Evening star., 1896-01-06
An ENGAGEMENT,
Copyright, 1896, by Sir Robert Peel)
PART L.

Copyright, 1895, by Sir Robert Peel)
PART I.
That Arnold Hopetoun was honestly In
love admitted Of no doubt. and Miss Car
stairs was supposed to reciprocate his at
tachment. His very intimate associates
wondered why they did not marry, for Miss
Carstairs was not well OF. and Hopetoun'S
salary from the foreign office. IL 1t would not
provide her with a house in Green street and
a brougham, would at least offer an i'm
provement on the position she was occupy
ing at present.
When Hopetoun met her and fell a prey to
her fascination, she had been staying, as
was her annual custom, with some cousins
of her late father's-the Marrables Of More
combe-and before her visit terminated they
were engaged.
That was twelve months ago. and today
they were engaged still.
Hopetoun was an ardent lover, and would
have committed greater follies than matri-
mony on $500 year for the sake of her
beaux yeux. What, then was the explana-
ticn of the delay? Had Bella Carstars mis-
taken her feelings? Had she given a hasty
promise, of which she had subsequently re-
pented? Not at all; she was waiting for his
position to improve
Five hundred year seemed to the girl
who had started life with the expectation of
marrying the son of a duke preposterous
and absurd. She was fond of Arnold even
very fond, but she was tired, inexpressibly,
deadly tired, of poverty.
Yet she loved him! Almost she wished
she did not. Limited as her opportunities
were, narrow as was her existence she was
only twenty-seven, and she might have done
better than Arnold Hopetoun. after ALL she
told herself. Had it not been that there
was the likelihood of Lord DriIlingham do
ing something for his nephew, the engage
ment would have been broken week after
II was made; she would have recovered her
freedom, and waited for the fairy prince
anew. But there was the chance
Why was the wicked uncle SO dilatory?
Arnold had been importuning him with re-
quests for months
She was thinking these thoughts this
a1ternoon-secretly hating the unknown
peer-when Hopetoun was announced She
welcomed him with a radiant smile.
You are early she said.
Il was impatient" he answered.
HoW pretty! Is there any news, Arnold?'
NO, ne said, Il don't know that there
is any news. but wantsto talk to you, Bella
!-I-look here, darling L can't 20 on wait
ing for you any longer! Let us marry. and
take the goods the gods provide
Ch1ld! she murmured. The gentleness
or her rebuke was adorable
Il am not a child" declared Hopetoun.
IN fact, believe may lay claim to being
toierabiy practical. and you may be very
certain that l mean to work Drillingham's
that after marriage! Trust yourself to me,
and l take my oath that you shall never
haye aye occasion to regret it,
DO you 1magine.' she said. do you
imagine II IS only OF myself l am thinking
"hen say 'wait?' 1 am thinking of your
''Of me?"
''of you! OF myself little, yes. because
l am not baby; but of you too; of you
emery, indeed, for it is on you that the
burden of the step would fall
iH chance 1t" said Arnold, stoutly
ana you would never reproach mel
Know that. But will not let you chance
H. 1t would not be a chance it would be
quite certainty. Certain disaster, of which
you would have to bear the burden. 1t
sounds bad doesn't it? The sound is nothing
compared with what the reality would be!
arnold, you have never had to bear pow
erty-1 have! I know what you do not-I
know the awfulness CT striving to keep up
appearance; of endeayoring to make a
pound do the work of two 1 know how
posing SO confidently. am too fond of you
to condemn you to 1T. 1 WON'T"
1t was tenderly put. Even she believed
great deal Of what she said herself while
she was speaking. He did not protest any
longer; man has only a certain amount
of argument, and many conversations of
similar nature had exhausted much of
Hopetoun's power of remonstrance She
gave him tea. and her mother came in and
presently he took his leave.
He was not in high spirits. Thoroughly
as her lover may appreciate common sense
In woman, he is apt to prefer a dash of
lmpudence. She was right, and also she
was wrong. He was not beggar she was
not the daughter of millionaire. Why was
il so dreadful, the life he contemplated?
After he had dined he went back to his
chambers and wrote long letter to his
uncle, in which he insisted for the SEVENTEEN
time upon his many claims upon his unap-
preciative country, and the ridiculous In
adequacy of his present post to his require
ments.
A sweet, sunny-tempered Individual Lord
Drillingham's protestations of affection
were entirely genuine, and his promises,
when he made them, were truly meant Only
he forgot-the matter passed through his
mind. His son was not ambitious, his
daughter had her aunt to play the part of
chaperone, and the widower himself was
free to take life as he pleased, unfettered by
responsibilities.
He was now at Deercourt, composing him
self after the fatigues of the season by
smoking cigars on the lawn, and cantering
about the lanes on his cob. A little later
the place would be filled with visitors, but
just at present Deercourt was empty, save
for it's owner, and its hostess, Arnold's
cousin-a handsome unaffected girl, who
was in his confidence. She knew the motive
for his eagerness for advancement, and
sympathized with it, which his uncle might
not have done. A matrimonial enga cement
is liable to weaken an elderly gentleman's