The record-union., 1897-04-11


born and very we'll connected
chose her house for her, you know, and
got her all her servants. She can't
do a thing without me, and of course
she's very much indebted to me for
introducing her to my set
Thus would the Hon. Mrs Madden
ham talk by the hour, and the ''swag-
ger set gradually came to realize the
convenience of having Jane among
them-a Jane who kept open house and
gave everybody as much food and
drink as they could gorge and swill
without bursting-a Jane who did not
mind paying for theater parties and
late .suppers at the Savoy-and more
over, Jane who never interfered or
looked obtrusive, but who wore quiet
colors, good old lace, and very few
jewels, and who was content to sit
among them in more or less silence,
with folded hands and a kind of silly
smile on her countenance which meant,
or appeared to mean, absolutely moth
ing. 1t was this silly smile which
made some of her former acquaintance
think she had screw loose" or was
"dotty''
Il don't think you know at what a
| rate you are living" said a would-be
adviser to her one day The silly
smile" appeared in it's full breadth on
James amiable visage, but she said
nothing. That Mrs. Maddenham, for
instance" went on her visitor. doesn't
she cost you a good deal?"
Il hope So" replied Jane, still smil-
ing-'I want her TO cost me a good
deal. She is very useful person to
me-"
"Dotty-oh, dotty," groaned the
would-be adviser to himself in bitter
ness OF spirit. The money has turned
her poor old brainl"
But this was mistake James
brain was not by any means turned
it was, on the contrary, particularly
well balanced Had some of her fash
1onable acquaintance been able to ex-
actly guess the logical precision OF
that brain-balance, they would have
been considerably startled; and proba-
bly, the Hon. Mrs. Maddenham would
nave been more startled than anybody
But surface observers were content to
| draw their conclusions from James
silly SMILE" and also from a certain
vague look of timidity and bewilder-
ment Which was OCCASIONALLY reflected
in her mild blue eyes; and they found
1t refreshing, as we'll as courteous and
honorable, to go to James parties, eat
| of her food drink of her wine. criticise
| her domestic arrangements. and stare
at the rich, stiff, sober tinted silks she
wore, and then remark to one another
in somewhat audible undertones:
foor Ola thlng! Very passe, amt
| She. 1 wonder if any one will propose
TO her for her money? She wouldn't
be half bad as a wife-too old for
larks, and plenty of manner about
| her.
YES this was a point which was new
er Observation-Disclosures manner" 1t
was particular manner. which is fast
becoming obsolete-a manner which ex-
| pressed dignity, grace and refinement
as delicate as it was rare When
sWagger people condeScendingly
dined with her through the invitations
of Mrs Maddenham Jane received them
with that special manner of hers
which none of them could initiate or
compete with-that exquisite bearing
which silently implies everything
courteous without being in the least
affected or hypocriticaL 1t was an old
fashioned manner but it was not with
out charm. And when at table the up
to-date" man or woman talked slang,
and said certain things were ripping
and other things We're 'tommyrot, :"
Jane sat silent and absorbed, looking at
her plate as earnestly as though she
saw pretty little picture of "Restful
HarbO" right in the middle of it's pol
ished center. When titled ladies of
known birth and breeding lolled in her
drawing-room, with their feet slightly
elevated to show their shoes and a
portion of their ankles, and smoked
cigarettes till the air reeked with to-
baccO, Jane made no sort of Observa-
ton of this new custom brought into
vogue by the votaries of rank and fash
ion. She merely sat, like a thoughtful
queen, in her chair, and watched the
proceedings. She was careful that her
gorgeous fiunkeys (whom she kept
through the advice of Mrs Madden
ham should not fail to see every lady
provided with the necessary smoking
materials, and she endured the fumes
heroically, without a cough or protest
But she did not smoke herself And
the consequence of this was that
though she knew it not, she looked
like forlorn, castaway lady of noble
birth fallen accidentally among a set
Of female rowdies.
Jane now began to be very well
known In society. She was frequently
referred to in the fashionable jot-
tings," and whenever it was announced
that Miss Belmont was "at home the
fact created a certain stir. By degrees
it was whispered in several exclusive"
sets that to have Jane installed in
GroSvenOr Place was a great convent
ence. Gentlemen DESTROYS of making
love to other gentlemen's wives ar
ranged Through Mrs. Maddenham) to
meet their fair libertines at James af-
ternoon teas and evening brushes (both
which kind of festivities were always
arranged by Mrs. Maddenham) and
ladies equally wishful of making love
to other ladies' husbands. followed the
same course of procedure. "Old Miss
Belmont saw nothing and knew moth
ing, they averred; she was a dear old
dummy, most useful in the place where
Mrs. Maddenham had put her. What
delightful party she gave. for in
stance, at Henley on the superb house
boat, when Mrs. Maddenham invited all
the guests and when it was hardly pos
sible for Jane herself to find a seat at
her own luncheon table! That was a
grand time! When the lovely Lady
Repousse slipped teaspoonful of ice
cream behind the shirt collar and down
the back Of the Most Dignified and Sc
rene His Highness of Lumpfernel and
His Highness of Lumpfernel yelling