Year: 1874

entine then to himself, as he set forth up
on his official duties. "By Jove, if was
not the husband of the daughter, I'd wed
the mother"


The same afternoon, by mere accident,
Val. met his old acquaintance, Herbert
Price. Since the evening the latter had
given the young lover his memorable adj
vice, they had not seen each other. Price
was too much a man of the world to feel
any pique at failing to receive from his
club crony any intimation of the change
in his life; so when Hardy offered him his
hand, they1were as great chums again as
though they had parted but the day be-
fore.


"Well. old man," said Valentine Its
all come about just as you said. The
mothers good soul, but an awful bore.
won't let my wife do single thing, and
treats me as though I were a pet spaniel
of scarce breed. She's SO deuced kind
and considerate, and of such an amiable
her."


"Just the most awkward kind ofmother-
in-law to deal with"


Exactly. If she was u violent can
tankerous old woman, might give her
bit of my mind; whereas now, whenever
l attempt to hint that it would be quite rs
well if my wife took the management Of
the house into her own hands | feel as
though were an accomplished poisoner,
Just about to give nv victim the finishing
dose"


''I see your position" remarked Price,
land it reminds me of the mice and the
cat"


"What fable is that ?''


"Listen. Once upon a time there was
a colony of mice, whose eager desire it
was to make safe raid upon certain
heap of corn. In the same barn, however,
dwelt particularly watchful cat, and
when sundry of the rasher mice ventured
to disport themselves upon the coveted
grain, fearful was the havoc made in their
ranks. Council after council was held,
and at length it was determined that some
thing should be done in order that token
might be given of the cats approach. A
brilliant idea then struck spruce young
mouseling. and springing upon his hind
legs, he said: What if bell were put
around the willy creatures neckP For a
brief space the novelty of the scheme
struck the council with admiration. Then
rose a -griZZled mouse, practical and
experienced from the end of his whiskers
to the tip of his tail and gravely said:
What my young friend has suggested is
most creditable to his inventive faculties,
but who's to bell the cat p"


''By Jove, you've hit it, old man. Come
down and see oIr cat-I mean my mother
Judge for yourself the extreme
difficulty of my position. Return with me
this evening""


"No. no." pleaded Price; I'm bash
full old fellow, unused to the society Of
ladies'"


II won't take denial. Call for me at
the Wafer Department at quarter to
four. We can have a cosy chat this even
ing, and wind up with a friendly rubber"


Herbert Price hesitated, and was lost.
He liked Valentine Hardy better than any
of his casual acquaintances, and at length
was induced to promise that he would ac-
company him to Bayswater. The jour-
nalist stunned and affected to despise
female society; but beneath his somewhat
rongh exterior and blutfness of speech,
there was a chord which vibrated with
wondrous resonance whenever the sound
of a certain name rang in his ear, and
awoke sad and painful memories-mem-
ories of days long departed, when the fu-
ture had seemed tinged with the most
roseate hues of promise.


When Val. rushed off to resume his du-
ties, Herbert Price wished in his heart that
he had not that afternoon met his young
friend but he had given his word that he
would spend the evening with him, and
accordingly at the time appointed, they
mounted the box-seat of an omnibus,
and were scon rattling along the busy
thoroughfares. Before the young husband
had concluded extoling the virtues of his
wife, they had arrived at Minerva terrace,
and in a few minutes Price was in the pres
ence of the winsome little woman who
had so completely enslaved Valentines af-
fections. Mamma, it appeared, had gone
to the West End, to fulfil the great femi-
nine duty of shopping" and having sew
eral calls to make, was not expected home
until seven o'clock. The mere announce.
ment that Herbert Price had been for many
wears faithful friend of her husbands,
was enough to insure for him hearty
welcome from Felicia. The gray-haired
cynic, won by her bright smiles and SIM
pie grace, soon recovered his self-possess-
ion, and ere an hour had passed began to
reflect that after all, perhaps. his expert
ence of womankind had not been sufficient
to warrant the outbursts of spleen in which
he had so often indulged respecting the
sex.


"Val. Hardy, you are lucky man." he
said, when after tea the two men Strolled
into the garden.


Minerva terrace had been built when
land at Bayswater was less valuable than
now, and the taste of Mrs. Hope. COM
bined with the skill OF the gardener, had
done much for the little space at their dis
posal. A pond of about the capacity of a
good-sized wash-tub had been constructed
in the centre, and in it some half dozen fat
sleepy goldfish swan, while at the ex-
sreme end was summer-house ingenious
ly surrounded by rockery, over which
trailcd stonecrop, ferns, and creeping


plants. This summer house was. in the
eyes of Felicia and her husband, perfect
little Paradise here. on summer afternoons
when Val. was in town, the young wife


would stray, her thoughts busy with hcl


husband, while her fingers We're employed
in embroidery or some other feminine
knick-knack. The place was trihe damp


er than sach resorts usually are. and til,


snails and spiders had taken to it even be


fore its erection had been completed; bu


the romantic young lovers took no hee,