Year: 1874

You have often wondered, George,
why it is have never married-won-
dered, and most probably rejoiced,
for at my death, you know, the old
place will come to you, as it came to
me. free of debt or encumbrance. l
suppose you have attributed my con-
firmed bachelorhood to some disap-
pointment in love in early life, eh?
All well! I'll tell you the whole
story. 1t may serve as warning to
you was going to say, only l do not
believe in one mans experience being
of any use to another. And as to
warnings, bah! they never save. But
| am in a retrospective mood to-
night, so if you care to hear the
story, you shall"


MY uncle George and I were stay
ing up at Barluig, small fishing
place of his in the highlands, to which
we resorted regularly twice a year
for about a fortnight, in pursuit of
salmon. l had lost my father when
1 was four years old, and since that
time his brother, my Uncle George,
had been my father in all but the
name. Indeed, 1 think we were
fonder of each other than fathers and
sons usually are in these days.


1t had always been wonder to me,
and to every one else, that Uncle
George had never married. Some
people declared that he had been
hopelessly in love with the beautiful
Duchess de -, and that it was for
her sake he had remained single;
others limited at some ENHANCEMENT;
while some maintained boldly that
Sir George Wyville was married, and
that I, his nephew, and heir presump-
tive in the eyes of the world, should
look very foolish some day on the
baronetcy and Wyville castle being
claimed by the son of my uncle's col
lege bed-maker.


But to all these stories 1 turned a
deaf ear. / knew enough of Uncle
George to feel sure there was not
shadow of truth in any of them. My
uncle often spoke of the Duchess de


as what she was-one of the
handsomest women and most finish
ed coquettes of her day. But l felt
certain he had never cared for her;
he would not have talked so much
about her if he had. And as to an
ENHANCEMENT or a secret marriage,
why knew all my uncle's affairs as
well as 1 knew those of Charlie
Baynsford. my bosom friend and
brother officer, who had been gazet-
ted as ensign and lieutenant in the
Fifth Foot Guards the same day as
myself, about two months before. No;
whatever reason my uncle may have
had for remaining single, it was one
that he had carefully guarded from
the whole world. 1 was glad that l
was going to hear it at last.


l refilled my glass with whisky
and water, lit my pet pipe, about the
coloring of which l was so anxious,
and drawing my chair nearer to the
fire prepared to listen in comfort:


81 was about thirteen, George,
when first saw Nora O'Byrne. L
was at Eton then, and she was a
flower girl in the streets of Windsor.
The first day saw her-I remember
it as well as if it were yesterday-it
was a bitter cold March afternoon,
and she was standing outside the
then only hotel in the place selling
violets. To this hour l can not
stand seeing a girl sell violets in the
street. 1 gave her all the money l
had in my pocket and my heart with
it. 1t is no use attempting to de-
scribe her. ALI description of her
real beauty are futile. She was sim
ply the loveliest child, as she was af-
terward the loveliest woman, l ever
beheld. Day after day 1 used to see
her. contriyed to meet her quiet
| ly. I did all could for her, and il
went to my heart to feel that could
do so little. 1 used to give her food
clothing was of no. use giving, fol
her mother took it away directly, and
pawned it to buy gin.


81 need scarcely tell you that Nora
was no common beggar girl. Her ia
ther had been a well-to-do workman
and during his lifetime she had been
! to school and had learned how to read
and write; but after his death she had
been reduced to beggary through hel
mothers fatal propensity for drink