Year: 1877




declared she would never marry, and he
believed she would keep her word.


had been at home for about afOrnight
when my father announced his intention
Of paying visit to the young lady, and
proposed that | should accompany him
and see what impression / could make.
! had become very apathetic on the sub
ject, AMI consented, not even asking until
We were seated in the railway carriage,
whereabouts Carnstone Dene was situated


-" 1t was near the sea, said my father,
standing back about mile from the shore
on the quietest part Of the Sussex coast
overlooking tiny fishing village" The
views from the house were magnificent
and | should be pleased with its surround
ings, 81 could suggest few alterations,
Frank" he continued, for my father had
mania for landscape gardening "but there
will be time enough for them afterward."


" Aplace on the coast p thought, "and
unvisited." 1t had been, suppose, too
insignificant, or | had missed it because
the railway only extended to within eight
miles Of it. The information brought up
b crowd of memories of my wanderings,
and as may be imagined her face came
with them with maddening distinctness.


We arrived at the nearest town to Carn-
stone in the evening 1t boasted fairly
good hotel, and my father, having twinge
of the gout, determined to rest there for
the night and take carriage to the Dene
in the morning Next day was beauti.
ful one; and though my father remon-
strated at it as being very undiguifed,
determined to start early and walk over to
Carnstone, leaving him to follow in the
carriage.


After passing round the base of some
undulating downs, and then through some
prettily-wooded fields, came to the shore,
aud, in obedience to the directions had
received, proceeded along it to Carnstone.
Arriving there, was struck with the beau
ty of the tiny fishing village, for it was
nothing more; and, at the same time, it
seemed, in its main features, strangely ia.
miliar to me. | had certainly never been
there before, and yet the distant cliffs, the
contour of the shore-it flashed across my
mind at once-it was the sea-seape of my
dream


The discovery had such an effect upon
me that ! trembled violently, and had TO
sit down on the beach to compose myself.
The next sensation was of delight, and
then came cold chill. WHAT'S the local.
ity of my dream had its central figure
what if | was discovered to her while
was Fastening to offer love to another
had not to remain long in suspense.
walked along with temples throbbing, and
the beat Of my heart. as it were, audible
to me;-and had not gone many PAGES
when, passing the bow of boat on the
beach, | came upon her


The picture was complete. The vision
was realized There she sat by the sea
the lady Of my dreams.


stood rooted to the spot, gazing at her,
in utter forgetfulness of what she must
have thought Of such proceeding, and al
most on the instant she looked up from
the book she was reading, and our eyes
met


saw at once with an undefnable thrill
that she recognized me


One wild, scared look, and then, as il
possessed by n sudden fear, she turned
hastily away, while | stood stupefed, and
when l came to my senses she was out Of
sight


There was no question of going on to
Carnstone Dene now. | turned and went
straight back to the hotel, then dispatched
an earnest message to my father 10 return
there and see me, as something had hap
pened of the utmost importance.


He came back in the afternoon in one
of the Carnstone carriages, and | found
him in a great rage-not with me, for he
had not beard my story, but with the
young lady herself He was nearly beside
himself when l related what had happened
to me, and my firm determination TO make
away with myself rather than marry Miss
Carnstone, or any other woman than the
lady Of my dreams, now that found out
she existed


"By Jove Y he cried in high state
Of excitement, shave you all gone mad
together2 | have been talking to Miss
Carnstone, and ventured to hint at certain
hopes | entertained, when my lady flies
out at me, and coolly tells me that she
never means to marry at all, and begs l
won't distress her By mentioning such
thing


" Sensible girl" l said "you can't ex.
pect me to press my suit after that"


I" 1t is as well to expect nothing but
downright lunacy from you, 'said my
father, still very irate; "but come, we must
60 back to Carnstone Dene. You and she
may be as mad as a couple of March hares
but, at any rate, let us behave like civiliz-
ed beings, and stay there for day or two,
as was our original intention"


So we drove over to Carnstone Dene.


| was silent during the drive, and my
father was evidently too angry to talk to
me. In due time we arrived at q fine
Elizabethan house, and Immediately went
up stairs to dress for dinner. found my
way after dressing to the drawing.room
by myself, and when | went in there was
lady standing near one of the windows,
evidently Miss Carnstone.


She turned. An electric shock ran
through me from head to foot. And then
I do not know to this day, nor does my
wife, who moved first--we drew near each
other, and Alice Carnstone, my predestip.
ed bride, the lady of my dreams, was
strained to my heart


The footman who announced dinner
ushered in my father, and the old gentle
man will not forget till his dying day the
shock he experienced when he saw the
situation. 1t was, however, a pleasant
solution of all his difficulties, and it was
nothing to him that We had loved in
dreams.


Alice Carnstone is now my wife. The
story Of how she felt the impress Of my
soul is mine alone, Suffice It to say that
she had known mo much offar fho aarna