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The
posi
ofti
filmi

Orig

begl

th«

•!on

othi

first

sion

or ill

The
shal
TINI
whi(

Mar
diffi
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Atails
w du
nodifier
n une
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errata
to

I pelure,
9n A

32X

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D.B.WaidonUbrary
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D.B.WeldonUbniry
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University of Western Ontario
LIBRARY

LUINDON

CANADA

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LIBRARIES
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO

LONDON CANADA

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Entered Mccordi
Kno

ONE MISTAKE

i Entered iiccording to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year 1888, by Tiiu Canaua Hank Ncnu
KnciRAViko and Phinting Comi-anv, limited, at the Department of Agriruliiire,

A. MA

Cais

ONE MISTAKE.

A. MANITOBAN REMINISCENCE.

BY ZERO.

MONTREAL:
Canada Bank Note Company, Limited.

1888.

Thit
" Enter I

"At
" oval fa<
" more r<
" smooth,
" which ]

* ly pen<
** majorit
•* but do

gasligh
'eyes; g
' nose th

* coming
this in I

* ity, acct
admirei

The

riend, ar

le, it stil

hen to

ou have

rust mys

I am
were inci

ONE MISTAKE.

This stage is for myself to strut upon, and therefore,
" Enter Miss Devigne " : —

" Average height ; better than an average figure ; an
" oval face, the whiteness of the skin of which is rendered
" more remarkable by the crowning presence of abundant,
" smooth, black hair, and by the frequent flows of colour
which paint the cheeks with little provocation ; distinct^

* ly pencilled brows, arching over eyes classed by the

* majority as brown, which sometimes positively glitter,

* but do not keep the constant glint, in sunlight and in
'gaslight, so often seen in certain of the prettiest brown

* eyes ; good teeth, on which account you often laugh ; a
' nose that certainly set out intending to be Grecian, but,

* coming to the point, shews sympathy with Rome, though
' this in such a slight degree that you may, with equanim-

* ity, accept the compliments of any of the ancient World's
' admirers, according to prevailing light and shade." •

The above is ME, as painted by a somewhat partial
riend, and unreliable as such description must naturally
, it still composes (and comprises) all my stock in trade,
hen to this you add the motto I uphold, " Vive Tamour,"
ou have as full a knowledge of my personelle as I can
rust myself to write.

I am, or rather, have been — and fear I should still be,
were inclination all I had to guide me in my future life —

a thorough-going flirt. Opportunity has favoured me with
large experience in the great profession, for more years
than I dare venture to unfold, and now — my tether grow-
ing shorter day by day — I wish to give account of my last
year of liberty, whilst yet the taste is in my mouth ; before
the misanthropic stage arrives. My object in so doing is
purely philosophic. I wish to shew the kind of world in
which we live, and the way to travel best; and, if you
take the good advice, dear girl, of one who knows whereof
she speaks, and follow Moore's behest to love the lips that
are around you, when dearer are away, I am sure my labour
will reap gratitude.

Good people (a word to the wise), this is but neces-
sary training, for are we not informed, by the very first of
Authors, that the atmosphere of that celestial place to which
you all aspire is love? And yet we hear, again, that
marriage is an unacknowledged state — ^in fact there's no
such thing. Then, what is this, if not flirtation in its
purest form ? And very right it is that such should be the
case. It were a crime, with little palliation, to suppose
that angels, ecstatically blessed, should pass their time in
twanging harp strings (albeit golden ones). Yet this is
what is offered to the " very good " on earth by ignorant
pretenders. Imagination must, indeed, be at low ebb when
such a state gains reputation as the best of all things
possible. ...

However, my intention never was to deal with possi-
bilities of Heaven, or probabilities of Hell, or any other
subject half as blue. I simply wish to say a word in favour
of a very good old pastime, but for which my life would,
indeed, have been a sunless one, and many, many happy
hours would be erased from memory.

Men have their fun in landing a lively twenty-
pounder of a fishy and one successful effort is e lough to fill
a life with joy. How he struggled, jumped, then sulked,
and would not move an inch. It was sublime, undoubt-
edly. How marvellously does the gallant creature grow !
He can, without an extraordinary eflfort (though occasion-
ally he owes a little to good spirits), run up his weight as
high as thirty pounds, some ten years subsequent to death.

But woman looks for larger prey, and who will hesi-
tate to name the nobler sport ? The salmon's course is
stayed by a thin, but also quite strong, line. Our captives
are but seldom held by anything more stable than a
woman's hair, and even that is sometimes of a very
startling hue — though (safely hid myself) I have, with
something very near akin to genuine amusement, watched
the look upon a victim's face as he declared, with all the
fervency of innocence (though doubtless adding to the
lengthy list of charms possessed by his gay fisherwoman
the culminating one of idiocy) that the manifestly purest
red-brick top-knot in the world was nothing less than
"Auburn Glory," if you please.

But, spite of all our troubles, we still amuse ourselves,
and occasionally land a salmon, too.

I have just returned from that land of Vast Futurity,
the Canadian Northwest, and must admit that, taken on
the whole, sport there is good. To be sure, the game is
somewhat small ; but the fisherwoman used to angling for
the old and wary nibblers of blas^ London drawing-rooms
feels no small pleasure in pulling up a trout or two upon
occasion, if only for the purpose of proving her ability to fish.

My sister Olive and myself, in making our visit of a
year (or rather, of ten months, for the intended stay was
shortened to that time), were offered as a sacrifice to a
mother's great affection for her son. Our brother Jack,
four years ago, had emigrated to the North, and, though
he came a " cropper " in what is now world-famous as the
" Boom," ever since his fall (which never had excited in
his family the sympathy it ought — we had become so tired
of his "croppers" whilst at home) his movements were
described by " Oh, he's getting on," which always sounds
just one step higher than " He's going to the Devil," and
often means, if only we could see our distant friends, much
about the same. Our world appeared to wag, in spite of
his departure, and we had come to think of him as almost
" gone before," so rarely did we hear a word from him.

Suddenly, however, a letter came, in which he tried
to get mother and ourselves to pay the " country of his
choice" a visit, "for a year at least," he said. Mother
declared it was impossible. As for herself, entre nous, it
prejudice she had, it was against the West. " I'm sorry,
" Nell, but I could not stand the voyage, not to mention
" wha.t your uncle said about Canadian cookery — ' God gave
" the food and the devil sent the cooks.' Wasn't tliat the
" way he put it ? "

" But, mother, we can manage all those things if we
" have a house ourselves," I pleaded, for I had a most
outrageous longing for a change of air and scene.

" We.i, my dear, I don't mind watching your most
" wonderful experiments in the culinary art at home, but
" would rither be excused from trying to subsist upon
" them for a year. Besides, of course, there can be no
" society ; except, perhaps, such as might form an interest-

((

r'notomounf

ir visit of a
ed stay was
crifice to a
other Jack,
md, though
nous as the
1 excited in
>me so tired
ments were
vays sounds
Devil," and
iendsj much
, in spite of
m as almost
'om him.
ch he tried
untry of his
id. Mother
ntre nous, it
"I'm sorry,
to mention
— ' God gave
m't that the

things if we
had a most
le.

; your most
it home, but
jubsist upon
e can be no
I an interest-

9 .

" ing study for philanthropists, and, personally, I think
" everyday humanity a far more worthy subject to dissect.'*

Of a truth, here was a Philistine ; and, though I pushed
for proofs of this alleged barbarity, the only evidence I
could obtain was that a certain noble officer once stayed
in Winnipeg and dined with their Lieutenant-Governor.
During tne hospitable meal he was compelled to drink deep
of ginger pop, as being less injurious than the strong green
tea alternatively offered. But ginger pop for soup, ginger
pop for fish, and ginger pop to a fourth or fifth long course
brought matters to a crisis, and when he would fain have
smoked a fine Havana, Nature cried aloud for a visit to the
most convenient doctor, and nothing but successive " bran-
dies, neat," had brought the patient round.

" But, mother, we are not like men, and do not need
" to tipple brandy for enjoyment's sake."

" No, dear, but you see how ignorant the people are
" of what goes to form the comfort of a man. Can we
" expect them to have any other civilized ideas of modern
"days?"

And so the matter lay, and would have lain till now,
but Colonel Denton, an old friend of my mother's (a gay
old boy, and quite a "masher" with the widows, who were
very much enamoured of his six feet two of military man-
hood), came in one day, and intimated his resolve, in
company with young Clifford, who wished to make the
trip, of " seeing the Northwest ranches near to Calgary,
visiting some friends out there, afterwards returning home
by way of China and the East."

Then the history of Jack's wish for some of us to visit
Winnipeg was talked about, and, after some discussion as
to time, ways and means, etc., it was finally decided that

; 10

■ t
our party, comprising Colonel Denton, Mr. Clifford (whom
I had frequently met at dances and found very tolerable),
Olive and myself, should start from Livei ^ ool a fortnight
later, on board the ship "Parisian," of which we heard
some very good accounts. < ;

Thus, everything was well. Our mother was de-
lighted that Jack would now see " some of us," and we
looked forward to a year of life without the leading strings.

HI.

At last we really were afloat ; not valiantly buffeting
mountainous waves, to be sure, but with a steady, sober
motion, churning our way down the unromantic Mersey,
and making certain progress towards the more poetic
ocean, — albeit its poetry is sometimes very much akin to
that of Browning — definition beyond the power of mortal
man, but exciting feelings we fain would hide from all our
friends. The churning soon gave way to a rather more
effective choppiness, but even this, destructive as it was to
the happiness of some, appeared to spare our party. Olive
looked as bright as, and rather prettier than ever, I
thought. Her clear-cut features, the brilliant colour of
her cheeks, a sparkle in her light grey eye and little wisps
of dark brown hair escaping from their bonds, all combining
to create what Colonel Denton most gallantly stiid was
" the British maiden as she ought to be."

Oft-repeated yachting trips had made her and myself
respectable as sailors, and the freshness of the breeze did
nothing more disastrous than increase our appetites, already
not unhealthy.

At Queenstown we said good-bye to the British people,
who at that pretty spot 'e not seen to advontage on

fnotomount

lifford (whom
ry tolerable),
ol a fortnight
ich we heard

iher was de-

us," and we

ading strings.

itly buffeting
steady, sober
ntic Mersey,
more poetic
nuch akin to
i^er of mortal
> from all our
rather more
i as it was to
arty. Olive
ban ever, I
nt colour of
1 little wisps
il combining
^ly said was

• and myself

breeze did

ites, already

itish people,
vantage on

board the passing steamers; and, shortly afterwards, the
night drew down upon us. Then Cape Clear's warning
light came into view, and apparent to the senses of us all
was the long Atlantic swell. Here was an opportunity for
a volunteer to gain immortal fame by the singing of *' My
Native Land, Good Night." But no one's voice was in the
proper trim. The last of all things tangible grew gradually
less, and the vessel forged her way ahead, like Destiny
itself, into the unfathomable blackness ot the sky and sea.
Mr. Clifford and I had struck upon a " cool, sequestered "
nook, from which to watch the slow extinction of our
country's light, at that time shining, most inappropriately,
as we both agreed, from the inhospitable shore of Ireland.

Mr. Clifford was a dark, good-looking man, with an
incipient moustache ; brown eyes, and a rather square-cut
face. His forte, as it appeared to all his first acquaintances
(female ones, of course,) was telling tales of former
"mashes" he had made, and cdlingall the gods to witness
that " he never really cared a straw for anyone before."
Briefly, Mr. Clifford was yet young, and the character ot
" Wild" had still some charms for him.

Report, however, said that his success in love had met
\Yith one reverse, at least ; and certainly he quoted poetry
that night with a feeling such as does not often come with-
out some knowledge of a desperate affaiit du coBur.

After the light hod made its bow, and the lonely
feeling which ensued on its extinction had somewhat
merged in the sweets of tete-a-tete with a positively inno-
cent young man, I commenced to feel somewhat more at
home, and tried to make the best of things (and men) —
my invariable custom. The prey was that very night
almost within my clutches, but fog and cold declared their

war against me, and drove us down the hatchway and
apart, me to toss and roll and kick through the first night
at sea, of which my wild young man would spend the
greater part in cultivating " dreadful habits," as his dear
aunt would doubtless say.

IV.

On ship-board, where one's number of acquaintances is
very circumscribed, the idiosyncrasies of each are matters
of importance to the whole, and (always granting three
days' grace to conquer Neptune's bumptiousness) a change
of front, or other deviation from the customary course, of
any of our friends gives rise to speculation. Curiosity in
me was very much excited by a sudden gloom which
seemed to cloud over the (as it at first appeared) rather
overpowering flow of Mr. Clifford's spirits. This feeling
once aroused, it tore down all its bounds, and soon I found
myself straining every nerve of the imagination to plaus-
ibly account for the young man's voluntary exile from his
native land, with the London Season at its height and
money in his pocket to enjoy its every charm. I resolved
to try my best to draw the mystery from its mysterious
owner, if opportunity would but serve me decently.

Meanwhile, however, everything was dull. I sat upon
the deck, from morning until night, and struggled hard,
though vainly, to believe that sea-life was enjoyable. The
relaxation from my usual work was altogether too com-
plete. I MUST have some excitement or expire. Olive,
seemingly, existed happily enough, thanks to a library
which, though of limited dimensions, yet contained " the
very latest fiction." With this, it grieves my heart to
say, she was evidently bent on vitiating Colonel Denton's
literary taste. Judging from appearances, her efforts were

ful

r-ni

iHuiTra

itchway and
le first night
spend the
as his dear

uaintances is

are matters

anting three

iss) a change

iry course, of

Curiosity in

jlooin which

ared) rather

This feeling

soon I found

;ion to plaus-

xile from his

i height and

I resolved

8 mysterious

ently.

I sat upon
uggled hard,
jyable. The
ler too com-
pire. Olive,
to a library
itained " the
my heart to
lel Denton's
efforts were

not unattended with success, the dear old boy devouring
anything and everything, with an avidity and interest
which would have put to shame the average school girl in
her teens. I even caught him bargaining with a fine, well
dried-up specimen of maiden hopefulness, for an exchange
of "She" for "Moths." Of the latter of the two he
vowed he never heard before, and, on my expostulation,
was quite prepared to swear that he was interested through
belief that the subject of the work was really entomology.
" Yes," he was driven to confess, " I read it through, dis-
" gusting as it is. It would never do to let a maiden lady,
" however antiquated, get the better of me now. I hope
" you never read such trash."

" Oh, mother does not like either Olive or me to read
" such books as that." (Somehow, they do get read,
though I never could explain the modus operandi — very
shortly after publication, too.)

About the fourth day out I was sitting on the deck
pretending, and really trying hard to make myself believe
the sham, to read what, in my hurry, I had mistaken for a
" latest novel." In front of me, as I occasionally could
see, when I raised my bead to watch the ocean's swell, and
noted its effect upon the ship and me — for I was now the
least bit squeamish — walked Mr. Clifford, with the air of
him who takes a constitutional, despite all obstacles.
Backwards, forwards ; forwards, backwards ; like the tick-
ing of a clock the sacrifice to hygiene was made. Weary of
this monotony, the good ship gave a lurch, and by a com-
mon accident my wicker chair shot out, doubled up, and
left me on the deck, a sight to raise up pity in a Stoic's
heart, and which quickly brought the walker to my aid,
full of commiseration.

tin

. I !

" I hope you are not hurt at all," he said, picking up
me, cushions and book, in the strictest " order of merit "
way.

*' Oh, no. Thank you for your very timely help.
" These chairs are the most stupid things I know — alway«
" trying to shut up when you want to sit upon them."
Dropping into another of the kind, and leaving the oflfender
gaping for one victim more.

" Possibly they are something like my own poor sex.
" You sit upon them and they must shut up. Now, I can
" rest without the slightest danger," settling himself into
the chair which I had so ungracefully vacated, and thereby
walking straight into my net ; " they never play their
" tricks upon a man."

Of his man-like crow, on the power of his sex to take
their seats (some ladies say that women shall equally be
blessed ere long. Tyrants, beware!) I leniently took no
notice, but simply said : " Unfortunately, it is not always
" as you would make out. The people one attempts to sit
" upon are just the ones who never will shut up."

" However that may be, I pray you, Miss Devigne,
'' have mercy, and don't experiment on me. I feel quite
'* flat enough already. I don't know when I was so
"blue."

** I see that you are reading * Henry Esmond,'" turn-
ing the leaves of the book he just picked up, "Thackeray's
" woman is *just too sweet for anything,' is she not?"

" Speaking for myself, I think I could forgive her if
" she lost some savoir faire, and grew a little closer to the
" natural. What a curious ring you wear."

" Yes. This is about the only heirloom I posscBB.
" Juist look at it," holding out his hand for my examination.

(

id, picking up
der of merit "

timely help,
know — alwaj^

upon them."
ig the offender

own poor sex.
i. Now, I can
? himself into
i, and thereby
er play their

lis sex to take
all equally be
ently took no
is not always
attempts to sit
up.

iliss Devigne,

I feel quite

en I was so

aaond/ " turn-
" Thackeray's
jhe not?"
forgive her if
closer to the

om I possess,
examination.

I took it in my own. On his little finger was a rather
massive, very well worn ring, in which was set a lozenge-
shaped, black stone, having as its centre the most dazzling
little diamond I ever yet beheld. The gold was formed
to represent a snake, its tail stuck in its mouth.

