Year: 1869

got up at nalf-pa6t eignt, walked TO hen-
sington Gardens, and soon met with the
advantage in the shape of young lady,
who was not only exceedingly pretty,
which II the case with many English
women, but moreover exceedingly well
dressed, which is the case with very few
of them.


"The Goddess of Early Rising was
sitting on one of the benches, reading 9
book She continued reading while was
passing, which l thought unkind; per.
haps, however, it was only tc show her
eyelashes. It would have been more than
rude-it would have been absurd-for me
to have addressed her, as she was attended
by an evil spirit, whom I should have
supposed to be her companion, were it
not that she appeared to be treated with
consideration and kindness. h4


II liked early rising so much the first
time, that I tried it second, third, and
| fourth, and met with the advantage in
the shape Of the goddess on each occa-
sion. At all events, | had not frightened
her from the particular ground over which
she appeared to preside and knew that
she had noticed my presence there, from
certain indications which passed between
herself and the evil spirit on my ap.
proach. ~ @ =


Son the fifth morning the goddess en-
tered the gardens alone, and instantly
began thinking of the best form of prayer
to offer up to her when perceived that,
instead of pausing at the accustomed seat,
she continued to walk for some distance
knew that she must have expected me
there at the usual time, and therefore that
she could have no wish to avoid me; but
knowing also that any one addressing a
lady without having had the honor of an
introduction runs the risk of being mis-
taken for bagman, l naturally hesitated a
little. e5-a y esaas
"If the goddess wished to enter into
conversation with me, was determined
she should have an opportunity of giving
me hint-the slightest in the world
would have been suff1cient-that such pro-
ceedipg would not be displeasing to her.
Accordingly;I walked behind her as close
! ly as could. and prayed that she would
drop either her handkerchief or her glove
if it had even been her ~parasol,
wouldn't have called her awkward-that
might rush to restore it, and commence q
conversation, of which I had an irvesisti-
BILE and ensnaring opening ready pre-
pared.


II watched for the fall of one of these
objects as eagerly as the sportsman who is
expecting the rise of the game. But the
treasure did not come perhaps she thought
l might keep it.; at all events she did not
give me the chance.


"What was to do? could not have
the impudence to walk before the girl, and
drop my own handkerchief. 1t would
have been rather too much in the sultan
style, and she could not have been ex-
pected to pick it up. 1 threw myself on
bench for q few minutes, and, upon
looking round, saw that the object of my
thoughts had reached the gate of the gar
dens which leads into Hyde Park. fol-
lowed her, and, upon looking back when
was at some distance from the entrance,
perceived the evil spirit hurrying towards
it. I at once understood that she had
been expected there some time pre-
viously, and that it was by the merest acci-
dent, and one very unlikely to occur
again, that the goddess was at that moment
walking by herself.


"My resolution was taken Immediately.
| would address her ; but what was to
say9 I might have said thought had
had the pleasure of meeting her at Mrs.
Johnson's, or that fancied she was = lady
had been introduced to in TimbuctOo; /;
but these modes of address were common
place. Should I ask her boldly whether
she would have any objection to my
smoking cigar while she was in the park
The very levity of the question would have
saved my vanity in case of a rebuff, but it
also appeared somewhat disrespectful, and
therefore resolved not to put it. More
over, now saw that the chased goddess
was walking at a pace the quickness Of
which was little fattering to me, and In
order to obtain any chance of converse.
tion with her, should have to run con-
siderable distance, and speak to her in a
series of gasps My resolution was there
fore abandoned: would not address her
at all for the present.


"Of course, however, I was not so igno-
rant of the first rudiments of the London
art of love as not to follow her nome. She
lived close to the park, and, as she stopped
abruptly at her house, had to pass the
very door Out of sheer kindness to my
vanity, persuaded myself that she smiled
gracefully as she glanced at me, although
it subsequently appeared that she had
done nothing Of the kind. : as'' =.


"Not beings dramatic author, did not
dream of getting up Irritation with the
Diva's maid, and paying her far la' ger
sums than the postal regulations could re-
euire for transmitting letters to her mis-
stress 1T ia process which does not al
ways succeed even on the stage-but
| loitered about the house from day to day
and probably was mistaken by the po-
lice for 2 burglar of superior attainments
until at last I ascertained the hour at
which my enchantress made regular
sally from her palace. followed her for
some time as faithfully as her spaniel
indeed rather more so-for the animal
once put himself completely in my power,
and was only prevented by the recent
act against dog stealers from walking off
with the quadruped, and calling the next
day for the reward, which, If ] had seen
the owner, would have been great indeed.


"Nothing came of all this, until one
day Florence Wilton-which had as
certained to be her name, and which ap-
peared to be somewhat theatrical-was
observed by her ardent admirer to enter
music shop in company with her evil
spirit. On their leaving the shop, en-
tered it, and, finding they had been pur
chasing tickets for q concert which was to
take place that evening, / Immediately
bought one myself, and had TO pay twice
the ordinary charge, because Jenny Lind
was to appear there, as If she were the
person wished to see.


"When the time for the concert arrived,
luck and the box-keeper placed me next
to Florence, so close that could have
squeezed her hand if 1 had thought
proper; but thought it improper, or at
all events that she would not allow it, and
| therefore pretended to listen to the
music. Next tn Florence on the other
Ia hah