of the forfeit agreed upon
In her engagement as governess-EVa turned
the tables on Mr.. Freke by promising for him
that the money should be forthcoming. On that
occasion Mr.. Freke's breath was so completely
taken away by the enormity OF the promise that
he literally unable TO speak, and his silence
was counted for consent. But he vowed men,
tally that the like should never happen TO him
again.
Mrs. Lloyd on this occasion came out. accord
ing to Eva's notions. we'll That is, she took
Eva's part and in such a practical way that
even Mr. Freke was forced to yield. She secuted
the idea of the forfeit in public. and secretly
made over to her husband a nice little legacy
she had been boarding up to spend on her next
holiday in Europe. You see, she vas so very
anxious to get rid OF Eva.
So the banns were put up between Frederick
Freke and Evelyn Joyce as we'll as between
Archibald Urquhart and Caroline Allen. And,
as Mr. Lloyd could not spare both his assist
ants on honeymoon trips at the same Time rreu-
erick Freke and Eva We're married hrst' ana
left by the earliest steamer for Shanghai
What a lovely time Eva had there, to be SURE!
So different so blessedly different, from that
last time when she had passed through, a
humble governess whom nobody noticed! Now
there were broughams At her disposai, Tor
though Mr.. Freke had no friends. he had many
acnuaintances and most Of those Of the mas
culine gender were ready enough TO hover
round the remarkably pretty little girl OLD
Freke had picked up They came. these bache-
lor friends and took her out drives In their
dopcarts for two: they sent her invitations 10
dances where Eva was the belle OF the evening
and danced without ceasing, while her husband
concealed his yaWns In corner among me old
fogies There was only one cloud on Eva =
horizon. but an ominous one aas,-she Souu
not get n cent out Of Mr. Freke. She might go
I'm other peoples carriages as much as she liked
90 to as many gayetes as she chose, so long as
Mr. Frek- did not have to pay. Ana YET as
every enc told her. he was rolling IN money!
Eva mentally resolved 10 set 'his 's"' u
soon as she go. home. -
Indeed sh. might have done so. for Mr.
Freke was really fond OF her-in his own pc
culiar way-and would undoubtedly nave Yield
ed TO her spells had she chosen 10 charm hlI
And I'm their own little outport. where she had
nothing better To do, Eva might nave become
domesticated perchance even good wife. Hut
a great shutting and shifting took place IN the
Customs service just then, ana as II the |hlei
had simply laid his hand upon one group ana
transplant-d them In lump, the Lloyds. the
Frekos and the Urquharts all found themselves
transferred 10 Shanghai.
The Urquharts-for Archie and Lima had been
married the very day they left. Married IN
such an unbecoming dress. too! For Mrs. Lloyd.
Who had volunteered to superintend the we'd
ding outfit was lacking In taste to q degree