" A genuine talisman, I judge, from all appearances,"
I said. '* Is the story such as one may hear, without too
great a danger ? "

" Its history is far too long to tell to any but one's

grandchildren, born to be tormented in that way. Briefly,

according to our creed, a Clifford (in the twelfth or thir-

' teenth century — I don't know which) returning from

' the East, brought that. It is symbolical (also according

' to our creed) of an everlasting troth. The diamond —

• which shines more brilliantly since my father had it cut,
' they say — represents a burning love. The ring itself is
' the Talmudic hieroglyph to signify eternity — a serpent
' swallowing its tail. The tradition in our family endows
' the ring with the most unswerving loyalty to the right-

* ful Clifford heir. So strong a feeling is this with my
' people that, should it actually disappear and be positively

lost (though I believe I have enough of superstition in
' my soul to make me doubt the possibility), I really think
that they would look upon me as a king deposed."

" What an interesting, medisBval tale," I laughed. " If
I had such a ring, I should keep it under lock and key,
and live on pins and needles when I showed it to a
friend."

Just then Olive passed, staring most outrageously, and

became aware that I was still retaining and inspecting a

nd I had kept lovingly within my own for five minutes

the least. I dropped it like a cinder, and Mr. Clifford

;

^i.

smiled an understanding smile, as though he liked the
joke.

"Oh, you have no reverence for talismans like this,"
said he. " It has passed through the hands of scores of
** Cavaliers, as token of innumerable things — its paltry
" worth, perhaps, its chief protection — when adherence to
" the Cause was somewhat costly, and treachery in men not
" utterly unknown, yet never went astray ; and my faith
" is that, as long as Cli£fords are, that ring will be, and
" they will cling together."

" How nice to have so strong a faith in anything on
" earth. I thought all men were thorough misbelievers,
" and put no trust in aught beneath the sky. What a
" treasure you would be to champion woman's cause against
" her enemied. Now, don't you think the r61e would fit
"you well?"

My question seems to drive him back to his starting
point of blue ; makes him remember that he should look
sad, and sad he looks forthwith.

Dolefully : " I should like to be her champion, Miss
" Devigne, did I not know too much about her ways. The
" World says (the female world, I'll bet,) that woman is
" what man has made her. What wretched stuflf that is !
" The woman makes the man ; and * Woman's inhumanity
" to man makes countless thousands weep.' Take the case
" of any jolly woman, such as we meet each day the whole
" year round— a regular flirting bombshell, of whom it
" would be flattery to say that her vows were traced in
" sand, or that she accidentally spoke the truth : — she does
" more harm in two or three short hours than any man
^' could compass during life. It's sure as Fate, a woman's
" at the bottom of eve j man's misfortune."

he liked the

lan any man

" I know whereof I speak " was so painfully obtrusive
[in his look, that I was quite unable to forbear, and said :

" What a statistician you must be ! Have you any
Miserable Club ' from whence to draw your figures? Or
f* is it all your personal experience ? Please look the other
" way^ and I will blush for my unfeeling sex. Though,
of course,, a stupid individual has brouj^'it us all beneath
I* your ban. Am I not a sorceress? "

" I think you are a witch, if that is what you mean" —
)rightenii>g up again.

" I do feel a little eery now, and believe that I can
f* read that terrible misfortune of your heart : the one
[* which made you such a woman's' enemy^ I mean. Do
p you doubt it?"

" No, indeed. I have 'seen enough of the eyes of Miss
I' Devigne to doubt their power over all the universe. But,
I* just for fun, you may try them on my past."

In giving this permission, he did not seem to antici-
)ate much "fun/' although he gave the word to "go
ihead."

" Well, don't add me to your list of deadly enemies, if
Y I come too near the truth. And, above all things, re-
r member that, as a seer, I am infallible, and brook no
'* contradiction."

" You loved, rash man ! Regardless of the cynic
[' world, and clever Mrs. Norton (perhaps you never read
[' * Love Not,' in which case we shall pity more than blame
you). Oh, how you loved! And she — she was divine
[' (a fact which you were good enough to let her know) ;
' and, by reason of her Godhead, she saw a base mortality
r in you (no offence intended, if you please ; I haven't
r grown my pen feathers yet). Still, could she not per-

'"■\

; !

Iff

18
" ceive the cloven hoof of an intermeddling fiend, who-

" You might spare me these heroics, Miss Devigne, if
" you really know my story," he hroke in, with a voice so
very low, subdued and lumpy, that it gave me quite a start
of sympathy.

" I beg a thousand pardons, Mr. Cliflford. I really did
** not know the slightest thing, and I'm very, very sorry
" for my thoughtlessness."

" Oh, please don't look at it like that. A fellow in
" my own condition is so terribly thin-skinned that he'll
" imagine anything. But — Miss Devigne — you are so
" really honest that I should so much like, if it would not
'* bore you awfully, to tell my little tale to you. I'm
" nothing but a boy, you know. Do you think you could
stand it?"

And, truly, he was nothing but a boy (a very nice
boy, too, I thought), against whom I was quite an ancient
dame. Of course, I could not be so churlish as refuse to
listen to his woes, and — and — well. Eve was my ancestress,
an accident quite unavoidable. I cannot now recall the
words of acquiescence which I used ; doubtless they were
dignified and awful ; though, remembering their effect, it
seems to me (but so much time has slipped away since theft
that memory is perfectly unsafe) the blood within the
Clifford veins was not congealed thereby.

The night was coming on. Dinner had drawn the
little crowd downstairs, and we two were alone. Mr.
Clifford rosej put some shawls around me, and slipped down
amongst the dozen rugs which lay upon the deck, around
my feet.

In front of us the mighty waves rolled past, each
striking deeper in the heart that sense of utter impotence

and — sometimes — loneliness which night upon the sea,
above all else, creates in most intensity. And, at such
time, how beautiful a thing is human sympathy! Thus
Mr. Clifford seemed to think, and the pathos of his story
lost no whit because of it. And how skilfully he told the
tale ! The blackest of perfidy (in parentheses) was toned
down (in the narrative) to an everyday affair, and one
which, under existing circumstances, should (this in deep
humility) have certainly been calculated on. In face of
all this magnanimity, it was difficult to think (though I
believe it firmly) that the self-name man (or any other
angel of his sex) would, before a picked assemHy of male
friends, in the presence of a few half-emptied tumblers,
and surrounded by an atmosphere of smoke, so deal with
his deceiver that she should have, long ere the midnight
hour, neither honour, brains, nor a modicum of looks, with
which to bless herself.

He had loved — adored — her ; and she was held to be
the flower of a family in itself the choicest growth of a
very highly favoured place, from the human florist's view.
And they were to have been made one in May. That
locket held her hair (golden, of course). It was incredible
how one so beautiful as she who hung that little locket on
its chain could be so false. She had looked straight into
his eyes and sworn eternal things. And now — ^but, psha !
All women were alike. " I mean, of course, all women of
" that very fair complexion." Yes, a fool of a fellow came
from Town ; his reputation as a steady-goer, too, fell far
below the average of men. His sole enchantment (the
ownership of which his tailor might with justice have dis-
puted) being Her Majesty's gay uniform, which uniform,
|in three short weeks, had scattered far and wide the fruits of

years of education (" Oh, yes ! I educated her to love me ;
"you needn't laugh at that") and hard toil. No; they
were not married yet. But, did I think that HE would
ever look at her again^ even should she go down upon her
knees and beg ?

My own opinion was (though I did not think my duty
lay in offering it then) that a condescension infinitely
smaller than the bending of a knee would have made him
register more vows of constancy in one short hour than he
had sworn terrific oaths of vengeance since the committal
of the outrage.

But I consoled him as only woman can. The girl was
evidently a poor, short-sighted little maiden. Doubtless
pretty, in her dolly fashion, but wanting much in genuine
character. Yes ; of course, she was an unsophisticated girl.
Commend me to the damsels of ihat ilk for wanton trickery,
with neither rhyme nor reason. But, possibly, she thought
it quite a harmless thing to flirt. It is so hard to say
where flirting ends and love-making begins What was
Mr. Clifford's view upon that point ?

Well, Mr* Clifford really hardly had a viciv (went it
blind). Of course, some women do exist, with such sunny,
open, jolly souls, that enjoyment by themselves is quite
beyond the possible; and, in their downright honesty,
these are often said, by Autumnal single ladies and would-
be wise young men, to be gay flirts. He thought he knew
a case in point, not very far away. But the good and
honest portion of the World (himself amongst the number)
laid nothing at the door of these maligned ones. It was
their great misfortune to be loved by all ; sometimes more
and sometimes less; always more at sea. And to blame
them for their happy disposition was to blame the sun for

■eawt Tim i T

shining, etc., etc., etc., until I saw the Colonel in the dis-
tance, and slipped downstairs (leaving instructions for a
splitting headache) in fear and trembling lest I should

stumble over Olive. ,

After Mr. Cliflford's confidence, the time, for some
good reason, appeared to slip away quite unobserved, and
never hung one moment on my hands. There was always
something to be done, or talked about — principally the
latter. If books could not be discussed, then tales of other
days could be descanted on, and when these, in their turn,
grew dry, some questions would suggest themselves (rather
personal they were occasionally, I fear,) which mmt be
duly weighed ; at least, so Mr. Cliflford said, and I agreed
so long as he produced material to throw into the scales.
The phosphorescent light, too, was another of our charges,
and entailed some views of moonlight on the sea which,
quite naturally, inspired poetic thoughts, and these equally
of course, found vent, through my companion, in the words
of him whose too intense delight in Nature's varied beau-
ties led him nowhere if not to his destruction : I am
inclined to think, however, that the voyage lost to him
one faithful follower in scepticism as to woman's character.

" Since I first met you. Miss Devigne, my views have
" undergone a change so deep that now I almost doubt the
" truth of that man's sight whose words seemed portion of
" my soul a few short weeks ago. I should like to ask of
" you, as the most honest woman it has been my lot to meet,
" was Byron's reading of a woman true ? " propounded Mr.
Clifibrd-^now my almost sole companion (females always
shun me like a pestilence) — during one of our moonlight
studies of the deep.

i
It

" I will tell you precisely what I think about it. The
" one reflection Byron caught in his adored ones' eyes was
" Byron's fickle self. Treat woman fairly, honestly, and
" fairly she will meet you. But treat her as a play-thing,
" fool or jest, and commonly you'll find the jest a bitter
" one, the fool possessed of method in her madness for
" revenge, and the play-thing but a fiendish kind of toy
" with a devastating power a great deal under-rated."

In that short voyage many much vexed questions
found their natural solutions, at least the resolutions come
to satisfy the ones concerned, a state of things devoutly to
be wished for as the outcome of deliberations wholly male.

But all things have an end ; the pleasanter they are,
the sooner do they close. Our voyage vanished like a very
happy dream, and though its every feature still remains
imprinted on the mind, the impression is a dream-like one
of stingless happiness.

I think that Olive must have read her library through ;
and as for Colonel Denton, I do not recollect a single thing
he did, except to eat his meals religiously, now and then
talk literature with Olive, and scandal of the passengers
with me. I know he v/as delighted when we drew into
Quebec. Glad that young Clifford and myself could take
no astronomic notes upon the train ; glad to be rid of Olive's
exclamations of surprise, regarding " impropriety," and
quite beside himself to think that Winnipeg once reached,
and his charges separated, responsibility would trouble him
no more.

At quaint Quebec or busy Montreal, we had no time
to stay, the Colonel being in a hury to reach the Promised
Land — a feeling not so plainly visible in Mr. Clifford's case,
who wished to stay a little while in Montreal " to rest,"

fnotomount

but his chaperone declared that no rest could be found for
such as him. We " got on board " our Pullman, went to bed,
and very soon forgot the myriad joys and rampant sinful-
ness which (I take the natives' word) were being left
behind, untouched and unregretted.

We spent three days in travelling through scenes
which differed but in their variety of wildness, one ques-
tion only arising to the mind — How mortals could be found
to squander years of their existence (I am not capable of
that gross flattery which would call it Life) amidst those
barren rocks and half-charred stumps, or still more naked
looking prairie. The feminine mind can never be, with
any certainty of ultimate success, educated to the point
which calculates the intrinsic value of a rough and ugly
rock, or the maximum of wheat, per acre, which a sterile
looking prairie is capable of yielding, puts all into one
picture and calls the whole " Sublime." Such occult reason-
ing is left exclusively for the naturally strong imaginations
of those "Bonanza Kings" and Croesuses of farmers with
which their ideal Paradise, now known as " Our North-
west." is, in a faso approaching age, to be over-populated.

The " cars," however, were really comfortable, and,
during all the journey there was nothing for Olive or the
Colonel to complain about, more serious than monotony,
which cannot be affirmed to know existence only on the
C. P. R. And we rolled and puffed along until, one bright
June morning (" long ago," it seems, indeed, to me) they
rolled UH into Winnipeg — the Metropolis of the Mammoth
West. A faint idea of its attributed importance may be
gained from the remark of an Americo-Manitoban who, re-
ferring to L«)ndon, England (to distinguish it from London,
which is in Ontario) said " Oh, it's a nice sized place, but too

; ■ !

i'.i
' t
■■■1

It ■'

' [f

■{

' \

Hll „

•" >•

i ^illi

1 ■ ■

!^i l!

! 1 !

far away from Winnipeg ever to amount to much.'' I should
have thought the speaker was in earnest, but having, ere
I heard the speech, become au fait with the customs of the
country, 1 easily detected too truthful an appearance to
leave upon ray mind a doubt as to sincerity.

Arrived at Winnipeg, or so much of us as was left, and
the remains of our "baggage" having been dexterously
shovelled all together, in a heap, it next, of course, occurred
to us to look at our brother, who, for the last quarter of an
hour, had been greeting us persistently. He certainly was
changed ; and in a way which five years of ordinary wear
and tear did not seem satisfactorily to account for. Leaving
home at twenty-three, with the freshest of red faces, we now
saw him a man who might have been of any age from thirty
up to forty, and in English calculation, the first named age
was the youngest possible. He stood without his hat, for
our inspection, and one could see his head was growing bald,
and he had an air of grave responsibility, without which
many men in England attain the age of fifty years, and
which acairded ill with the vision of a bright, good-looking
and most mischief-making boy, which came constantly be-
fore me, whilst at home, whenever " Jack" was mentioned.
His brigiitness still remained, to some extent, in an ability
to make sharp little speeches al)out his friends in general,
and this replaced the old exuberance of spirits poorly, a^<
/(an interested party) thought.

There he stood, however, evidently as fond of us as in
the 'lays gone by, and, though he rather frightened me by
looking ;M) antique, for reasons nincli too personal to tell, 1
think 1 did the "loving sister" fairly well, and placed
niyself beneath his core, midst the (yolonefs great rejoicing'
(at seeing Jack again, he vowed, but getting rid of us.
particularly me, 1 knew it really was).

P^Otowount

Jack took us to a " Principal Hotel-," which represented
home for some few dreary days, pending the completion of
arrangements in the house which he had taken for us.
Here we vainly tried to gather up a little of our wonted
energies (an utterly unnecessary task, had we proposed
acting as the Romans do) and fortify ourselves against the
coming onslaughts of climate and the critics, both of which,
some English people told us, were trials most severe to
every immigrant who boasted flesh and blood. But various
little incidents frustrated all our plans. One man^ who
occupied a bed-room next to ours, took on himself to die,
and not content with doing it in the real, old-fashioned way,
positively groaned out of existence. Though this may, of
course (and probably it did), have aided in securing him
good rest, it acted not so soothingly on us, and any fortify-
ing that was done was " with neatness and dispatch " at
dinner-time, when, inwardly we fortified ourselves with —
well, my memory is not reliable, and I might mortally
offend the chef, who, by good luck or management, did us
no mortal injury, if I went into details. But, outwardly,
the pretty waiting girl erected such tremendous bastions
and formidable walls, composed of little dishes (reported to
contain the Lord alone knows what), that any enemy might
look and sigh in vain when it was our royal pleasure to
retreat, a not unknown contingency, I found.

Two or tiiree days sojourn in the house, however, and
all excitements seemed to disappear. We came to look
upon it as quite natural that strong and hearty men should
wash soi-disant dinner down their throats with the mildest
of green tea, occasionally varied by a draught of bluish
licjuid, said to be cow's milk. It occurs to me to-(hiy that
the cows ol Winnipeg are the only water drinkers there,

Ii<'

111

but they must be the most confirmed of tipplers of the
beverage. We gathered " pointers " too, and learnt the
proper meaning of the verb " to eat." It is, in Manitoba,
just "to swallow" in another form, and the action is a
marvellous time-saver, though rather paralyzing if the wit-
ness has been reared to look upon a dinner as the one
divinity of whom men take real cognizance.

The fourth day was eventful. In the morning Colonel
Denton and his one remaining charge departed for the fields
still further West. But Mr. Clifford (from thenceforth
known as " Fred " under dreadful penalties) before he left,
had placed upon my hand a token that the heart so desper-
ately wrecked two months ago was now in my possession.
In short, we were engaged, though very privately ; and
the ring he made me wear was the emblematic one. He
said :

" It exists alone for the Clifford heir, you know, and I
" feel absolutely safe so long as you retain it. The ring is
" certain to return to me, and it will bring you with it.
" And, Dearest, don't forget to write to me whenever
*' you've a moment's time to spare. I shall get home as
" soon as possible, and pray for this long year to end, and
" then ! Won't it be jolly ! Now, Nellie, don't you think
" I might let the Colonel into it? I feel as if 1 must tell
" somebody.''

