Year: 1868

I-'l


The matter in discussion was the
chance of an order being sent out to Sir
Marmaduke to come home from his isl
ands at the public expense, to give evil
dence, respecting colonial government
in general, to a committee of the House
of Commons which was about to sit on
the subject. The committee had been
voted, and two governors were to be
brought home for the purpose of giving
evidence. What arrangement could be
so pleasant to governor living In the
Mandarin islands, who had had a hoii-
day lately, and who could but i'll afford
to take any holidays at his own expensef
Colonel Osborne was on this committee,
and, moreover, was on good terms at the
Colonial Office. There. were men in Of
fee who would be glad to do Colonel
Osborne service, and then, If this were
a Job, it would be SO very little OF JOB!
Perhaps Sir Marmaduke might not be
the very best man for the purpose.
Perhaps the government of the Manda-
rims did not afford the best specimen OF
that colonial lore which it was the busl-
ness of the committee to master. But
then two governors were 30 come, and
it might be as well to have one of the
best sort, and one of the second-best.
No one supposed that excellent old Sir
Marmaduke was paragon OF govern
or, but then he had an infinity of expe-
rience! For over twenty years he had
been from island to island, and had at
least steered clear of great scrapes.


We'll try it, at any rate" said the
Colonel.


"Do, Colonel Osborne. My dear man.
ma would come with him, OF coursep


"We should leave him to manage all
tkat. It's not very likely he would
leave Lady Rowley behind"


"He never has. l know he thinks
more of mamma than he ever does OF
himself. Fancy having them here in
the autumn! / suppose, if he came for
the end of the session, they wouldn't
send him back quite at once. ~ |


81 rather fancy that our foreign and
colonial servants know how to stretch a
point when they find themselves in Eng
land"


"Of course they do, Colonel Osborne
and why shouldn't they' Think of all
that they have to endure out in those
horrible places. How would you like
to live in the Mandarins 7"


81 should prefer London, certainly"


"Of course you would; and You
mustn't begrudge papa month or two
when he comes. l never cared about
your being in Parliament before, but l
Shall think so much of you now if you
can manage to get papa home"


There could be nothing more innocent
than this,-nothing more innocent at
any rate, as regarded any offence
against Mr.. Trevelyan. But just then
there came a word which little star
tied Mrs. Trevelyan, and made her feel
afraid she was doing wrong.


81 must make one stipulation with
you, Emily" said the Colonel.


"What is that I"


"You must not tell your husband"


80, dear! and why notp


81 am sure you are sharp enough to
see why you should not. A word of
this repeated at any club would put an
end at once to your project, ana would
be very damaging to me. And, beyond
that. wouldn't wish him to know that
| had meddled Win II all. 1 am very
chary of having my name connected
with anything of the kind; and, upon
my word, wouldn't do it for any human
being but yourself. You'll promise me,
Emily ?"


She gave the promise, but there were
two things in the matter, as it stood at
present, which she did not at all like.
She was very averse to having any
secret from her husband with Colonel
Osborne; and she was not at all pleased
at being told that he was doing for her
a favor that he would not have done for
any other human being. Had he said
so to her yesterday, before those Often
sive words had been spoken by her hus-
band. she would not have thought much |
about it. She would have connected |
the mans friendship for herself with |
his very old friendship for her father,
and she would have regarded tho assur-
ance as made to tho Rowleys in general,
and not to herself in particular. But
now, after what had occurred, 1T panied
her to be told by Colonel Osborne that
he would make, specially on her behalf,
IA sacrifice of his political pride which
he would mako for no other person llV-
ing. And then, as he had called her by |
her Christian name, as he had eXaCted |
the promise, there had been a tone of al
fection in his voice that she had almost |
felt to be toe warm. But she gave the
promise; and when he pressed her hand
at parting, she pressed his again, III to ken
of gratitude for the Kindness to be done
to her father and mother.


Immediately afterwards Colonel Os-
berne went away and Mrs. Treyelyan
was left alone in her drawing-room.
She knew that her husband was still
down stairs, and listened for moment
to hear whether he would now come up
to her. And he, too, had heard the Col |
onel's step as he went, and for a few
moments had doubted whether or no he
would at once 60 to his wife. Though |
he believed himself to be man very |
firm of purpose, his mind had oscillated
backwards and forwards within the last
quarter of an hour between those two
purposes of being round with his wife,
and of begging her pardon for the words
which he had already spoken.


He believed that he would best DO his |
duty by that plan of being round with
her; but then it would be so much
pleasanter,-ata any rate, so much easier,
to beg her pardon. But of one thing he
was quite certain, he must by some means
exclude Colonel Osborne from his house.
He could not live and continue to en-
dure the feelings which he had Suffered
while sitting down stairs at his desk,
with the knowledge that Colonel Os-
borne was closeted with his wife up
stairs. 1t might be that there was
nothing in it. That his wife was inno-
cent he was quite sure. But, neverthe-
less, he was himself so much affected by
some feeling which pervaded him in
reference to this man, that all his ener-
gy was destroyed, and his powers of
mind and body were paralyzed. He
could not and would net stand it. Rath-
.r tbop ,hat ha wOnld fOllnw Mr. poola