Year: 1868

looked past him, that he began seriously
to think her feelings during the night
must have undergone some transfDrma-
ton.


"I see you know Miss Devonport," said
Beauchamp, AFTER the lady in question had
passed.


"I-I met her last night"


"She Is an exceeding nice girl" con.
tinued his friend, "and must say | think
Hughes-you know Hughes he was with
us at Oxford, and has since come into that
immense mine property-a far luckier fell
low than he deserves TO be but perhaps
you were not told by whoever introduced
you that she was engageds"
"No," Henley said, with blank stare
Of astonishment, he had not been told
Bat was Beauchamp quite sureH


"Oh, yes, my dear fellow, know all
about it only saw Hughes last week.
He was one of the party st the Oaks, and
he asked me to come to the wedding"


OF course this information could really
be nothing to Henley. The only remark
able thing was that, as he heard 1t, his face
grew several degrees paler than its usual
color, and his hand trembled perceptibly
on his friends arm.


When Beauchamp left him his thoughts
turned TO Miss Devonport, and the events
K
nothing very remarkable about them but
he could not help expressing to himself an
opinion that Miss Devonport's manner
had scarcely suggested to him the idea of
lady engaged to be married. With
these thoughts in his mind, he determined
to 90 and have last look at his horses in
their stalls to see that all requisite care
was being taken of them to enable them
to win both for themselves and their own
er honor and glory in the morrow's run.
As he was going out of the hotel door,
there confronted him face to face once
again Miss Devonport, and her manner
was the manner of the evening before,
and not of the morning. There was,
Henley fancied, kind of blush upon her
face as she met her partner of last night,
but he was quite sure there was upon it a
very sweet smile, and as he looked at her
he felt more disposed to envy than to CON
gratulate the lucky Hughes. 1t was plain
enough now when Miss Davenport met
him in the morning she must have failed
to recognize him. Henley felt half dis
posed to speak then. and there to Hughes
f1ance, and to make some inquiries after
the fortunate lover. But his acquaintance,
he thought, would not justify the liberty,
and he had come to a kipd Of unacknowl-
edged decision with himself that for the
future it would be wiser for him not to
seek to renew his acquaintance with Miss
Devonport.


The meet happened to be close to Rat
tleborough, and on such occasions there
were always numbers of persons who
came to see the throw off. AS Henley
rode up he reflected with pride on his ap.
pearance. He knew he was well mount
ed-as well mounted as man need wish
to be-and there are are probably few
pleasures more exquisite than that which
is experienced by sportsman who is con-
scious that he bestridesa quadruped equal
to any emergencies of the hunting field.
1t was, therefore, with no small satisfac-
ton that he witnessed the eyes of the
spectators turned toward him as he made
his appearance and the satisfaction was
increased when he thought that in the
distance he could descry the figure of Miss
Devonport, mounted on the neatest of
lady's hacks. AS he approached nearer,
Miss DeVonport, for she 1t was, turned
her horse round, and as he came quite
close and recognized her, he ventured to
salute her with bow and good morn
ing" But Miss Devonport remained, as
he tancied, quite passive, or only inclined
her head very little forward in manner
emblematic of frigidity What could he
have done to offend her? He almost
| wished to ask for an explanation on the
spot. He was puzzled, he was angry, he
was hurt. 1t was line of conduct that
he could not understand. Here was a
young lady whom he had met at ball, with
whom he had danced three or four times,
who had talked to him without the least
reserve, and who subsequently took it
into her head at one moment to meet him
/ fpsa nd ut oN al a n
entire stranger, Just as the humor prompt
ed her. The whole thing was unin-
tslligible. While he was thinking over
all this, he was suddenly reused by the
familiar signs that the hounds had scent
of fox. He prepared to join the main
body of the horsemen, and as he was can
tering up to the copse in which they were,
q voice he knew said, "a pleasant run to
you, Mr.. Henley" He looked round, and


saw once again Miss Devonport, with the


sweet look upon her face that had attract


ed him so much two evenings ago.


The day was decidedly successful. AS


there is no necessity to give the reader q


detailed account of famous run with tbs


marlborough hounds, the line of country


taken by the fox need not here be de


scribed. As the November twilight wal


coming on, Henley rode upto his hotel, IL
|


had acquitted itself most creditably in thu


eyes of the marlborough hunters, bu
angry with himself for being so much an


noyed-pained, perhaps, would be the bet


ter word-With Miss Devonport. III
could disguise the fact no longer; he loveC
her. He had loved her from the very first
J and she had treated him in this unaccount
able manner But he was prevented from


continuing these reflections by lette
which was put into his hands 1t wa
from his sister, and he had half expectel
J it for some days past 1t merely told hin
: that his father, whose health had for a Ion
J time been bad, and who was then stayin
; in the South of France, had suddenl
} become worse, and was particularly anz
ious to see his son. Would Oliver com
I at once?


Yes, he would start directly; mex
/ evening. But there was one thing b
] would do first. He would see if he coul
not meet her in the street, and would eI
! deaVor to gain from her some explains
D ton.


On the following morning Henley wal


dered about the town, but not a glimps
= could he see of his partner at the bal
Q Up and down the streets he went, gain


into the dim recesses of linen-drapers' an


milliners' shops, and other similar resort
J, which seemed to him probable that th
0 young lady might affect, but still there ws
Q no Miss Devonport to be seen. Half wa


up the High street at marlborough theI


wAA narrow turning, which led TO wht
: was generally called the Rattleboroug
Lawn, where the Marlborough band Wa
Ii the habit of occasionally exercising i
Q musical powers and where the less selet
: oI tne ttueDorough young ladies wei
q hoops, and 70 pursue the mimic warfare
the mallet. 1t was half unconsciouslv tn
Q Henley just now took this path. He ",
!, thinking Of what was to be done, how
n was 10 see Miss Devonport-for he hi
d quite determined not to leave the plal
. without seeing her-when an abrupt tul


In the avenue brought him suddenly In
g the lady's presence. Yes, Il was Mi
Il DeYonport-at last He stood still al
" boWad Miss naVOnnOrt IL was. hut IA