" No, Fred, don't let a single person know. Just fancy
" what a fickle heart they'd give you credit for. Wliy I jy
" don't want the reputation of a kidnapper, if you please.
" Olive would get the whole thing out of you, if you stayed
'* two days longer here, so it's just as well you're going
" away, perhaps, though its very, very hard on both of us.
*' But never mind, dear, I think I slmll Jail ill, and have to
" leave for home again by the time that you reach there."

Photomount

So we exchanged the most formal of good-byes, in the
stiffest kind of way, as if the " Parlor " in the dull hotel
had not been witness of — well, well, it is enough to know
we said good-bye, and the many changes in the stream of
life Aiirhich would occur before we met again could, luckily,
exert no influence then.

The engine rings its bell, puifs, jerks, and, finally, in
triumph, bears away the last of ties which bound us to our
land and home.

VII.

" Our Place," of which many pleasant, and some bitter,
recollections, will be carried to my grave, and possibly
beyond, was a little, square-built, house, in, or to be true
to the country of which this story speaks, on, St. Mary street.
It had a cosy look inside, and was plentifully furnished,
though chairs and tables, and bric-a-brac especially, upheld
" Noli me tangere " as their alarming motto, and would,
sometimes, if even looked at steadily, collapse without a
warning, involving many innocents in their unexpected fall.

The bottom flat consisted of four roums, which could,
luckily, by means of folding doors, be melted into two of
ordinary size. The kitchen being quite separated from the
house, created no annoyance.

The upstairs portion of the house was a thorough
Chinese puzzle. Rooms of the smallest possible dimensions
were mixed judiciously with passages so short that com-
mencement and conclusion as applied to their extremes, ap-
ptMired gross flattery. And yet this jumble had some note-
worthy attractions. Flirtation Paradise could not have beer,
devised more skilfully. Each passage had just room enough
for two, and no more could, by any possibility, squeeze in.

^ 1^

11!

And here, on Thursday nights and even Friday mornings,
for several months, without a single bye, might have been
shewn convincing proofs of the wondrous popularity of that
old pastime, which, in spite of age and sameness, does yet,
and always will, retain at least a spice of its freshness and
excitement for us all — except, of course, the cynics, from
whom the gods deliver us. Flirtation was the deity who
sanctified our maze, and most bountifully did he prosper
all his devotees who therein worshipped him.

The first two weeks had fled before we dared attempt
to rally from the shocks which were sustained in continu-
ous succession during the general absorption of customs and
surroundings, and, though eventually we overcame them
all, yet some with weaker stomachs or less healthy consti-
tutions would undoubtedly have given up the ghost (if
the natives had considered that worth taking). Still, I
reflected, I had come to live for one short year, no matter
what turned up, and I was by this time quite too well
accustomed to even harder work for the sake of a sensation,
really to object to any exercise which was so well repaid by
its astonishments.

Several introductions, the oflices of Colonel Denton
(who, in his short stay, appeared to gather round him half
the town), together with Jack's (principally male) con-
nection, had made for us a circle of acquaintance from
which it would have been a little difficult to eliminate the
weeds, had such a thought occurred to us — a most absurd
contingency. An indulgent brother chaperoning two gay
damsels breathing liberty for one short, solitary year of
life, is not a combination one may quite confidently trust
to travel precisely in that roiid laid down by Mrs. Grundy,
especially in its course throughout the Colonies.

i"iiQtoniount

viil'

Take India's Summer Season, remove the Native ser-
vants and all the life-preserving adjuncts of that clime, and
you may almost realize the day, in Winnipeg, of which I
am now writing.

Hearing someone give the time as five o'clock, I pulled
the remainder of myself together, called on Capt. Warwick,
a fair, good-looking and tired (perhaps that was the weather's
flattening effect) specimen of England's officer abroad, and
with tremendous effort and his aid, rose from the couch
upon the grass where I had lain to witness Olive's most
successful battling for the honour of our Nation, in the noble,
though somewhat overheating, game of Tennis. Her de-
monstration in the argument of Canada against the " Effete
old Laud" spoke English ii, such volumes that approbation
rose in cheers all round the field, from the small but cheeky
infant whose " Papa had come to farm," and the dawdling
English idler, with a day or two to spare for "doing
Winnipeg," indifferently.

" Are you going to leave before they finish this last
" set — ^just when we may fairly crow a little. Miss Devigne ? "
yawned the gallant Captain of Hussars, after the exertion
above alluded to as raising me from off the ground. " Oh,"
and in sheer sympathy, I yawned, "I think I leave the
" Country's flag quite safe in Olive's hands, and if I stay
" much longer, a grease spot on the earth is all that will
" remain of Miss Devigne."

"If you are really going, perhaps you will permit me
•^ to escort you home."

Such tremendous condescension almost staggered me.

" What, will you, too, desert the field of triumph.
"Who will cheer the victor?" He was already one of

i'f

vwi

I' \

Olive's pets, and I could not understand this wild desire to
leave. >

" I think, that Esmond will do all that's necessary in
" that line, assisted — or even unassisted — by your brother.
" He seems beside himself with joy — and very full of
" energy."

" And there was light." Poor Mr. Esmond, who had
occasioned this bitter feeling, was at that very moment
working like a Trojan, with a fan, in the vain endeavour to
raise a cooling breeze round Olive's flaming cheeks. The
girl looked pretty too, in her loose, white sailor costume,
her eyes sparkling, and everything about her speaking of
a perfect state of health.

" Well, Captain, if you are determined upon going,
" you may act as my protector as far as Forty-two (our
" number) and I will there reward you with a cup of Eng-
" lish tea, since we must be national or nothing, it appears."

" Unwittingly, perhaps, you state an awful fact. I can
" assure you, Miss Devigrie, if you had been a man (that's
" sacrilege, of course ) you would quite understand how ex-
*'■ istence here is rendered bearable by the English ladies
" only. What we should do without their angel visits, I
" do not dare to think; " assuming an attitude which should,
according to his own idea, be apropos of thought.

I must say, I consider (japt. Warwick intolerably slow.
These laboured compliments are such an awful bore, admit-
ting of no use of eyes or any other of the blessings which
Nature sparingly has granted to us mortals. I was tired,
so I simply drawled :

" Our stand-points in regard to angels are so very
" different, you know, that I can form no idea. The men
" out here seem very nice, and as to numbers, an English
" girl can hardly realize the state of things."

" Well, yes, they are not bad fellows — at all events,
when you have not known them long, they seem quite

" nice."

Wonderful to say, this praise by no means damns or
injures those discussed, but rather raises them in my poor
estimation. They stand in need of some sort of a lift, be-
yond a doubt, for up to now I have not met one who could
hold a post as " passable " at home.

" Half-past five ! How time does fly in some society.
" I must be off" at once, though of course you know how
" much I should prefer to stay and drink your tea."

A bow, a smile, a lie, and away goes young Adonis,
leaving me in speechless gratitude. I walked into the little
room where the darkened windows, tall plants, and an
enormous piece of ice upon a sideboard created an atmo-
sphere verging on the bearable. Here I sat and sipped
strong tea, and thought, and my thoughts were somewhat
blue. Since Fred departed not a man had come beneath
inspection whose claims to interest were visible enough to
meet the eye of one not usually too exacting. Fred's image
had remained with me in such a constant way that, had I
been in England, and moving here and there, I should
have quickly come to the conclusion that the model lover
had at last been found in me. But out in Manitoba, I
waited, and concluded not at all. It might be nightmare,
change of atmosphere, or anything. At all events, a year
of freedom does not come to everybody even once in life,
and those who are the blessed ones should use the boon as
if thev valued it.

It occurred to me that there was something radically
wrong about the place, however. The women had not
time to make themselves agreeable to " girls." The men

i i

were — well, I had not had a chance to test that point quite
thoroughly. Olive's dictum was that they were " Just de-
lightful," and from their ranks had chosen, as chief aide-de-
camp (ray blood ran cold to think of it), the very Capt.
Warwick who just before had left me at the gate. His
jealousy of a certain Mr. Esmond (whom I had never met
but pitied most sincerely) was almost too realistic to be
funny. That audacious beggar, in his lazy kind of way,
had dared to gaze admiringly on Olive, and even went so
far as to fan her scarlet face, and gained thereby some
measure of approval ! To be sure, Capt. Warwick in Olive's
presence was a very different being from Capt. Warwick
with the uninitiated — forgot to give the harrowing recitals
of his Colonial miseries ; grew bright, and sometimes even
rose to cleverness. He was good-looking too, beyond a
doubt, and the pair of them seemed bent on gathering rose-
buds whilst they might, quite unaffected by the fact that I
stood shivering in the cold.

Luckily, before the recollection of my ills had quite
driven me to the suiciding point, Olive, Jack and the ver-
itable Esmond entered, wound up to talk of tennis and the
" Glorious Victory " which Olive had achieved, for hours,
or for days. To do him justice, Mr. Esmond simply floated
on the tide, and really rowed but little. Thanks to his
laziness.

As I shall have occasion to mention him quite fre-
quently, I will try and introdr.ce this Englishman (of course
we entertained no other nationality at our " residence ") at
the time I met him first, though I cannot now describe him
as he then appeared to me. Conclusions subsequently
formed have intermingled quite inextricably with the im-
pressions left at his debut among us.

miMmmt

Tall and compactly made, with shoulders well dressed
back, he might have had a military air but for the indol-
ence which permeated him and showed itself in every
action, however great or small. Light brown, curly hair,
a large, thin Roman nose, a sharply chiselled chin, and light
blue eyes (I think the most expressive ones I ever saw),
shaded by distinctly pencilled brows of a colour almost
black. Such was Mr. Esmond. In any company or nation
he would have passed for handsome. In Winnipeg his
looks, together with a knack of dressing well (which
would betray itself, even in a country where the costume
of a Hottentot would not be looked upon as outr6), had
gained for him such worship as the gods of old might envy
with some reason.

Despite his great advantages, however, he was far too
constitutionally tired ever to be priggish, and the "self
laudation" quicksand of the colonies would never cause
him trouble.

If anyone who reads these lines has travelled in the
" West," he or she will bear with me for mentioning this
quicksand, which swallows up the best Canadian youth, as
well as many of my own poor countrymen who sojourn in
that land. I have listened to a so-called conversationalist
(my name for him had fewer syllables and a good deal
more expression) discussing "What I've done," "Am
doing," "Can, could and would do," from 8 p.m. until 11,
not a pause occurring long enough to offer him a drink, and
not a single opportunity for me to faint arising, though I
have fainted dead away a score of times for half the pro-
vocation. After that experience I grew a little shy of
introductions of their " Men of Society," and even thought
the somewhat languid tone of " That very queer chap.

a iM>

Esmond" better worth the attention one must give to
catch the point of his remarks (and point there always was)
than the vapid talk of half a dozen would-be blas^ boys was
worth the trouble and dexterity brought into play in turn-
ing yawns to smiles, and groans to exclamations of delight.

During dinner, for which Jack persuaded Mr. Esmond
to remain, I could not help devoting a great deal of atten-
tion to this (in my opinion, the only prepossessing) one of
Jack's familiars, and I saw many things to excite some
speculation ? How did a young fellow of this calibre take
root in Manitoban soil. His was not the mould in which
successful farmers or boomster kings are cast. Then imme-
diataly came into play that detective principle which is
part and parcel of the female system through the world,
and which would, did mankind but know us one tithe as
well as they flatteringly tell themselves, dispose of ninety-
nine per cent, of Earth's inexplicables. Does a woman love a
man ? Feminine instinct says " Beware, your sex is blessed
" with eyes, and must, therefore, see that mai: 's good quali-
" ties, nd, just as naturally, will set traps to ^dtch him."
Woman No. 1 will, therefore, watch her swain; write
anonymous letters to him ; dot down the number of smiles
he ventures to bestow on this fair partner, and recollects
precisely how many times he dances with the " other one."
Jealousy now joins cause with loving Nature, and if the
combination does not manage to unearth the blackest, most
atrocious of misdeeds before one week after the signing of
the compact has elapsed, you may safely risk your life upon
it that an imbecile is somewhere within touch.

The curiosity aroused in me (for I have just as much
as others of my sex) was somewhat of an antidote to the
unsociability which followed on my fit of blues, and when,

■mwp"MP «' w " 'p — ^'— ^ wwH " ""—

couple of hours after dinner, I found that Mr. Esmond
nd myself were occupying respective ends of the same
mall couch, I reduced the intervening space to minimum,
ind commenced investigations. •■

We talked of home ; discussed the theatres, weather,

olonial and otherwise, and as regards the object of enquiry

seemed doomed to draw a blank. The contact into which

now was brought served only to intensify my first ideas,

nd made inquisitiveness more acute. He would not come

|down to " Self." I grew quite desperate, and simultane-

usly asked of myself and him ** Is life worth living ?"

He took the question up quite naturally — indeed, he
took everything quite naturally, and sleepily as well : —

" Personally, though I hate the rank and file of those
" who, without rhyme or reason, pose as misanthropes, I do
" not think it is. The truest wisdom is that which decides
" upon a course of the utterest inaction. *To drift' better
" (to my mind) expresses the highest of existence, than the
"bustling word of *life.' The longer we exist — or live —
" the rottener does everything become. In youth, we see
" the fairness of the apple, and strive our best to reach it.
" The result of its attainment is a by-word. The genuine
" part of Nature, as we see it, is the rasps and saws which
" constantly and remorselessly wage their warfare on our
" suffering flesh, from the day when first we see the light to
" that on which we leave these scenes, for what would be the
" summit of all bliss, couli we but say it was oblivion?"

"Don't you think, Mr. Esmond, that you are just a
" little too severe ?" I ventured to suggest.

" Perhaps I am. My views on this may be (and I can
" only hope they are) untrue and prejudiced, but the little
" observation which I "have been compelled unwillingly to

iiifc

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((

" give the matter has resulted in my own conviction that the
" man who lives the longest sees the most misery. This,
" however, is called * experience ;' and the world will dub
him * happy/ forsooth ! To my mind * happiness,' a word
which mortals should not use, conveys the one idea of utter
'• ignorance in man. Hence, a being without knowledge or
" a memory would represent ideal happiness attainable on |
" earth."

A pause of some few moments, during which 1 tried in I
vain to gather any clue to test the honesty of this dark |
cynicism, but all was calm, unruffled and unfathomable.
The one expression on the face of him who spoke so bitterly
was that of languor.

" I cannot agree in such a theory, Mr. Esmond, and I
" fervently hope that pure and simple theory it is. Suicide
" would altogether lose its power of sensation if what you
" say were fact. Do you never feel a pleasure in excite-
" ment ? Have there been no moments in vour life which
" you do not wish undone ? Why, I can go into a ball-
" room — good music and the etceteras understood — and
" enjoy myself in the gaiety and smiles of partners ; in the
" rhythm of music ; in a piece of cold chicken and a glass
" of cool champagne. And I shall never discover that my
" partners are sneering ; that the music is not classical ;
'* that the chicken died from unknown but natural causes;
" or that to call the champagne * Gooseberry ' is gross flat-
" ter V . Genuineness itself in each would probably delight
" me little more. If one decides to enjoy the world, witli
" its faults and all included, standing honestly before it and
" determining to be comfortable, the earth will bow itself
" beneath the conqueror's feut, and he will spend a happy
" life."

Pholomount

I had worked up quite a tempest of enthusiasm in
m3^8elf, and expected a surrender on my opponent's part,
but all I got for answer was : —

" I think that if you called these differences of degree
" in misery, we might join hands upon the question of the
" possibility of earthly happiness, given an education equal
" to the strain of arriving at the sum of two and two."

" According to my views, you give the brutes too great
" a precedence of man in the strife for mortal bliss," said I.
" However, we won't discuss the point a moment longer,
" but revert to our staunch old friend the weather, shall we ?"

" Thank you, Miss Devigne, but I fear the topic is too
" inexhaustible (as well as most exhausting) for the time
" at my disposal. Some other evening I shall be enchanted
" to go into it with you, and deal as thoroughly with the
" subject as we have dealt with * Life,' but just now I think
" I must be marching. Good night."

And so he disappeared, leaving me more bewildered
and more interested than before. Next night I met him
at a boating-dancing party, and followed up my quest.
Presently I found that, though formerly I never saw him
out, I now stumbled on his path quite frequently. In fact,
whenever there was anything going on, there was Mr.
Esmond — and I continued studying.

'* Look here, Nell, no doubt you and Olive are having
" first-rate fun, but does it ever occur to you to think of the
" pickle which is being prepared for me at the Mater's
" hands, when she gets to know how things are going on ?
" Now, last night, at the IJenton's, 1 got hold of young
*' Thompson (he's very rich, you know, and told me he was

<' WM

I jlliil

^1^'

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iff"

'PI

\ 38 ■: ■ ,,

"dying to be introduced) and skilfully worked him over
" every square inch of the house, in search of either of you,
" and all I could discover was that some quarter of an hour
" since Esmond and yourself had disappeared in the Con-
" servatory. Everyone could tell me that, but there their
" knowledge ended. Olive was, of course, enjoying the
" most delightful t^te-£l-tete with Warwick ; looked as if
" she never met the man befc . e and he was fresh as any
" traveller to her. This session had, 1 learnt from others
"of my knowing friends, demoralised three dances up to
" then, and, judging from appearances, it bid most fair to
"outlast the next half dozen." With which our worthy
chaperone and brother dabbed the butter at his toast in a
way intended to be awe-inspiring, but owing to some care-
lessness or clumsiness in the execution of the movement, |
* the toast slid off the plate, and the knife came down upon i
his thumb, besmearing it with butter and threatening the
most tremendous gash. Very fortunately, the knife was
native to the country, and, like its confreres, harmless, back
and front.

