Year: 1873

girl, luSt hS tne Luna mas belecteu tne
next Gn her blinded judgmenD most
attractive man." This soliloquizer had
no false modesty, you see.


Having thus ascertained that these
two young people were desperately in
love with one another, Bertram no
longer gave himself the trouble Of pay
ing so assidious court to Miss Lund,
and cultivated the acquaintance of
Graham, who was too much II man of
the world to showa reserve which might
betray jealousy, if he felt any, which is
doubtful. The two men had not chanced
to meet often, but they had been thrown
together some two years before in the
settlement of domestic matter in
which Graham had behaved in a manner
calculated to excite Bertram's esteem,
and he was inclined to like the man
who knew better of him than most other
people did For our loves and friend
ships depend quite Us much upon men
and women's opinion of ourselves a1
upon til r own intrinsic merits. \


They breakfasted at the same little
table they strolled afterwards in the
hotel garden, smoking they also con-
sumed their last cigars at night in COM
pany, and waxed confidential. Atleast,
the one who had something to confide
did it, and Be rtram learned that Graham
was on the point of going out to Africa
to shoot big game.


The other visitors at Spa made to-
tally different arrangement for the young
man, and decreed that he was about to
marry the lively widow forthwith. Mrs.
Cracket announced the forthcoming
event to Millicent Lund as an ascer-
tained fact, and the young lady, believ-
ing it, went mad. do not mean that
she required straight waistcoat, or put
wild flowers in her hair, or sang scraps
of song, or danced with her shadow.
She did not even show any emotion be-
fore Mrs. Cracket and the gossips, but
smiled, and remarked that she supposed
it was a good match for she was not of
an hysterical nature. But her mind
was for the time unhinged, for all that;
some desperate thing which society
would have brought in temporary in
sanity. 1t was quite true that she had
broken with Graham, but then he had
no business to marry any one else, etc.
How could she appease her resentment;
how prove that she did not care one iota
for the man she had once been betrothed
to? If she could only take the initia-
tive that would be better still. No
one can throw off the restraints con-
ventionally imposed by their fellow
creatures with impunity if Milly Lund
had not indulged her tastes for inde-
pendence and originality to such an
extent if she had had any experienced
friend of her own sex in whom she had
confidence, to advise her, she would
never have been guilty of writing, ON
sheet of lemon-colored note-p paper
W. l." and dropping it, with her hand
kerchief, at the Redoubte, when only
Bertram was near enough to pick it up.
The wisp of paper was not addressed
to anybody in particular that was the
only shred of prudence she showed
but then she gave it almost with her
own hand, which was very shocking.
O"If Graham had known that l had


his my in pocket, he would hardly have
bidden me such a friendly good night"
said Bertram, on examining the note
before going to bed. And then he put
it carefully away in his pocket book
When he called at Millicent's lodgings,
he found her alone, not even Miss Cor
ney being present. She had wild,
excited look in her eyes, and deep
flush on her cheek; and directly the
door was closed, she stepped hurriedly
towards him.


"Do you know why 1 have invited
you here p she asked.


Bertram looked as man, volumes as
he could, and bowed discreetly.


"Esperan=a" said she, turning away.


"What " cried Bertram. "My sym
pathies were true; you are really


"The blue domino y


Instead of throwing himself at her
feet, seizing her hand, and calling her
by her Christian name, as he ought to
have done, Bertram said, in musing
tone: "Curious! / was never at a ball in
Brussels in my life


ooh y cried Millicent, shrinking
away, covering her face with her hands,
and shedding tears of bitter shame and |



Il hope you will forgive me" Ber-
tram continued. 81 had no idea You
would believe my rodomontade, which |
was only made up at the moment for |
fun. Pray, ,do not be distressed l |
know all about it. 1t is pique which |
has impelled you to listen to the suit of |
so unworthy an individuals; if it were
otherwise, 1 should indeed esteem my
self the most fortunate of men. AS it
is, it is happy that l am neither needy
Il n lnr,o 1nynr
or perhaps you might have been hurried
into marriage which would have
proved the misery of your life; and
Graham would be eaten by lions, hug
ged to death by gorillas, stamped ont
by elephants, poisoned by snakes and
1uinine, and-and all sorts of things.
By-the-bye, do you know that he is off
TO the Cape next month";"


Millicsnt was too much overwhelmed
by appreciation of the position she had
placed herself in, to reply; so Bertram
went on:


"They have made mp a story about
MS engagement to Mrs. Geylass. Alb
,urd If he cannot marry one lady, l
I'M certain he will never take to another,
1nless perhaps an Ashantee. Not even
'or pique. do wish, dear Miss Lund,
hat you would make a friend of me,
md tell me the real cause of offence in
Graham. Do you think me curious and
I only ask because have
, suspicion that might be able to re-
move some false impressions. I was
eft trustee to young lady, cousin of
nv own, to whom Graham was once en-
gagged; and I know that when the affair
was broken off, he was very much
blamed. Can that sad business have
caused you to think badly Of him?"


"Had I-not-a right-to do so p
,obbed Millicent.