Year: 1868

band as Louis Trevelyan.


For nearly two years the little house,


hold in Curzon Street went on well, or
if anything was the matter, no one out
side of the little household was aware
of it. And there was baby, boy, q
young Louis, and baby ia such a
household is apt to make things 60
sweetly. The marriage had taken place
in July, and after the wedding tour
there had been winter and spring IN
London; and then they passed month
or two at the seaside, after which the
baby had been born. And then there
came another winter and another spring.
Nora Rowley was with them in London,
and by this time Mr.. Trevelyan had be-
gun to think that he should like to have
his own way completely. His baby was
very nice, and his wife was clever, pref
ty and attractive. Nora was all that
an unmarried sister should be. But-but
there had come to be trouble and bitter
words. Lady Rowley had been right
when she said that her daughter Emil y
also liked to have her own way.


I"If l am suspected" said Mrs. Ire
velyan to her sister one morning, as
they sat together in the little back
drawing-rosm, life will not be worth
having"


"How can you talk of being sus-
pected, Emily 7"


"What does he mean, then, by say
ing that he would rather not have Colo
mel Osborne here ia man older than
my own father, and who has known me
since | was babyw


"He didn't mean anything of that
kind, Emily. You know he did not,
and you should not say so. 1t would be
too horrible to think Of"


at was a great deal too horrible to
be spoken, l know. If he does not beg
my pardon, SHALL shall continue to
live with him, of course, as a sort of
upper servant, because of baby. But he
shall know what think and feel"


"If were you would forget it"


"How can forget it 7 Nothing that
I can do pleases him. He is civil and
kind to you because he is not your mas
ter; but you don't know what things he
says to me. Am l to tell Colonel Os-
borne not to comet Heavens and earth !!
How should / ever hold up my head
again if were driven to do that' He
will be here to-day, | have no doubt;
and Louis will sit there below in the
library. and hear his step, aud will not
come up"


"TelI Richard to say you are not at
home"


"Yes; and everybody will understand
why. And for what am to deny my
self in that way to the best aud oldest
friend havei If any such orders are
to be given, let him give ttem, and
then see what will come of it,"


Mrs. Trevelyan had described Colonel
Osborne truly, rs far as words went, in
saying that he had knewn her since she
was baby, and that he was an older
man than her father. Colonel OsbOrne's
age exceeded her fathers by about a
month, and as he was now past fifty, he
might be considered, perhaps, in that
respect, to be a safe friend for a young
married woman. But he was i'll every
respect man very different from Sir
Marmaduke.


Sir Marmaduke, blessed, and at the
same time burdened, as he was with
wife and eight daughters, and con-
demned rs he had been to pass large
norton of his life within the tropics,
had become at fifty what many people
call quiet middle-aged man. That
is to say, he was one from whom the
effervescence and elasticity and salt of
youth had altogether passed away. He
was fat and slow, thinking much of his
wife and eight daughters, thinking
much also of his dinner. Now Colonel
Osborne was bachelor, with no bur
n m ly
his position as n member of Parliament
a man of fortune to whom the world
had been very easy. 1t was not there
fore said so decidedly of him as of Sir
Marmaduke, that he was middle-aged
man, although he had probably already
lived more than two-thirds of his life.
And he was a good-lOoking man of his
age,-bald, indeed, at the top of his
head, and with considerable sprlhk-
ling of gray hair through his bushy
beard; but upright in his carriage, ac-
tive and quick in his step, who dressed
well, and was clearly determined to
make the most he could of what re-
mained to him of the advantages of
youth. Colonel Osborne was always so
| dressed that no one ever observed the
nature of his garments, being, no doubt,
we'll aware that no man after twenty
five can afford to call special attention
to his coat, his hat, his cravat, or
his trowsers; but nevertheless the mat
ter was one to which he paid much at
tentioD, and he was by no means lax in
ascertaining what his tailor did for him.
He always rode a pretty horse, and
mounted his groom on one side at any
rate as pretty. He was known to have
an excellent stud down in the shires,
and had the reputation of going well
with hounds. Poor Sir Marmaduke
could not have ridden a hunt to save
either his government or his credit
When, therefore, Mrs. Trevelyan de-
clared to her sister that Colonel Os-
borne was a man whom she was enti-
tied to regard with semi-parental feel
| ings of veneration because he was older
than her father, she made a comparison
which was more true in the letter than
in the spirit. And when she asserted
that CUlsnel Osborne had known her
since she was baby, she fell again
into the same mistake. Colonel Os-
borne had indeed known her when she
was baby, and had in the old days been
very intimate friend of her father; but
of herself he had seen little er nothing
since those baby days, till he had met
her lust as she was about to become
Mrs. Trevelyan; and though it was ma.
tural that so old a friend should come
to her, and congratulate her, and renew
his friendship, nevertheless it was not
true that he made his appearance in
her husbands house in the gUise of the
useful old family friend, who gives sill
yer cups to the children, and kisses the
little girls for the sake of the old atfec-
ton which he has borne for the parents
We all know the appearances of that
old gentleman, how pleasant and dear
fellow he is, how welcome is his face
within the gate, how he tells our eldest
daughter to light his candle for him
how he gave silver cups when the girls
were born, and now bestows tea-ser'
vices as they get married.-a most use
full, safe, and charming fellow, not q
wear younger looking or more nimble
than ourselves, without whom life
would be very blank. We all know
that man but such a man was not Col
] -, n-t-o g, tba bouoa nf Nr Tra