" Ha ! ha ! Jack, that's very good. And coming from
" such saint-like lips, your words must carry weight. Of I
" course, that was a Sanskrit joke which little Mrs. Landon I
" and you were deciphering by holding up against the lamp i
" w:hich stood upon the table in the hall. Judging from
" the way you greeted thaiy old jokes are not always stale |
" and feeble, especially when (apparently) there's no one
" within sound or sight. But I had no idea the widow was
" so deeply read." >

This from Olive startled me It is so rarely necessary
for her to act on the defensive (not so iiiuch because her
actions are all irreproachable as becaust she takes great

us?

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"be

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"til

his

f^hotomounl

care that the good speak for themselves and the bad ones
do not readily appear) that at home we all consider her
something worse than valueless as advocate : she had so
little practice in the learned art.

This time her judgment seemed quite accurate, how-
ever, and I hurried to the rescue. If Ja?,k turned stupid
(and he had been known to do so) what would become of
us ? We had a joint ca'ise now for the first time in our
memories, thrown upon the remnant of that circle from
which we carefully had sifted and attached to our train the
only two available male warming pans.

" What utter nonsense, Jack ? To begin with : Have
" we done more than fall into the customs of the country ?
" As Rome, so Winnipeg. And you surely would not wish
" us to forswear the one excitement of which the place is
" capable. Secondly : You know that to think of danger
" is the wildest of absurdity. Granted that Olive and
" myself wcie naturally idiots, I should imagine that it is
" with extremest difficulty Mr. Esmond (I won't pretend
" not to understand you) finds the wherewithal to keep
" himself and his expensive habits. Captain Warwick may
'' be an embryo millionaire, but his family has no reputa-
" tion for their worldly riches, if 1 remember rightly. His
" head would certainly not rank too high in the Manitoban
" market, especially if his heart had been already stolen.
" Lastly, old boy (most affectionately) you need not think
" of Mother. I don't consider Olive and myself as likely to
" bear tales, and there's no one else to do it, unless it be
" yourself, and I know my brother is incapable of such a
" thing."

And so he had to go away, having been once more, in
his efforts to be proper " clean bowled by those two sisters,"

jJi

40 ;.;.;,.,

as he would put the case. He was far from satisfied, I am
sure, and, I think, dreaded the developments a -good deal
more than he would say, though he pretended to be quite
convinced that no one in the family could possibly become
a fool — notwithstanding some examples to the contrary in
no very distant ages — even an uncle who had turned a
buxom barmaid into a bride not being allowed the leader-
ship. " De mortuis nil, etc.," however, becomes the attain-
ments of these gentleme'n mo'^t aptly, and (as nice people
go) we were a very tolerabU imiiy indeed.

Mr. Esmond and myself ad (there is no use in deny-
ing it) become a little necessary to each other. To myself
this was readily accounted for by the absence of any other
man or thing with which to keep oneself amused. The
rest of the small place — the CAPITAL, I mean — edified
itself by accounting for what it pleased to call our " curious
attachment" in its own funny little way, and I learned
from various female sources that we had been engaged some
weeks. I forget the date of the engagement, but they
knew the very hour of its inception.

This hubbub was becoming somewhat of a nuisance,
and I feared that soon I should be compelled to show
myself to Mr. Esmond's view in an icy overcoat, when one
morning Jack burst in upon us with the news that " Esmond
" had gone down to Montreal for the remainder of the
" winter, it was thought. Gone to see a very wealthy
" cousin, who has a wealthy sister, too, the fellows say.
*' Esmond might do worse than marry money, I believe."
After delivering hid little budget he disappeared, leaving
the projectile to burst and do its work. . "

'Tis true, one never wants for comforters in time of
real drstress. Olive addressed herself to my relief at once.

; •

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Pliotomount

" Never mind, dear. Do you know, I think it just as
" well that he has gone away before some genuine trouble
" did occur. I think you grew to like him just a little bit
" too well."

This looked too much like the ancient battle of the
pot and kettle for my appreciation, and I hastily rejoined :

" I am so much obliged for your kind sympathy. Did
" your philosophy ever stretch so far as to include within
" its range a case at all resembling that of yours and Capt.
''Warwick's?"

" Mine and Capt. Warwick's, indeed ! I don't mind
** owning that I do like Capt. Warwick, and consider him
" very nice ar^d friendly, but you will please observe that
" beyond the point of friendliness, our relations do not go."

Quiet Olivf was getting righteously indignant, and I
was nervous, irritated, and oh ! so unfortunate. No one
seemed to care for me, and even in our home I stood alone
in misery.

" I do not know -or care to know — what you mean to
" infer by the majestic emphasis on OUR. / never had a
" friend with whom I sat out six successive dances, as I
" believe I heard of other people doing."

" And what matter if I sat a dozen out ? I thank my
" stars I'm not aflfianc^e to any man at present. But,
" should I ever be so, I think I shall possess more feeling
" for the absent one than some whom I have seen."

" Again I fail to follow you, but this time I should be
" obliged if you would take the trouble to explain a little
" for my benefit."

" Nelly ! why do you wear that ring upon your finger ?
" Do you think that I am positively blind ? I know that
** Mr. Clifford gave it to you, and if it has no meaning you

l.tl '

ii;

" should not wear it so ])ersistently. Oh ! Nell, dear, I did
** not mean to be so cruel."

I had simply given up my consciousness and claimed a
little holiday.

According to Fred's wish, I had never moved his ring
from off my hand, but by a little artifice (habitually hold-
ing the stone within my palm) I hoped to stave ojff
curios'ty, and even thought to baffle Olive. But no such
luck could be. She made no comment on It, either because
she saw the whole from first to last, or else was waiting
the initiative from me. The initiative did not come, and
Olive formed her own conclusions, which she at length
imparted to her sister with very great effect, as has been
seen.

How many of Life's horribles I have been spared by
my happy knack of fainting it Avould indeed be difficult to
tell. When very young I used to faint at the commence-
ment of a thunderstorm, and thus escape the worst, though
such behaviour fearfully disgusted my dear old governess,
who much preferred the lightning to my fits. Growing
older, and, to ail appearance, strong as possible, I still
retained the fainting faculty in its intensity, and when the
world refused to run according to my views of what its
duty was, I quietly, as Jack used brutally to put it,
" keeled over, and left the enemy the undisputed owner of
the field, though he always had to buckle to and bring the
adversary back to life before he realized a victory."

From such attacks I usually rallied quickly, but on this
one occf.sion recovery was slow, and unconsciousness,
departing, left some disagreeables behind. My sleep wan
troubled with the most horrible of nightmares, the promin-
ent figures in my dreams being always Fred and Mr.

« r
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Esmond, invariably bitter foes,- and once I thought I saw
the latter's mangled corpse, and heard a weeping voice
reiterate the one word " Dead," each time with deepening
agony, the whole scene being so vivid and ghastly that I
screamed aloud, and almost swooned away before I could
persuade myself of the picture's unreality.

This and various other oddities of conduct and of dis-
position, I { ccounted the effect of hot rooms, confinement,
want of exercise and sudden change of climate. Accord-
ingly I devoted great attention to the study of my health ;
walked much ; always rose from table hungry, or thought
I did, for I ate so very little. The result was just the
same. I went to bed early and got up when I felt inclined
(which I found was earlier than my wont) ; shunned
gaiety as Satan's self. Needless to say that within two
weeks from the adoption of my hygienic course I felt as if
it mattered not how long I sat and ate, I was sure to rise
up hungry all the same. Gaiety I avoided sedulously, until
I one day overheard " Our Captain" (by which name Capt.
Warwick was now known) airing sentiments regarding
woman's self-conceit, the love of admiration predominating
in her every action, and entirely superseding and sup-
planting any motives of genuine affection with which she
might be born into the world. Though I did not give the
gallant captain much credit for orij^inality, attributing the
creed a good deal mr^re to Byron (from whom I had upon
occasion, when feeling very blue, and needing something
disagreeable to ponder, borrowed the very same belief)
than to him, I still acknowledged that he made a good
quotation. This was, of course, to bring up thoughts of
Fred. I had endured some pain on his account of late — a
good deal more than any average woman has to bear — and

III ri, ii

'»■ I

was the cause of all my trouble any better for it ? His
vanity might possibly be flattered for a moment, when he
should hear of all my wretchedness, but such fleeting
ecstasy was dearly bought by what I (the only woman who
would dream of doing such a thing) was paying in the coin
of misery. Two moments spent in sweet cajolery upon
returning home would raise me, in his estimation, far above
the pinnacle of any poor and lonely faithful one. I had
been, for the last two weeks, hiding all my blaze of glory
under a most ignoble bushel of indisposition, and now I felt
quite assured that, without debiting to myself anything for
flattery, a little trouble spent in the brushing up and
buckling on of armour would enable me to reduce male
Winnipeg to a point at which I might (withal all events as
much of justice as could be claimed by the illustrious
author of that unintentional satire) exclaim "I'Etat c'est
moi." Though I had no real desire to wrest from the many
anxious brows surrounding me the literal crown herein
expressed, which, to give honour to those whose due it is,
they wore with such good grace and artlessness (?) as to
raise no pangs of jealousy in even me.

Whilst I live I shall be impulsive, and to arrive at a
conclusion as to the advisability of any course of action, is
contemporaneous with the commencement of assault. In
this case, the immediate result of my decision was consider-
ably to upset the tempers of sundry of the shop-keepers of
Winnipeg, who were tormented by the visits of a maiden
unmistakably on w^t intent, and desperately in wpnt of
something " fetching " for the " Soiree Musicale " of the
great Lieutenant-Governor that evening, at which the
family Devigne was expected to appear more charming
than the circumstances (which comprised flat ginger beer

^BBHBT^r^^^fr'TBBB

it ? His
when he
fleeting
man who
I the coin
ery upon
far above
I had
of glory
low I felt
thing for
; up and
uce male
events as
llustrious
Etat c'est
the many
n herein
due it is,
(?) as to

rive at a
action, is
ault. In
consider-
eepers of
i maiden
wpnt of
( " of the
hich the
[jharming
iger beer

and Methodism) seemed in any way to promise. I own I
was much tempted to shock the fine susceptibilities of moral
Canada in my most decollett^ dress, but prudence inter-
vened, and I decided to keep this delicious morsel of
excitement for the wind-up of our term, in the meantime
trying to content myself with the further galvanizing of
these naturally rigid bodies which surround some festive
boards in that model, chilly country, by my "flippant"
treatment of their spouses, the utter lack of principle dis-
covered by the way in which I flirted with engaged young
men, etc., etc., etc., for a full and true accr mt of which see
the Bla(;k Books of good Winnipeg, carefully compiled and

annotated by , by , I forget his rame, but someone

very prominent and very blue.

•

" Blow, ye trumpets! Beat, ye drums! Let all be gay
and merry !" This night His Honour the Lieutenant-
Governor gives a joyous soiree !

Time was, these tr'eats were very scarce indeed, and
I hear, from most undoubted lips, that Conscience strove
with Manitoba's leader for many months, ere she succumbed
to circumstances, and allowed him one short step towards
the sociable. This premier pas was musical, and not, of
itself, a fall. But, if the art had once the power to draw
from Hell's own gate, it also has the power to lead poor
mortals down, and (sad, sad case !) ere eighteen months had
passed, the faithful gazed in awe and grave amazement.
" Our own Lieutenant-Governor gave a dance !" And, sure
enough, the holy man had given way some lengths. In
one large room the gaudy throng of sinners dared disport
themselves and dance ! Yes, dance ! And not a whit

I ^ i

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III

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cared they for sacrilege. "But then — " and here the
lovers of a ** dear Lieutenant-Governor " raised their voice,
" Had not the truly good another room to fill ? " Why,
yes, to be sure they had, all who gathered there
owned faces long enough for two, one for the righteous
"Me," and one for a wicked counterpart of man, who
waltzed and twirled around to suit Damnation's self. What
if the Funeral March of Chopin sometimes did break in upon
one's dance? Real life is just the same, and none delay to
murmur. These satellites of sin just raised the mirth a
note, and felt how nice it was to be amongst the bad, with
nothing worse to fear and all the work detailed to them to
try and make the godly think they've missed a heaven on
earth, at least. How difficult a task this is only the
righteous know, and to them I leave the question.

The goodly godly simply kept the *' even tenor of their
way," praised Providence, who gave them better sense than
that which makes its owner skip and jump to prove his
ecstacy ; wondered how on earth an erstwhile solemn
Methodist, and a right good prayer, too, could ever hope for
heaven's cushioned seats and still abet this heathen immor-
ality.

For divers good arid all sufficient reasons, however, it
came to pass at length that the dancing herd were enter-
tained alone — when all was wickedness and death. At
other times a Musicale was given, and here the righteous
flocked by scores. Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregation-
alist, and, sometimes. Church of England, mingling with the
saintly band. C. of E., however, must always show some
special cause for entree to the set. Sometimes it lay in cer-
tain pious acts. At others — well, I draw no inference, but
true it is that the crowd of would-be suicides which filled

IHHBV^^^^^^^'mHHp

n iramor-

the City Police Court as surely as the morning rose succeed-
ing these gay parties was Episcopalian to a single man. I
am inclined to think that our creed was known to be the
Anglican, but other people said we owed our invitation (for
we had never called upon the Governor) simply to acquaint-
ance with "Sir John" (meaning Sir John Macdonald),
and therefore Paradise itself should open to our eyes.

Be that as it may, there we were, in nice, symmetric
rows. On my right sat. a long-haired, long-eared parson,
with accents truly harrowing. Had I been in his charge,
I should never have known wrong. Those tones would
kill the devil. Every word he spoke seemed to be his last.
But this appearance was of the usual sort, and disappoint-
ment dire and dark awaits the lover of the brief whose
hopes are raised thereby.

On my left I had a vacant chair, from which I chal-
lenged sympathy, and got it, too, for it absolutely stretched
itself upon the. floor, with overwhelming grief — and some
few pounds of Manitoba meat — when a certain well-known
gentleman would fain have made it his, preparatory to
addressing me with one of his famous, sometimes prosy,
always lengthy, dissertations upon Manitoba and that
" grand country's" prospects.

The leading spiritual comforter having mentally num-
bered the aristocratic crowd, canvassed the most prominent,
and placed them on the tablets of his memory for a " call,"
retired to a corner and indulged in silent meditation for a
season. No further shrieks from dauntless A. D. C, occa-
sioning a rampiige of the brain for what was possible in
Englirh patronymic, a perfectly congenial hush fell on the
saintly crowd, and I sat in expectation that " Five minutes
silent prayer " would be announced. CRASH ! And

every mouth was open to its full extent. Jabber, jabber,
jabber, for five minutes, by the clock ; then the death-like
silence came again. The first piece of our Musicale was
gone.

One gallant Aide perceived the " long felt want " and
flew upstairs with speed which Love in vain might emulate,
returning laden with *' the neatest thing in placards," as he
said. Each measured some eighteen inches long by ten in
breadth, and in the finest, squarest type displayed the
following request : —

"GUESTS MUST NOT TALK WHILST THE PIECES

ARE BEING PLAYED."

With this fine legend the principal mirror, most
prominent screens and every point of vantage immediately
blazed, and awe and horror fell upon the gathering.

This royal ma. date was certainly too hard. The
people's one great inspiration lay in really classic music —
it formed their very speech, and when it stopped, as social
beings, they died.

I glanced around, in fear, expecting nothing but col-
lapse or a rebellion. The fine old Governor rose to the
occasion. His classic organ (the feature of his face, I mean,
no Wagner breathing instrument), smelt danger on the
wind. The hunt for votes, popularity and place is a won-
drous sharpener of these same nasal nerves, and tactless
politicians are too much loved by gods to trouble mortals
long. One word to an attendant and the obnoxious card
was gone — relegated to the history of the past, and the
memory of all present, in whose minds it burnt, one livid
spot of rage, and vengeance for the insult reigned supreme
in every pious heart. - ^ v- ^ ^

ifl|v

^HBH ' ^^^^^V^^^sHHB

rror, most

• For two long weeks the unhappy A. D. C. knew not
what existence meant, unless it were a pitchforking from
one thorn to another. Why will repentance always come
too late, and prick and spur one on when every hopT is
past? This poor young man was quite a ** masher," too,
and the disastrous contretemps so utterly abased him that
even his most favoured fair — with whom he filled one nar-
row sleigh for hours, two days previously — would now
hardly look upon him (or that was the impression which
she meant to be conveyed, for, owing to a certain " piquancy
of eye," the wretched man might readily be pardoned for
any slight mistake )

But let us hasten back to our merry-making, which, after
the bill-posting episode, appeared to flag a I'ttle, despite the
unexampled efforts of our good old Hostess. Ye*^, there is a
Hostess, too, and one who makes a picture perfectly unique,
from which a painter might, if sufficiently inspired by his art,
reap fortune in one sheaf. As the portrait of " A Hostess,"
it would set the world agog. By the terrible calamity of
inefficient — not insufficient — ears, this lady has lived
divided from us all so long that interest in our actions could
not but be utterly absurd, and to strike the rock of ridicule
would sink a Governor's wife. But, ever on the alert to
merit praise, this dire misfortune has been turned to good
account, and real, well-bred indifference to all her guests
may do has triumphed over what, in others, might be
purely frightful. 'Tis true, there is a sort of dull, mis-
leading look, apart from well portrayed ennui, which
inexperienced people have been heard to say expressed
nought more refined than the wish to go to bed. But that,
of course, is too outrageously absurd. The lady of a real
Lieutenant-Governor desire to leave an atmosphere im-

f* 'A '1

pregnated with " Sweet Tschaikowsky's notes!" In the
country's own vernacular, " Not much !"

The average new comer could hardly be expected to
discover the tremendous heights and depths of this fine
character. I, however, being somewhat quick in my
recovery from the effects of dazzling brilliancy, soon over-
came mch disadvantages, and, when I really grew to
understand, my admiration was intense. This well con-
sidered habit simplified communication to the last degree,
so that we said, one word more, " That's volumes over-
much," one word less, "We did not speak to-da}'." Would
that the common people knew what goes to make a Gov-
ernor's wife !

I should be guilty of the gravest misdemeanour did 1
omit to mention the daughters of this rare old family, who
so nobly bear themselves (the daughters), and so well
appreciate the beauty and attractiveness of utter abnega-
tion that the casual visitor hunts for them in vain. But,
should he- accidentally come upon their stand, he will
indeed have great surprise, and from that time will mark
the corner well.

So much for the Governor and his family, whose most
ordinary features are somewhat hard to reproduce, be it
never so imperfectly — and whose peculiarities would tax
an abler pen. To talk of their surroundings, tastes and
rules, the people who compose that " Light which beats
about a throne," I leave to some St. Simon, or, failing so
congenial a chronicler, some native-born Munchausen, of
whom the country boasts a plentiful supply — indeed, the
increase seems to be so very far ahead of any home demand
that the one great question is, " What can become of all the
surplus stock ?" And then we think of Manitoban farms,

• *1

Plibtomount

the great demand for honest immigration men, and the
problem disappears. Well, some day, by means of this fine
talent, which far out-rivals all their vegetable world (and
that is heavy praise) the 'oc ttoaaoi who know not Win-
nipeg, shall see the very faces tf these grand Conserva-
tives. Until then, I fear the veil must stay. The ire
of gods would light upon my sacrilege were I but to attempt
to brush the cloud away.

Of the people who attend these Musicalea, however,
and whom the glory of " prime favourite " does not envel-
ope, X must, en passant^ say a little more.

About the room, where all the time I had beeii sitting
painfully aware of smothered wrath on every side (I say
"painfully" advisedly. Did you ever see a farce enacted,
sub rosa during service in a church ?) were scattered small
and serious looking groups. The stately, proud old Metho-
dists, all evidently conscious of their high positions midst
that mob, arranged themselves most statuesquely. and broke
the hallowed silence with no word. The unhappy Church
of England people disconsolate, afraid and longing for those
doors (they lead into the dining-room) to give the signal
for a dash, made the most abortive of attempts to look as if
they were (where each one fain would be) at home.

But hush ! (Since the placard incident one could hear
quite a little music, and what a treat it was!) A dapper,
silky-haired young man was hammering off Mozskowsky,
aa himself, and wonderfully well he did succeed (in render-
ing himself ) as just one-half the audience admitted.

Tlie other half, of course, " Really did not know." In
which confession they wore very honest, and should have
l)iit their fellow-men to shame, but, wonderful to say (of
cours^ the light was bad, and I am perhaps maligning some

*.■••*';

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I*

• ••

• •■

• #

of the most sensitive) I did not see a solitary blush. On
the contrar}^ the want of unanimity appealed to be vexa-
tious, and a little altercation near to me, occasioned by an
enthusiast's retort to the stereotyped " Don't know" (which
took the form of a somewhat bursque, but, I understand,
most gentlemanly expression of an incredulity as to the
agnostic's ownership of that knowledge which is requisite
for pounding sand), I feared woulr" end in blows. But no !
Though Mendelssohn knew nothing, and Wagner was a
beast, their differing disciples, at all events, knew what was
what, would always keep the peace, and show such sweet
forbearance as I could scarce call human, though I own a
poor, weak woman's heart.

Hemmed in on every side by musical discussion (the
one point kept in view appeared to be the name, Lesche-
tizsky, Scharwenka, Tschaikowsky and Mozskowsky, from
all that I could understand, were leading favourites), I was
fast becoming dizzy, when a distinguished looking, antique
man, whose collar knew not starch, with hair which waved
triumphantly in every breeze, whose very voice was
quavers, asked if I "would care to see the library?"

I would, with infinite relief, on this particular occa-
sion, have accompanied any well conducted Chimpanzee to
gaze upon the inmates of a mcmkey-house, and have listened
most attentively to his harangue upon our common rela-
tives. There cannot be much wonder, then, that I jumped
at this gentleman's proposal. No, I don't mean to say I
"jumped," that is a pure and simple figure, for had I dared
to even move without at once adopting the graceful
" Manitoba Mince," my partner would have fainted on the
spot, and Elysium have faded ff'om my view.

By dint of skilful handling and good tact, I managed

•0

Photomoufil

things so nicely that we found ourselves ensconced within
a corner of the library which would have been a Godsend
to a spooney couple. Plants in front of us ; plants to right

of us; plan^ . to left of us, and plants but I must not

anticipate.

In this quiet nook it was my heart's desire to get a
little snooze, under cover of a rapt attention, and wake to
life again when the uproar of the supper should begin.
But the fates were unpropitious, having previously cursed
me and my partner, by bestowing on him at his birth (a hun-
dred years ago), a voice pitched, as nearly as I possibly could
calculate, in the very highest G. Of this thoughtless gift of
heaven he made abundant use to confound the brave musi-
cians, whose different masters had performed that feat so
thoroughly that he could but make " confusion worse con-
founded." Nevertheless, it seemed to ease him very much
to call them " cranks." And, having got so far, he must
go farther aud describe the pain and agony and bliss which
music was to him. Beethoven was "divine." He "felt
the power in his chest, a never failing sign of excellence."
(He hadn't touched a bite for hours, I'm prepared to swear,
and had I been in his place, the symptom would have
been proclaimed beneath a less SDsthetic name than
"Beethoven.")

It is highly probable that I should still be occupying
my position, and, like "Old Tommy Day, all dead and
tonned to clay," but that I became alfflicted with those
tortures of the damned which only the acutest pins and
needles can produce, and such an extreme evil calling for
Home remedy equally extreme, by a very dexterous move-
ment with my fan, I managed to lodge the contents of a
rather pretty hanging basket down that old savant's neck.

hi m

! I*

! I >

* ^

Just then, and as my handkerchief was all but down my
throat, I heard a sculping, scrambling, rushing sound, and
dragging my somewhat earthy, but still discursive speci-
men of Music's power, away, came upon the once majestic,
and now happy, throng struggling for an entrance to the
room where, people said, a supper was laid out. I fought.
My virtuoso fought. We kicked. We pushed. And,
finally, we conquered ! The earthly heaven was here ; and
down we sat, dettrmined to do some execution nowy for
there might be no morrow. (The doors were still besieged,
and what is there that starving people will not do for
bread ?) I ate — ate everything (particulars of which I
know not), and drank some very excellent, year old
lemonade. My vulgar little brother would, of course, have
called it " pop;" but what won't vulgar little brothers do?
At twelve o'clock, however, by order of the Governor,
we left. Some odious people said that they felt tired. I
should have liked to stay one hair hour more to see whether,
for that short length of time, these gentlemen and ladies
could have kept their heads — the upper parts, I mean, for
many of them have really good-sized mouths (a lady
informed me, confidentially, that "Old Miss Tompkins,
over there, had iust a hinge to hold her head together. If
she yawns a little more, the top will fall behind her back,
and James will have to put it into place again"), and who
knows but some spiteful Manitoban draught might blow,
and then what would occur? The possibilities were
frightful, and, as I thought of them that night, I yawned
myself, and fell asleep. Mind you don't do the same,
reader.

•

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XI.

" Once upon a time, you must know, when England's
Navy was working those * Thrice famous deeds' of which
the poet spetiks, two gentle, loving, jolly British Tars
agreed, and sealed the compact with " Old Tom " — how
much deponeiit leaves in doubt — that, heedless of misfor-
tune's course, in love or fight, both Jacks would stick
together. Luckily, no trial of their faith in the first
named of these contingencies appeared, but fighting was
as sure to come as Destiny; and one brght summer
morning — I would give the date and minute, but know
how thoroughly the fair sex hate all figures — a thunder-
ing Johnny Crapaud drew in sight, and very soon, where
all was peace and harmony, Old Nick would scarce have
liked to call himself at home. The fight had reached the
worst, and still our Jack and Bill stood side by side, and
always worked together. But, sad to say, the careless
cherub up aloft moved his eye, and threw a sidelong
glance upon the French. In that short space poor Jack
lost both his legs. * I'm done for. Bill. My legs is hoflf.
Just carry me below.' "

" Oh, that be blowed ; I've seed yer lose your legs
afore. You'll be all right directly." Saying which Bill
put the poor chap on his back and started for the hatch ;
but, just as he was going down, and quite without his
knowledge, some chain-shot cleaned off Jack's red head.
Bill, unaware of this, the unkindest cut of all, keeps on
his way, and coming to the cockpit, drops the helpless
trunk. * Just look to poor old Jack, Sir ; he needs atten-
tion bad,' says he.

" * He needs a good deal more attention than I've got
time to give,' replies the surgeon. ' What do you mean.
Bill Thompson, by bringing corpses here ?'

,l-..,^i
>••*'

• *,

• *►•

" * Oh, his legs is gone, that's all, Sir. He'll come
" round all right.'

" * Legs ! You fool ; he's lost his head in action for
" once and all this time. Take him away.*

" Jack turned about with some surprise, and saw how
" matters stood.

"Well, well, old chap. You've gone at last. But

" you always were the d dest liar.' (To the Doctor,

" pointing his thumb towards the dead) : * He swore it were
"his legs.' "

" Gonyers, how dare you draw on ancient history so
** sacrilegiously ?" And a snow ball sent my raconteur
racing for his tuque.

Since the Musicale referred to in my last preceding
chapter the months had spfed along, and mid-winter had
arrived. The art of snowshoeing had now no mysteries
for those " wild English girls " (it is not so very difficult,
despite the tales the elder ones will tell to frighten you)
and this was one of our moonlight tramps, a species of
enjoyment of which I soon grew fond.

Mr. Conyers, a passable young man, though much too
dark to suit my taste (I never did like swarthy ihen — they
are so sinister) — had aflfected my society with some assiduity
of late ; in fact, his entree dated from the time when I
resolved to return to that tremendous whirl of gaiety
which those who live in Winnipeg alone can understand.

He was, when Jack came down upon us, trying very
very hard to beguile away the time which would, in my
opinion, have been much better occupied in studying the
beauty of the night, which was actually enchancing. How-
ever, as he had done what he considered duty in my cause,
I could not but attempt to champion him.

• fiwvviflWHiK

67 *

" Why, Jack, / never heard the story in my life before.
" Besides, the sailors are such pets of mine that tales of
*• them are welcome any time."

"Yes, so I understand from Olive. Headless ones,
" especially. Conyers, you should know better than to
"rake such tender feelings up. This damsel once was
" gone " upon a dapper little yachtsman. The public said
" that he was headless, too."

This was another evidence of sisterly aflfection. I had
hardly flirted with the man at all, and yet Olive could
remember all about it — and relate a good deal more.

" As far as I know anything of human nature, it is a
" common thing for men to lose their heads when once
" their heart is gone. The object of this adoration often
'* saves, for general utility, enough of head and heart for
" both," said Mr. Conyers.

" That quite explains it all," said I. " I never thought
" it out before. That must account for all girls over
" two years old being so much brighter than their brothers.
" Instance the gross stupidity of this incubus of sin." With
which I fell upon that brother with what he insisted was
a " fall of snow," though I am quite convinced ^he snowball
was as hard as any brick, but, naturally, it splintered on his
head. However, with one of my fierce glances, so justly
called " divine," that young man withered or dried up, aad
for full three minutes no person broke the spell created by
the magic beauty of the scene.

Tramp, tramp, tramp, with steady, military stride our
trio marched along. The crispness of the air, the clearness
of the night, and the brilliancy o'' the stars and moon, all
struck me as sublime. Every spoken word should be true
poetry, sounding, as it did, amongst the trees, round the

41:

turns, and far away over the spotless snow which covered
the imperfections of old Mother Earth with skill that put
to shame the modern model statesman, cloaking his empty
nutshell of a breast with diplomatic ice.

That pretty scene of banks and woods and boundless
prairie, the only beings visible the gay and ghostly (if
such a paradox may be allowed) forms of others on the
tramp, and these so rarely seen (pairs always), and then
evincing such retiring habits as very much to heighten
one's idea of a northern fairyland. The appearance of an
Ice Queen would just complete the thought. The rein-
deer, with the silver tinkle of their bells, and a diamond
powdering of snow upon their coats, would meet you round
the turn, you quite expected.

But no! 'Twas true, it was but Earth, and what we
ran against, with some unnecessary force, was a common,
vulgar, horrid barbed wire fence, which stopped our ma-
terial selves and brought us down to fact remorselessly. A
short cut (why will the world persist in taking them?)
had drawn this fate upon us, not content with the valley
of Assiniboine, we must attempt a new and direct course,
which brought us up in front of an obstruction more fatal
than the Irish, and quite as barb-arous (ahem !) The mer.
got over this with great erlat. Placing the stomach pit
upon a post, gracefully elevating their snow-shoed feet as
if to take a header down below, a dexterous (but, I imagine,
peace destroying) twist, a careful flop, and shoes and all
were over. But how about myself? On some account
(mere prejudice, most likely) the somersault divertissement
seemed open to objection. I felt that as a snow-shoe steeple-
chaser I was about upon a par with that very fine old fox-
hunter, who, coming to a stiffish looking fence, shouted to

an urchin loitering on the other side " Hey, boy. Is there
a ditch on your side ?" " Naw, Sir," says the lad. " Then
down with that d d fence, and let me have a shot at it."

But my grinning idiot of a brother seemed to enjoy,
my plight, whilst Mr. Conyers looked diligeirtly (but most
unsuccessfully) "for a plank," he said. Glancing up and
down the fence, I saw a somewhat lower part, with a wooden
bar on top, and, resolved not to be beaten, 1 found my way
to this. In England, I'm not so very bad at vaulting, and do
not stand on ceremony with a five-barred gate. So, wrap-
ping my dress around my '' lower limbs," and placing both

feet as near together as I could, I gave my finest jump

and, somehow, I am not prepared to say " with care," I
reached the other side, but whether those two men enjoyed
the joke, or not, I cannot tell. I do not tramp acror ^ the
country now, and Manitoban days are gone forever.

At my suggestion, we now made for the river. I felt
quite certain of immunity from fences there. Walking on
the lank until we reached a slide, we then, as to the man-
ner born, sat down upon our snowshoes and tobogganed
down the hill. A little further on we found a prostrate
log, which, being near the bank, and having a magnificent
canopy of over-hanging snow, invited us to rest our weary
selves from the too terrible exertions of the tramp, and
remove the cakes now forming on our shoes and becoming
large enough to make themselves extremely disagreeable
through even three thick stockings and a mocassin.

" I wonder where those two have lost themselves (his
" time," I said, more as a break in the silence than with
any view to eliciting a reply, for, of late, "those two" (by
which collective Capt. Warwick aud Olive were rather
widely known) had strayed away so often that I, for one,

and Jack, who once was positively savage, for a second,
were now too tired to interest ourselves again.

Mr. Conyers mumbled comfort from the bottom of his
throat, and Jack, not having heard, agreed. Silence for
three minutes more, and then, as if concensus of opinion
had penetrated even his thick skull. Jack rose and thought
he would look round the bend and see whore Olive actually
w^A. Mr. Conyers and myself remained behind, evidently
sympathetically tired, and soon began to thaw beneath the
rays of "Yon pale moon." Poetically our conversation
moved from moon to sun, thence easily to Love.

" Miss Devigne ; what is a true flirtation ? "

This looks quite promisiiig for an illustration, at all
events, thought I, but said :

" Well, Mr. Conyers, from my small outside view, I
" feel inclined to say of it as some man did of Love — * The
" currency of falsehoods between two persons differing in
" sex, which man and man or woman and woman would
" laugh to utter scorn.' More briefly told, flirtation is but
" mutual flattery."

" And what do you call Love ? " said my sentimental
youth.

" In man or woman ? "

" In woman, of course, i know what it is in man, to
" my most bitter sorrow."

Tragedy, too, beneath this man's "top-coat." His face
was certainly uncanny, in spite of its good looks.

" Well, my love-lorn friend, I believe the * Grande
^^ Passion' in woman is (when her first love has died its
" natural death of disappointment, and left its legacy of
" disbelief) a simple thirst for masculine adoration like
" nothing but the craving of a drunkard for hi*? one infatu-

"rfniimt

" ation. That sentiment is one of those stray truths which
" Byron scattered through his works with such a niggard
" haiid. But tell me of your blighted hopes. You don't
" know what wonders I can work in my small way. I
" even think that I could minister to some minds which are
" diseased."

This was growing quite pathetic, and, though I knew
my risks so well, the Devil pushed me on and on ; took off
my mitten ; toyed with the snow in such dangerous prox-
imity to Mr. Conyers that he was forced to stroke my hand.
And all without rebuke ! Such is the effect of snow-shoe-
ing upon the heart.

" I don't doubt your ability to work a perfect cure,"
said he ; " but are not those ideas upon the subj ect of your
" sex's constancy somewhat cynical for a thorough doctor
" of my malady ? "

" Oh, I should never dream of curing you entirely. Such
" incidents are by far too scarce to be rashly blotted from
" the mind. I would just apply a little caustic to the ,
" wound ; shew that of fish there is a plenty in the sea ; and
" soon you would forget you ever had a love — except, of
" course, your inner man, which they will continue to pro-
'• pitiate before all else as long as men exist."

In spite of this most shockingly materialistic view of
the excellencies of his sex, his hand had crept upon my
own, and he said :

" I don't need caustic. Miss Devigne, nor do I ask for
" pity, but if I dared to hope that at some future time —
" not so very far away, you "

" Oh, Mr. Conyers ! Do you see that squirrel ? Isn't
" it a dear ? " "^

The little beast had mos opportunely brought himself
and tail within a yard or two of where we sat.

Mr. Conyers, who looked upon this last addition to our
party as decidedly de trop, grumpily responded :

" As far as my most limited acquaintance with the brute
" creation goes, the animal we see is a squirrel, pure and
" simple, and very simple, too. A deer would certainly
" have had more savoir faire : " picking up a piece of frozen
snow and throwing it at our poor visitor with a force that
would have stunned an ox — if it had hit him.

"Poor little fellow! You've frightened him away.
" Why did you do that ? " I took the part of the oppressed
with more alacrity than is my wont — from motives not
unmixed, I fear.

" Because he seemed to me a most unwelcome guest,
" and interrupted what I had to say, which was this : I love
" you, Miss Dfcvigne. Not in the way which you hold
" natural, but as my ideas of how a man should love com-
'* mend — with all my heart; with all my soul. I never
" loved a woman until now, and you surely can— I know
. " you must — feel how real my passion is. I have sometimes
" allowed myself to think that, in a woman's way, you almost
" reciprocated — (painful pause) — but perhaps I was mis-
" taken. In any case, I hope you will forgive my * putting
" it to the touch ' so brusquely, and tell me whatmy chances
"are?"

Here was another of the usual contretemps. What
idiots these Lords of all Creation really are ! Of course
this man commenced his downward course most willingly,
possibly with cool deliberation to have a ^gw pleasant
months,and joke with me pour passer le temps alone —
and had he nailed those colours to his mast all would have
been plain sailing for us both until some better, newer game
arrived. But he must needs progress with giant strides,

and call himself " in Love," and deem the one way out (as
it is the quickest, most sure and disillusionizing) to be
through Hymen's gate. It really was too bad ; and left no
remedy but downright quarrelling. I saw the " Friends
forever" was no go.

" If you are thinking, Nelly dear," (byplay, decidedly
repellant on my part) " what my worldly prospects are —
" and such thoughts would be most natural — I may say that
" although they are not splendid, they are fair, and Fortune
" so far favours me that my wife need never fear the thorns
" of poverty."

It was evidently time that the farce drew to its close,
and so, steadying my voice and making every eflfort to
seem cool, I said :

" Excuse me, Mr. Conyers, but you have very much
" misjudged me, and cannot be aware of my engagement,
" otherwise, I think you would have spared me this."

" Good God ! " said he, springing to his feet, " Engaged !
"' I beg a thousand pardons, Miss Devigne. I have really,
" up to now, never placed the very smallest faith in your
" betrothed's existence. Something in your manner — ycur
" apparent disbelief in love, or anything sincere, and — a
" murdered man should be allowed to speak before the
" breath departs — the thorough way in which you carry
" this creed out, argued so forcibly against the tale ; and
" if what you say is really true, this slight peculiarity ex-
" cites the deepest pity of my soul for your unsuspecting
" lover."

It is my turn now, and rising slowly to my feet —
though every drop of blood within my veins seems tingling,
and I can feel the glisten of my eyes, I said :

" Mr. Conyers. From the gentlemanly, courtly manner
" of your speech, it is evident that you have followed me

:>'^

" to-night with a deliberate intention to insult " — Crack !

My speech came to a most effective and unexpected

close, which far surpassed whatever I could contemplate at
the richest moments of a fertile and not untrained imagin-
ation. I hope that when the time arrives for me to " shuffle
off this mortal coil " I may do it with some small portion
of that feeling of relief which rushed upon me as I subsided
into what, to all appearance, was my grave. In this short
passage of our arms, I saw a look in Mr. Conyers' face v hich
was, to say the least, decidedly unpleasant ; it dwelt upon
my mind for many days, and the occasion when once more
it thrust itself upon my notice will be a dark spot in ihe
course of life as long as that stream rolls for me.

But stay ; 1 said that Mr. Conyers and myself were in
a common grave. Yes, and so we were, and the resurrection
which you will naturally suppose occurred (otherwise how
could I plague you thus?) was ushered in by a peal of
fiendish laughter, interrupted now and then by a r.ost dis-
gusted " Ugh ! " which sounded (and actually was) immedi-
ately upon us. A superhuman effort, pushing, kicking and
struggling generally, in all directions at one time, and I
discovered tliat my head was free and I could breathe the
air. My partner in misfortune had likewise fought the
battle back to life, and when we turned to find the cause
of our disaster, there it, or rather he (Jack), was, with
snowshoes high in air, and the most woe-begone of faces,
evidently quite prepared to welcome anything which pro-
mised change — even the appearance of the demons upon
whose nest he lucklessly had fallen. I blessed him in my
own sweet way, and in my heart of hearts beheld him as
the angel which his entrance from above would naturally
suggest. My amatory friend, I fear, saw the intrusion in

8!!!:

P«ni

fitliSLi

another light, though he tried his best to laugh the matter
oflf.

The truant pair whose actions were accountable for all
this wild confusion now stood upon the bank and went
through antics worthy of the best contortionists in endear
vouring to suppress what seemed to be an imminent ex-
plosion.

The explanation of it all was this : Jack, in going back
along the river, had met the couple some distance round
the bend, and, movbd by that base love of others' agony
which saturates all male humanity and occasionally, as in the
present case, meets its own reward, had seduced them into
trying that short-cut where I so narrowly escaped humilia-
tion (how Olive got across the wire fence I never could find
out) and then my gentle brother, v/ho allowed good nature
to so far get the better of him as to walk some yards in
front, had come upon the river bank a little higher up than
where we three so gracefully slid down, the Fates of course
directing him to jump upon the overhanging snow which
formed the pretty roof, and very nearly pall, of Mr. Conyer*
and myself, on whose unsuspecting guiltless heads it and its
burden immediately came down, with the result which has
been told, and which a most crude sketch, by Olive (who
says she couldn't rectify a line for laughing), pretends to
represent. f

We did not waste much time in tramping home, and
my art of management was such that our group of five con»
tained that number always. A hot arid hearty supper put
Olive, her double and even Jack on the very best of terms
with outside things, but, somehow, Mr. Conyers and myself
did not readily recover from the dire effects of what the
others called our " Sitting on." Thanks to the exertions

U ^*H

of our walk, however, all troubles and excitements faded
into slumber and a vivid dream of England and of Fred.
I woke next morning feeling comparatively well, a state
which rapidly increased to the superlative when I heard
Jack say that " Conyers has received bad news from Ottawa
and starts for there to-night." I forthwith shelved the
*•' dear departed " with the past, and prayed fervently that
Providence would keep him "Down below" (Canadian
term for Ontario or Quebec) until the Atlantic rolled be-
tween America and me.

i7*

XII.

The event was the " Charity Ball," and all Winnipeg,
decent and indecent, mustered at the never threadbare cry
of " General Hospital."

The place (the Drill Hall) festooned with flags of all
Nations, ever-greens and shining arms, really looked (as
these accessories will make a dungeon) quite pretty. The
dancing square, in the centre of the Hall, as if not, of its
unassisted self, dangerous enough to be exciting, was covered
by four cannons, one standing at each corner — character-
istically typical of Winnipeg. People of the ordinary world
consider walking to the cannon's mouth no constitutional.
To dance before a battery would seem to be amongst the
rare delights reserved for strong North-Western nerves.

Ranged round the Hall were little anti-rooms ; now
prettily and (infinitely better) cosily arranged to accom-
modate a couple or four persons (but never an odd number)
whose ideas, running in like channels, made them wondroun
kind, deaf and sightless.

As compared with balls at home, some improvementn
were here visible. Wall-flowers there were none to see.

•W;

« ••wvwiiiwuii*

Pamphlet

Ghaneronas but few, and those few young and jolly , having
something much more interesting to attend to than the
careful handling of reins demanding such manipulation as
those which should restrain a maiden. Husbands of the
true old-fashioned type would find no place in this fine,
fresh land, where " Honi soit qui mal y pense " is a motto
for actual adoption, and not worn on garters only. When
man here takes unto himself a wife, it is with the assump-
lion that both may, in time thereafter, enjoy themselves a
little — youth, ability and opportunity permitting. This
arrangement struck me as marvellously well devised ; and
the results are so enjoyable all round that, but for one or
two small obstacles (a slight one being the connubial yoke-
fellow's absence ; a larger one, the doubt about the length
of time beyond the honey -moon to which good-fellowship
may be epun out, before closing, in the orthodox old way,
with a " Decree Nisi" of the Court) I would have plunged
into the Benedictine throng, and hoisted up my pennon
with a scroll to " Live for Life, and be at Peace with all
Men."

In this Colonial ball-room might be seen men of all
degrees hobnobbing with that crowd which belongs distinct-
ively to none : the younger son of a peer drank " Whiskey
straight " with — and to give the poor devil his due, gener-
ally at the expense of — the butcher's son, and neither was
demoralized. Someone says that were impossible. I don't
dispute ; I simply write the fact.

These younger sons have often histories ; and the birth
of each one is not registered with that degree of accuracy
which such occurrences would seem (in the eyes of an
unsuspecting public) to demand. The chronicle of many
of the people gathered in that room would make quite

6«

\i •

startling tales. The world's failures shake the hands of the
success of trade and hardihood, and hoth are gratified — one
tangibly, the other by some sops to vanity — for faded aris-
tocracy is not the despicable thing the sordid would be
willing to believe, and so much blood for so much bacon is
even yet a common mode of reckoning.

Row is it that the gayest and giddiest of people
(amongst whom I generally class myself) do oft en moralize
i^ ficenes which to the looker-on appear so full of mirth
and happiness as to preclude the slightest possibility of
thought ? Because we assume a laughing, bright exterior,
they say we qannot think. Do none of these fine, cynical
philosophers ever calculate the concentration ot ideas which
is necessary to produce that empty air ? The sheer deter-
mination to enjoy where actual enjoyment cannot be ? Of
all the people present at that ball, how many (who own to
twenty years) amuse themselves ? They whirl and whirl
and whirl, and in the giddiness will lose themselves ; or
they eat and eat and drink, and in repletion will forget
themselves ; but, outside of the veriest tyros, they none ot
them enjoy. Do I forget the dress ? Oh no ! I bear it
all in mind. The understanding^i of a man, 'tis true,
declare to him that woman lives in dress. He reckons
nothing for the painful consciousness of that little ribbon
being out of place, and Mrs. Simmons having got " her eye
pn it." He has no corsage to be cut too low; no train to
be entangled in an idiotic spur. These are trials which
call for the fortitude of woman to endure, backed up by the
spirit and decision to dress for self (and the men, of
course), uione, regardless of the spite of rival or of friend.
On the whole, I do not place much faith in costume uh a
panacea for all the female ills.

Hnotomount
Pamphlet

But meanwhile, all looked bright; and we will now
descend from our moral rostrum in time to lose nothing
that may serve as antidote to untimely lucubration.

Olive was at her very best, in a beautiful concoction
of her own device, and the amount of drilling which her
dressmaker received should make her end her days in
thankfulness that the English do not really overrun the
American continent to the extent which has been repre-
sented. For myself, the mirror — there is no such thing as
a pier-glass anywhere; but, judging from a view made
piecemeal, I feel that even yet I am not quite repulsive,
despite mauvais quarts d^heures, from which of late I have
been constantly emerging. My life has latterly appeared
but one long explanation. Explanation by post to Fred,
who *' ventured to suggest that I should write a little
oftener, and put more in my letters," inferring, too, that
the few lines I vouchsafed seemed wanting in that yearn-
ing note which he would fain detect, and to which he
evidently thought he was entitled as a perquisite. . .;

Explanation to Jack, who declared that I was " posi-
tively heartless." Heartless ! I, heartless ; whose life has
been one long struggle to escape the consequence of too
soon excited feeling. Finally, explanations to a baker's
dozen of men, who had the cool effrontery to call them-
selves entitled to apology, if I but dared to appreciate a
view of which they did not constitute the vanishing point.
Ah ! here comes a wondrous specimen of what is possible
in the greenest of green youth. Which, I wonder, is the
more objectionable, green old age, or really verdant youth.
Truthfully speaking, I think that I prefer the mellowed
article. Wilful idiocy has more patent charms, and is
capable of at least some unexpected turns, which the sim-

'"** *

.*»»

•3*

pering, white-haired, callow little fool, who is prancing up
to me just now, could never dream about. I am forcibly
reminded of some badinj»ge between two boys which I
heard a day or two before. " Tom," says Pope embryo,
" I believe if an original idea struck you, you'd die of
fright, right off." And, cruel as it may appear, I wish that
some original idea would just experiment on this bete noire
of mine, who imagines that he apes the English d merveille
though as yet he has progressed no further than the ape,
and much I fear that Nature intends him there to stay.

" How d'ye do, Miss Devigne ? Very hot already,
" isn't it ? Wonder what on earth it will be like before the
" thing is over.*'

" It would not be quite proper for a lady to attempt
" the simile, would it, Mr. Chesney ? But you strong-
" minded, brutal men have words which appear to put the
" situation in a nutshell (ahem !)"

My " strong-minded " youth siiiiles a knowing smile
and settles down to the proper blasS cast of counten-
ance, simultaneously and wittily remarking that there was
but one woman worth a glance in that " mixed crowd."
After which he took a seat beside me, smirked as who
should say " Now, isn't that a neat one ?" at the same time
leaning back with a look of satisfaction which tells me too
plainly that in calculating for a conversation he may be
counted out. So, in desperation, I rushed in again.

" Pray, where is this gay butterfly who has woven
" such a web? — (by the bye, do butterflies weave webs?)
" Never mind, this is a Manitoban, ai.d therefore quit j
" unique, and she has evidently woven one strong enough
" to entangle you, who have passed through so many sieges
" quite unscathed, apparently ; her net's material will,

Ph<4omount
Pamphlet

prancing up
am forcibly
VB which I
ipe embryo,
ou'd die of
, I wish that
is bSte noire
i d merveille
an the ape,
I to stay,
ot already,
e before the

to attempt
you strong-
? to put the

>wing smile
)f counten-
t there was
[ed crowd."
ed as who
same time
ells me too
he may be
ain.

has woven
,ve webs?)
efore quitj
>ng enough
lany sieges
erial will,

" therefore^ need but little praise. Come, 'jow ; tell me
'^ where she is, and how such victories can be gained. I
" may need the experience some day, though I should never
" dare attempt a fortress so impregnable as that which you
" set up."

The silent spell is evidently broken. The machinery
is started, and conversation (ye gods, forgive me ! ) now
flows like a river. Loves, doves, angels and bangles, mixed
in inextricable confusion, simply gallop one another down,
as the Talleyrand of his day lays out lis stock in trade,
places mt to his colossal credit with tl le mental comment
" Another mash, by Jove ! — what a thing is this personal
magnetism," and finally marches off to reproduce his wares
to another customer, with an eflfect as killing as before.
Deserted by my cavalier, I ventured to address a few
remarks to one of Mrs. Grundy's monitors, who sat upon
my right, but, inadvertently, and most indiscreetly, using,
in the course of conversation, the oldest fashioned term
descriptive of the two appendages by which rude Nature
has sustained what brave men dare to call our " trunks "
(I wonder whom I'm shocking now !) this worthy chaperone
(first looking everywhere, to ensure no male attendance,
and evidently fearful lest some breeze should bear the
sentence to an outraged native ear, then, gl :\ncing upon me
with the amused peculiar smile, usually worn when gazing
on a somewhat shocking picture, in a nice retired place)
said : —

" We don't use " leg" in Canada."

With the utmost sang froid possible I sat, despite a
fiendish temptation to use my ''legs" once again, for the
very best of Nature's purposes, viz.: to rapidly iiicrease the
distance dividing me and the occasion of my fright. Over-

coming this desire, however, my disposition was to kick,
and this was so intensely strong that, but for the timely
intervention Of a very gotity toe, the Drill Shed floor would
still bear holey witness to my agon v. But the kindly
action of this well-fed foot r oved f the greatest service,
and wheii peace assumed her i; i ivuil &way (which comfort-
able state was thoughtlessly d*^Iag «^ by the owner of
aforesaid foot). Jack was bearing down \ ^nn me, the famous
Mr. Compton, tall, dark and sombre-looking, with the
laissez-aller air of a successful "agonizing" masher, by
his side.

" Good evening. Miss Devigne. Have you still any-
** thing for an adorer ? I have been searching everywhere,
^* but you don't seem to frequent the too much travelled
" portions of the hall, and 1 dare not penetrate to all the
** little nooks and crannies, for fear of getting a broken
^* head in one of them, not to speak of the grunts and black
'■* looks which always do greet single-handed trespassers."

" Ah, Mr. Compton, I kept that dance (a quadrille
** which had been reserved as a " duty " for poor Jack)
" especially for you. I don't dance quadrilles, you know.
" Was it not good of me to deal so tenderly with you, in
"spite of the conviction that would creep over me that you
"would again resort to the horrid little trick you played
" on me the other night," (on which occasion I had disap-
|)eared in darkness with a more congenial friend at the
approach of Mr. Compton's dance, only reappearing to
to visit thunder on the errant knight.)

" Yes. Indeed, the action showed your natural good-
" ness, though I, of course, deny the accusation you so
*' unjustly hurl at me. I should have been prostrated at
" your feet long, long ago, but for the difficulty in finding

-liviwinuuni

Pamphlet

Hir^

J to kick,
he timely
oor would
le kindly
it service,
1 comfort-
owner of
lie famous
with the
isher, by

still any-
rywhere,
travelled
o all the
a broken
md black
)as8ers."
quadrille
or Jack)
ou know,
h you, in
that you
•u played
ad disap-
d at the
taring to

ral good-

you so

rated at

I finding

"you at first, and when at length I did behold the Vision
"I had sought so long, I also saw, to bring me to the
"things of earth, young Chesney paying court, and you
"evincing an overwhelming interest in the man. Then
" suicide lost all its horrors, and fain would I have gained
"the Peace I seek beneath the waters of the muddy "Red,"
" but Sympathy declared that at the hands of Chesney you
"must inevitably die, though in opposition to all human
" laws, on account of too much breath, and so I pressed

"your brother into this life-saving service, and Oh,, I

" beg your pardon ! "

; The band is striking up, and the partner who, in turn,
has rescued n^e from Mr. Compton's harrowing recitals, is
a successful student of the local dancing school. The stage
of one's existence at which waltzing disappears entirely
from the programme, making way for supper in extcnao, is
still some years my senior, and as we rapturously dream the
dance away, a passing view of Olive industriously pumping
"Yes" and "No" from a guileless looking school boy, is
the only link to chain my thoughts to the miserable of "ihe
world.

XIII.

The usual Manitoban winter's scene — a brilliantly blue
and perfectly cloudless sky, forming a beauteous canopy to
what, but for the woods which cast their shadows here and
there, would be a sheet of spotless snow, more diamond
besprinkled and as pure as the glorious heavens therasolves.
The painter of a gorgeous Southern sunset might strive in
vain to immortalize the brilliant transparency (if one may
use a paradoxical expression to describe the indescribable)
of those Manitoban nights. : f»v:ruj:*r'v ^■^\>^.?{'^Kj:m

•i

fill

,:v

Si!

The mooii shone down upon a gay and gaudily arrayed
toboggan party, beneath whose feet the loose snow whistled
and the crusted cracked in cadence quite poetic; The
"Zip" of the toboggan and the far resounding laugh when
two stray couples met and exchangedsome jokes, which all
four would agree to christen " funny," the fulness of their
hearts and tension of their spirits dispensing with the
scantiest criticism, were all the obstacles in that sweet
course which, Sophists say, has never yet run smooth.
What a task it is to mount the hill on which a slide is
plaxied! I think that it would take less time to climb
Vesuvius. To pull a toboggan up a steep incline is no trifle
to be sneezed at. They will slip back; the cushions mil
fall oii; or the string of the dainty mocassin which holds a
daintier foot must needs untie itself (men tell me that the
strings on large-sized feet are never found unloosed) ; and
half way up the hill a few thick shrubs will grow, breaking
the .chilly breeze and forming an utterly resistless resting
place, for man (or woman, either, notwithstanding cynics
who aver the contrary), cannot work forever without
breath. Once stopped, the hosts of accidents now possible
are appalling in their number, nature and effect. The lady
will remove (or ha.vo removed) her glove, to cool the
heated palm. Fatality springs up. The glove is lost.
Sometimes ihe hand goes, too. But why should I multiply
supposed events ? The simple fact is that delays do fre-
quently occur, and whilst our world rolls round, and Time
keeps on its way, such accidents will continually arise, and
in the years to come will form green spots in many a way-
worn heart — for in the stoniest breast there must sound
notes which tell of Love's existence. The scoffer, in his
shallowness, vouchsafes a bitter smile at " sentiment."

Photomount
Pamphlet

And yet, how ignorant must he be who would deny its
presence as a keystone in every human action. Man longs
and strives for money. To what end ? For money's self?
The millionaire indignantly denies such charge, and, though
he will not enter into definition of the motive of his greed,
he has a child, perhaps, for whom he thinks his store too
small ; the trumpet notes of Fame, at present, are not loud
enough for such a jewel as that child. Sentiment ! Why
slaves the poorer man, day in, day out, year in, year out ?
For something to enjoy. Enough to keep himself and
marry on. (Forsooth !) The bachelor pays so much for a
smile. A faded flower is dear, and the wherewithal to pur-
chase it must be obtained. All sentiment ! For Sentiment
the rich are daily pouring out their thousands in a stream,
the poor are starving, and the miserable rashly tearing
down the veil which screens Eternity. Though day fo^^ms
not our dream-time, how many souls there are to whom it
represents a nightmare, bringing the sweat of misery from
the brow in agony "t /hich only draughts from Lethe's stream
can possibly assuage. These men live but in the night.
Existence dawns when "business" is dead and "Senti-
ment " holds sway. Let demurrers to my creed ask of
their close shut hearts, " At whose shrine dost thou serve ?"
Ambition's? The joy of conquering others? or convic-
tion that the common herd is low, and you, amongst
them, Caesar? Friends, beware! The would-be hero
sacrifices all. Your only guard is value as a step. When
a man loves Fame alone, that man is but a devil. His-
tory's pages, from the first to that wliich we are now
turning, proclaims this but too plainly. Real nature is but
sentiment, and all beyond means a re .less immolation of
friends, foes and the Eternal Gof .vhose semblance is

ii'

If 1

::{

■ I

:ii

'!»•

<i*i

1 1 k. *>

^1:1

obliterated from the heart, and all outward similarity
becomes a lie.

But all this is very far from Winnipeg and our tobog-
gan party, where everything was merry. In spite of the
many troubles which had lately come upon me, I enjoyed
myself most keenly. The bracing atmosphere was my good
friend, as I steadfastly upheld in refutation of some charges
made by Olive regarding Mr. Esmond's presence there.
He had come up from Montreal the night before and been
begged by Jack to join our gathering. (My brother had
declined all further espionage of me, and let me go my way,
hence this thoughtless invitation.) To my inner self I
Was under no necessity to beat about the bush, and I readily
acknowledged my delight at seeing this, the only man
whom I had met in Winnipeg to call for second thought.

Olive had now, beyond all doubt and question, suc-
cumbed to Captain Warwick's wiles, but she denied it still.
I thought it just within the possible (though I never gave
her credit for the rdle) that she tried my old, old game of
*'fun," and I ventured on some sisterly advice and kind
expostulation. Why, it would never do to have two girls in
one small family both followers of the sport. My harvest
was not what I had expected, or considered due. Suffice to
say I did not touch the pie again, and this resolution
seemed to suit the two concerned quite well. None now
dared to interfere with their somewhat rude arrangements,
which so evidently counted two, the essential number for
good company.

The ins and outs, the charms and disagreeables, of
these toboggan parties are very quickly learned j and I,
having snowballed on the level, moralized on the upward
path, and grown excited with the many interesting little

{(

((

Photomounl
Pamphltt

inilarity

ir tobog-
e of the
enjoyed
my good
) charges
se there,
nd been
bher had
my way,
;r self I
[ readily
nly man
ought,
ion, suc-
d it still,
ver gave
game of
md kind
girls in
harvest
Suffice to
jsolution
one now
cements,
uber for

cables, of
and I,
( upward
ng little

incidents which can oqcur in that short space of time whe»
everyone holds on to the toboggan (as the neophyte and
credulous believe) with death-like grip, and had at length
grown tired and quite ready for a move in any new direc-
tion, or, failing novelty, for home. Nothing fresh appear-
ing, the party all declared in favour of a dance, and a
cavalcade was formed, Mr. Esmond and myself being in the
van, followed by the rest in couples, at most unstated inter-
vals, all deeply bent on studies of the weather.

" You do not know hpw delighted everybody is to see
" you back again, Mr. Esmond. You have been missed
" most terribly. That's what it is to go away, you see.
" But, poor fellow, I forgot the pain you must have felt in
" leaving sorrowing Montreal's attractions, male, female
" and otherwise, to return tp Winnipeg and the untamed
" savage once again,"

v "And can th^s be the once sarcastic Miss Devigne?
" Excuse me, but do you feel as if old age were overtaking
" you, or is it only the highly moral atmosphere of Canada
" which has wrought such change since last 1 sought to
" steal a parting glimpse at you through my fast falling
" tears — and a crack in your blind ? Did my ears deceive
" me, or DID you express delight at my return, and flatter
" me in half a dozen different ways ?"

This won't do, thought I. He's getting quite im-
pertinent, not to say satirical.

"Oh, pray don't begin so early to disbelieve your
" senses. I dare say there'll be time enough when other
" people tell you that you've none. However, what I said
" was quite sincere, as all my sayings are. Since you left
" town, I've had a large experience. I've heard the jokes^
" from Adam's very own, down to those of h^s less enlight-

u
a
ci
ti
u
u

«
((
n
((
((
((
(<
((
(i
«

ened sons. I've had the benefit of every funniosity
which the list of Winnipeg contains, and now I've *got
'em on my list,' all doubly crossed with red."

"Ah, that accounts for the serious view you are
evidently taking of this life and the truth of the necessity
for Christian charity which has forced itself upon you ?"

" Of course. But please place one good mark to Gov-
ernment House account. I spent an evening there — a
Muaicale it was — I couldn't find much music, but oh ! the
loveliness of Charity ! And amongst musicians, too I
They would not fight at all. Each one magnanimously
said he'd sink his own superfluous art, and re igh it with
the rest. Such harmony ! I never dreamt of anything
to equal it. Did you ever go up there to music?"

" No, I never had an invitation. But when I die, I
am going to ask St. Peter for a ticket there, instead of
going upstairs. From your description it must outdo the
jld style of harp and timbrel very far ; and then I hear
it's 80 select?"

" Select ! Well, if I were a Yankee, ' I should smile.'
None but Methodists may enter there — except, of course,
some few "sad examples," such as I, who just go in to
form the necessary contrast, in order that the pure may
see the misery of our outside world, the depth of which,
if our faces did not play us very false, must have been
sufficiently appalling to satisfy the saintliest of them all.
But still, I drank as much of this fine, holy atmosphere
as my poor, sinful body would allow, and then I came
away so thoroughly impregnated with all that's good and
goody that, even now, I would with rapture welcome
Lucifer himself. What a jolly, pointed tail be could
unfold? (How very rude you are to laugh? That's the

-iiviwmuuni

Pamphlet

nniosity
've *got

yoa are
lecessity
1 you ?"
to Gov-
here — a
oh! the
ns, tool
limously
L it with
nything

I die, I
istead of
iitdo the
n I hear

I smile/
f course,
go in to
lire may
f which,
Lve been
hem all.
losphere
I came
5ood and
welcome
le could
lat's the

" very best of puns in Winnipeg.) But, failing him, if you
" will just pull yourself together, give your memory a
" brush, and call up everything you've done and heard (I
" won't attempt to bind you down to truth, provided that
"the story 's still alive), I'll try you for a substitute."

In spite of all my flattery, he lived, though I fear its
subtlety was rather overpowering, and after a grand rally
of which (as I honestly remarked) I failed to catch the
gist — though I know he meant to say, amongst a host of
other things, that I was a genuine angei, a certain indis-
tinctness as to colour depriving his comparison of point — he
endeavoured to enliven me with what there was to tell of
Montreal and Ottawa (between which places he had acted
as a shuttle-cock since he left Winnipeg), and himself.
Elopements, of course, came first, and Canada would be poor
indeed were she to own herself behind the world of civil-
ization in that exciting detail. Providence takes care that
no such slur shall truthfully be cast, and Ottawa can still
(in fairly decent seasons) proclaim her home-made scandal
second-best to none.

" What an exciting slide that bank would make. How
" easily we could slip down," I broke in, as we left a grove
of trees and came upon the bank again.

" * Facilis descensus Averno ' still, and that looks very
" steep to me. I h irdly think it wise, but if your Lady-
" ship commands, your servant will obey," getting the
toboggan ready with speed somewhat alarming. But I am
too great a coward to allow of my adopting any course which
shall admit of my being stigmatized ns one, and therefore
I decided to go down, no matter what it cost. My part-
ner's acquiesc^ence was a good deal Tiore than 1 had
bargained for, especially as the bank might easily, from all

rk\

appearances, become, to sinners such as me, the veritable
path of Mr. Esmond's author. Shelving slowly towards
the river for a time, it then dropped suddenly a depth of
fifteen feet or more, and afterwards sloped gently down the
bank— the very acme of a fine, exciting slide, but rather
risky as regards the jump. However, noblesse oblige it was,
I felt, and England's fame for courage (what patriotism stirs
us five thousand miles from home !) was at stake.

As calmly as I could, I intimated my desire to try and
break our necks, and then, without delay, sat down upon
the cushion, braced my feet as tightly as was possible m the
toboggan, and shouted, inwardly, that all would come out
right, though a little whispering voice declared the con-
trary with very bad effect upon my toute ensemble.
y "Ready?" . .,,.,

"Yes, waiting." '

A push, and off we went, travelling beautifully until
the precipice was reached, and on the brink of this our
steed seemed gallantly to rear its head, and then we really
flew. But oh ! how short-lived was our ecstasy, for when
we once more struck the earth a sounding crash told plainly
of disaster. But the smashing of our vessel's curled up
front and a sudden numbness in m^ foot were quite lost
sight of in the one great speculation as to what amount of
flesh and blood would, by the Fates' decrees, reach the
bottom of the hill ; mere details as to shape were never
thought about. That point, however, once cleared up —
and Providence knows how, for it, I trust, alone bore
witness to the sight — I looked about and saw my cavalier
some distance from the phice where 1 cast anchor, gather-
ing himself together in a rather startled way, hut evidently
still alivt'. The small piect of toboggan which acted as my

Photomount
Pamphlet

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seat bore some semblance to a rather large sized shaving,
but none whatever to its own identity. The hidden post,
on the top of which we leaped, had done great execution.
Our eventful ride being over, it was time, I thought, for
me to stir and compose myself a little more attractively ;
and this I tried to do, but my left ankle now raised dissen-
tient voice, and, with a gentle squeal, old human nature
readily gave in, allowing me to fall upon the snow, a really
thoughtless girl. I cannot have remained in this state
very long, and what brought my senses back I never
could mr \e out with certainty. I know the first sensation
was distinctly nice. Something rfither damp, but also
warm and soft, was on my cheek. What could that be ?
Snow, I knew, was cold. That r/as snow upon my fore-
head, but this was very different. So, being greatly
puzzled, I just lay still, and thought the matter out, with
close-shut eyes to aid my meditations. Then there was a
little, sibilant noise. The moisture was removed, and
explanation rendered hopeless. But a muttering com-
menced, and, amongst the rest, I thought I caught such
words as '" Darling" and " Great God," and, marvellous to
.say, neitlier excited the horror which they, righteously,
.should. Instead, 1 felt a warmness of the heart, and a
dizziness of the head, which rendered it imperative for me
to wake, but which never mentioned "Insult" or "Re-
venge." or even whispered t! at "• He was a brute " (as
doubtless all my readers \vould expect), so I assumed that
all was right. My faint had been quite orthodox, and my
Mukle was reality.

The remainder of the party now came upon the scen^i,
linving evidently lo.st themselves and us, and after very
much condolence and enipiiry, a comfortable litter was

• 82

made of a toboggan, and I was placed thereon, the funeral
procession moving, as fast as circumstances would permit,
to the nearest doctor's house. Here, the patient having
undergone a good deal of examination, and not a little
pain, it was declared that one of the small bones of the
ankle had been broken, but that in all probability I should
very soon be well. At this piece of intelligence I dis-
tinctly heard Mr. Esmond heave a sigh — not a very mar-
vellous thing, you say, but, somehow, with the hallucination
— what you will — so recently experienced, it made me
doubt the depths of his blase cynicism. To me, the solici-
tude with which this man, who posed as soulless, attended
to my smallest wants, and the eagerness with which he did
his share (and something more than that) in lifting me
from the toboggan to a couch, for surgical inspection, and
from the couch into the sleigh which took me home, was
eminently touching. Jack lectured me the whole way
home upon my foolishness and " harum-scaruni hiibits,"
doubtless with a man's idea of driving pain away. Luckily
for him, I never gave his words a thought, my brain being
otherwise employed, though I think, perhaps, I might have
followed his remarks in this condition with far more bene-
fit, to both himself and me, than when I had a brain to
place at his command — he was then at such tremendous
disadvantage.

Upon arlving at the house, I was immediately ''re-
tired." Thectljins came in shortly afterwards, enquired
how I felt, and in ii» dispersed ; the settled gloom upon the
house and Mr Er>ii udv 's face (so I ./as told) being insur-
mountable. AijJ. tben I ti iod to sleep, but slumber would
not come. M ' t^ol:,ffhts would only own one channel and
chant one tune, tae l i<Mv.n being, "Mr. Esmond evidently
likes you, and you- ii^'c-il, who is flirting this time ?"

Pamphlet
einriai

XIV.

My ankle did not grow well at once, and I, a restless
spirit always but now, for divers good though private rea-
sons, chafed in my close confinement in a way which gave
the people doomed to bear with me a sorry task indeed.
Three weekd had joined their brothers in the past since the
night of the accident, which to-day stands out an epoch in
ray life not soon to be forgotten. Mr. Esmond, my com-
rade in adventure, though in this as in all other things, the
man had the excitement and the fun, the woman bore the
brant of accident, had visited me constantly, and made his
calls more pleasing and acceptable by those little gifts of
dainty rareties which Mrs. Grundy allows us to accept
without demur, because of their uncommonness. Not that
I was now an invalid in the eyes of anyone who lived with
lue for a day. I hopped about the house and ould be
tolerably gay upon occasion, until something disagieeable
occurred, when my license as a convalescent served me in
good stead.

It was a Thursday night, and the Skating Club was
hard at work. Winnipeg's young world of fashion, includ-
ing Jack and Olive (who now were quite content to leave
me to my " frightful temper " and a book) had hastened to
their favourite rendez-vous the Rink — a place with great
attractions, where electric lights go out and leave the
sweetest little corners in the dark. True, the seat which
runs around the hall, interrupted at every five yardn in its
course by pillars ji'tting from the wall about three t'tjet, is
always crowded at the darkened end, but still, a watchlul
t!ye, and (|uick deterniiiuition will generally procure a nook,
I'm told. A very pleasant place to pass a sentiuuMital
liour or 80, »vnen everyone appears, lor once, by way of

i n

contrast to the icy scene, and to the general tenor of their
frigid lives, to thaw quite out, and where the common
cause is guarded studiously, for not a solitary scandal has
ever yet leaked out.

I was struggling, in my loneliness, with the latest
novelist's vagaries, and wondered to what strait the con-
scientious fiction reader would be pressed within the next
few years, in order to supply the imagination requisite to
follow up his calling. The door opened, and, without a
note of warning, in came Mr. Esmond. I was genuinely
glad to see him, and I daresay, as is my wont when I am
pleased, flattered him a little. At all events, he soon was
in good humour — for himself, that is, for his mood was
generally cynical, though raercury itself is notmor'^ change-
able. And, presently, two easy chairs, not too far apart
for sociability's demands, were drawn before the blazing,
open fire, which formed one of our house's better points,
and confidence soon began to flow. \

" The other members of your family have, of course,
" rallied at the Rink ?" said Mr. Esmond.

'* Yes, *and left the world to darkness and to me,' as
*' is their uncharitable practice. However, as you've come
to aid me in distress, I'll not complain, until you've left
the house, at all eveiits."

" Even that's a compliment from you, though it does
" not startle me as once it would have done. Besides, it i»
" scarcely more than due as, not so very, very long ago (the
" night is Stamped upon my memory forever) you hon-
" ourad me with a comparison to His Majesty the Prince ol
"Darkness' self, ho I certainly, by right, should have ii
'* power to <lismiss some (/f that liege's subjects."

Pholomount
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" Yes, I should not wonder that is beautifully worked
out, but, for some reason, doubtless the murky atmosphere
in which your prototype exists, my eyesight is scarce
strong enough to catch the dazzling point of your remark
without a strain. No, no — pray don't try to make it
clear; my brain is dense to utter hopelessness. Oh
dear ! I am bad-tempered, am I not ? But then, I am
quite an invalid, you know. I think you had better tell
a tale, a fairy tale, or ghost story, or something enter-
taining."

" I've quite given up telling tales because, firstly, I
never saw a point in those of any other man, and,
secondly, I wasn't able to ensure a quiet, docile audience
for the ones I modestly produced myself, the mental
prostration entailed upon the few who follow to a crisis
being such as gives a wan ing to the common herd, and
they invariably rise whenever I commence with * That
reminds me,' or words to like effect. Therefore, I do not
now tell tales."

" Oh ! You would not dare to class me with the common
herd, I hope. I'd struggle with your sharpest point, no
matter if it took a week with Webster or Joe Miller to
decipher it. I am not usually so condescending, but do
you know, on the night when we first met, I felt a strong
conviction, which I have never overcome, that you had
an affectation of the heart (not medically speaking —
something which weighed upon yon, and made you cyni-
cal. Now, just suppose that I am your confessor. Above
all things. I love romance, and in this prosaic life of ours
we have so very little apparent to the eye, that I really
could not let you go without your contributing your mite.
Now. please begin. 1 am going to regard whatever you

" may say as in the strictest confidence, and upon no con-
" sideration to be used as evidence against you. Now, one,
"two, three— Go!"

He did not go. A smile was on his face, aud he
watched the flickering blaze intently, with lips so tightly
pressed that the smile became satiric, and the expression
that of a bountiful believer in the evil of mankind, but
utter incredulity with regard to any good. It was the face
of one who thought he knew the world and its hypocrisy —
a face such as the hardy son of toil can never wear. He
has no time to spend in metaphysics.

' The only tale I have to tell has nothing loving in it.
" It might be rather tragic were it not too common and
" decently related. Being true, however, and one I never
" told before, to either man or woman, it must naturally
" lack both polish and excitement. But as I have an ardent
" wish that you should know me, and everything about me,
" well, I will try and tei) the story, if you will let me turn
" the light ti little lower."

"- Oh, of course. That will add to its charms tremcn-
" dously. But first tell me, is this really true, or is it
" nothing but a fiction, because I want to moderate my sym-
** pathies accordingly. I may need a little feeling to be
" expended on some poor fellow's actual misfortune, for I'm
" regularly used as comforter at home. (No, I haven't
•' quite duplicity enough to sympathize with women) and
" I won't waste more than is their due on fancies."

" What I am going to tell you. Mips Devigne, is true.
" I would not lay it bare without a cause, and do not think
*' that, outside my own immediate family, two people upon
" earth have heard of it. If my voice at any time gives in.
" you need not notice it. My voice never was a good ont,
" and I can't hold myself responsible foi Ul its tricks."

{(

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He rose ; turned down the lights to a decidedly dim
and religious stage, drew his chair closer to the fire, and,
in doing so, somewhat nearer mine, always keeping his back
to what little light the lamps gave forth. I sat as still as
might be, and became intent upon what was, I felt, to un-
fold the mystery of this man's life — the mystery which
seemed to hang around him like a cloak, making the unen-
quiring crowd avoid him as uncanny or a fool.

" My mother came of a good Old Country family, whose
" name is not unseen upon the roll of those who served
" their country well in battle and in peace. Her life began,
" as it has always flowed, in a somewhat curious manner
" for these enlightened times. At the hour when she was
" born, in a certain northern county, where superstition
" even now is not quite dead, there was, within the Hall
" a certain weird, old gypsy queen, amongst whose reputed
" powers was that of casting horoscopes. As soon as the
" infant's sex was known this lady, doubtless thinking to
" propitiate the servant-maids, and never dreaming of the
" ire of their master, set to work to shadow out the future
" of the child, and after much deliberation, she prophesied
" as follows, a footman writing down each sentence as it
" came : .

" She shall be beautiful ; she shall be clever ; she shall
''" be much sought after, and have multitudes of friends ;
" she shall be unhappy in her marriage ; her friends shall
" all desert her ; and SHE SHALL DIE IN A MAD-
" HOUSE."

" Such was the incubus with which my mother entered
" on her journey through the world. When her father
■' heard the details of this ibrtune-telling, he went almost
'' beside himself, for so miuiy curious incidents have hap-

I -

■ii.ii.

pened in the family from immemorial times that super-
stition is an heritage. The talented authoress of the pro-
phecy was turned out, neck and crop, followed by the
educated footman, who had rendered permanent her rav-
ings. The other servants were commanded, on pain of
their discharge, to speak of the horoscope to none, par-
ticularly was it not to reach the ears of wife or child.
As a consequence, my mother to this day is not aware of
any of those things which happened at her birth.

" Time wore on. When quite a little girl she won the
hearts of all the grooms and villagers by her fearlessness
in riding, and skilful management, of a certain demon
pony. A few more years, and nature gifted her with such
a voice as, according the people of that time * to whom I
am indebted for these few particulars,' is but very seldom
met with, never without raising interest. To these at-
tractions I must add (though it seems hard that I should
have to sing the praises of my mother) a pretty, clever
face. The latter attribute was not belied in character,
and the country people still recall incidents. telling of the
court of gay gallants she used to have about her, who
would not cavil at the queen-like mode of treatment she
adopted. * Engaged ' she was a hundred times, J have no
doubt ; in fact, I think she always was engaged, but never
for two months to any individual. A.t last, however, it
looked as if the knot would verily be tied. The favoured
one was a rich young land-owner, whose acres touched my
mother's parents' hearts, and they, in turn, by force of
much good reasoning, induced her to be wise. The mar-
riage was arranged with all good speed, although the
bride prospective plainly told her would-be spouse that in
her heart he had but little share ; still she would marry
him, and he consented to the odd arrangement.

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" About this time, when everything, apparently, was
settled, there came upon the scene a gay young French-
man. He stayed with a neighbouring squire and very
soon joined the number of frequenters at the Hall. My
grand-father, as became all good old English gentlemen,
had a nameless horror of the French, and made no excep-
tion in the case in point. To mi^ke amends for this
inhospitality, however, my mother would accept the
foreigner's attentions with good grace, comparing his
admirable taste and polished manners with those of her
acknowledged suitor, much to the latter' s detriment.
This went on for some little time — meetings at one point
with the Englishman, at another with the French, being
the young damsel's daily routine — until the inevitable
accident occurred. The ^an^c objected. The interloper
then proposed to put things straight by carrying off a
bride ; and the cause of all the trouble decided that the
French had won the day, and she would strike her flag
to none beside. Here was chaos.

" The lady's father bluntly put it thus : * I would
rather see you carried to the grave than married to a
Frenchman, and if you will persist in running counter to
my wishes, I wash my hands of you and your confounded
husband.'

" My grand-mother was not quite so hard towards her
child. Perhaps a sounding title (even in a foreign
tongue) had some eiFect upon her. The other members
of the family, saving the eldest brother only, turned their
backs upon the criminal. All of which did nothing but
precipitate a climax, and one fine day, with flags in the
neighbouring port ail flying gaily, guns firing a salvo,
and everything auspicious to the last degree, the French-

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" man led his hard-won bride to church. My grandfather
" had been prevailed upon so far (for this was his favourite
" daughter, and once he could not say her nay), as to allow
" the marriage to take place from home, though he went up
" to town. Her one staunch brother gave the bride away.

" The police detained the ousted lover on the threshold
" of the church, a pistol in his hand. ' Drunk, sir, drunk,'
" or mad with frenzy — no matter which, he paid all debts
" in the bitter years to come. "

A little rustle and the door burst open. Two chairs
ran back in opposite directions, of course by accident, and
in came Jack, followed by Olive, who looked decidedly
done up. I fear the gallant captain did not skate.

"Hello, Esmond, old fellow, consoling our invalid?
" Perhaps you can throw out some valuable hints on treat-
" ment of this terrible distemper — with the accent on the
" temper — for Olive and I have battled with it vainly,
" until the shreds you see are all that yet remain of our
" once noble selves."

*' Oh," said I, " Mr. Esmond is a doctor worthy of the
" name, and grubbed up the root of malady at once.
" ' Nerves,' said he, and forthwith set himself to work, by
" means of stories of such ghastly type that the very lights
" have robed themselves in blue in order to befit the tale's
'* solemnity, to bring these nerves in view, and if you
" had not rudely interfered, an exhibition was down upon
" the card to prove my system nervous, no matter what
" relations say."

" How glad I am we came," from Olive, * for cranky as
" you are when so-called sane, what would you be when
'' frantic with hysteria ? ' "

. Decidedly something had gone radically wrong, I
thought.

" Why, Olive, dear, you really do not sound as if the
" rink had quite agreed with you. What can have been
"the matter?"

" Chiefly mistaken ideas as to my proper sphere of
" usefulness on earth. Whenever I sat down upon the ice
" (just to rest, you know), some person would be sure to take
" me for a curling stone or broom, and push me on in front,
" clearing the way for them to skate, and nothing but the
" wildest Indian screech could make the people think I was
" alive. One man most kindly said (after testing the
" material by jumping on me several times) I was a brick.
" Had that been true, he should have been the first to feel
" my power, for I would dare all Manitoba's scandal and
" fling myself at his thick head."

The conversation, after a brief recital of the names of
those who mustered at the rink, appeared to flag, Mr.
Esmond, as his share, doing little more than smile approval,
whilst I tried hard to keep my relatives from thinking very
deeply of anything concerning me or my affairs. At last
the men turned out to smoke cigars on the verandah, and
I retired to my room.

Long after all the household was asleep, I turned about
in bed from side to side, and thought how little we suspect
the romances in real life which run beside us, on the right
and on the left, in every darkened corner. Romance ! What
is romance? Every man who lives for thirty years has
memories locked up in his breast which the world at large
would ridicule if shown. So each one thinks that his
experience is unique. Ho will not tell for fear of being
laughed at. He is always in the van of scoffers at
" Romance." What egotism and what vile hypocrisy does
the breast of man contain ! Romance is simply life au

naturel, with all the creases as they are, unflattened by the
roller of money and expediency. The world is full of it,
but culture and a plentiful supply of starch and lies have
driven us to seek this manna to the hungry soul amongst
the works of those whose rare imaginations enable them to
bear the title of ** Romancers" without one modest blush.

XV.

The portion of his history which Mr. Esmond had
related did nothing if it did not whet my appetite for more,
and, being unproficient in the skating art, therefore caring
little about entering the lists against Canadian girls, with
their many years' experience in the scale, I arranged that
my poor scape-goat of an ancle should once more be called
in use.

On the Thursday night of the week succeeding that in
which the events related in my last chapter happened, Jack
and Olive went their way without me, as intended, and
(also as intended) Mr. Esmond's entrance followed their
departure at no enormous distance, brought there, he said,
by noticing my absence from the rink.

With very scanty time for salutation, the due consider-
ation of the cold, the lying of thermometers, etc., Mr.
Esmond, who had evidently come with purpose tightly
bottled up, proposed to go on with and finish, God and my-
self being willing, the tale he had commenced. For, as
he said, " I wound you up for pathos and prepared myself
" for floods, but circumstances prevented either. This
** time there shall be no 'Continued in our next.' That's
" getting quite too old to suit even that rising generation

of antiquities called, in unconscious sarcasm, * children.'"
" Let me see, I had them married, had I not ? Yes.

They did not start with auspices too bright, even as

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leven as

things then appeared, but the intoxication consequent on
marriage, to the ordinary human mind, shuts out every-
thing but bliss, and the world at large becomes a blank.
Eat they must, but simply as you stoke an engine. Sweet
draughts of love from one another's eyes replace the
nectar which the ancients gave their gods, and which to-
day (if sensible idolaters still lingered) would be a cup
from Lethe's stream. But Nature at the altar, so indus-
triously tying with her tongue that knot which all her
teeth will work upon in vain to loosen, though they may
pull it sadly out of shape, has so effectually put out her
sight with Cupid's bandages that whether she walks over
the precipice of Hell, or mounts the ladder in Eternity,
are matters left entirely to chance.

" My parents were, perhaps, a little blinder than the
great majority (for which that unwashed herd may thank
their stars.) They went everywhere, saw everything,
travelled most luxuriously and knew nothing of the pains
of loving in obscurity.

" But even in the middle of their dream, which doubt*
less looked to them but the natural opening of a cloud-
less summer's day, whose beauty would but grow a little
mellower as time wore on, mutterings of the never distant
thunder shower rolled along the air, the rumours of a
disaffected France howled menace to their careless hap-
piness. A few more months of life in the Paradise of
Fools, and, with one crash, the stemless torrent of 1848
bore down its frail opponents and in its tide was swept
away tho sand foundation of my poor parents' happiness.

" Too proud to ask asHistanco, and none being promptly
offered, the luckless pair set sail, with the beggarly
amount which misrortune left to them and hearts which

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ignorance enabled to meet the cruel blow, for the shores
that have for centuries impartially provided a living (or
a natural) sepulchre for all such refugees. Here, then,
this wretched couple wandered. One month here and
two months there, and God knows how they lived. He
also knows of what good stuff my mother proved herself
to be. My elder brother and myself were born beneath
the Stars and Stripes, though the places where we first
came on this scene are separated from each other by many
miles. The period of which I now am speaking is one I
know but little of. Some money, I have heard, did find
its way from England, though through what channel I
was never told, for * the real old English gentleman; my
grandfather, was perfectly relentless, and persistently
declared that his child was long since dead. My mother's
one good brother died, and then — no friends being round
the court (for my grandmother was but a cipher now),
communication ceased, and the old home was no more.
" The seventh year of exile was coming to its close when
my parents once more saw the dear old chalky cliffs. My
grandfather was dead. Just before death's blow was
struck the truth came home to him that he " had made
provision for them all but her who needed most," and,
despite the virtuous indignation of those too soft-hearted
bein Ts whom circumstances made to us relations, the will
was altered until my mother shared alike with the rest of
her dear sisters. This was enough to live on, with
frugality, and the couple had flown homeward, shedding
but scanty tears on leaving far astern the country which
so many boastfully proclaim ' the land of their adoption.*
" Years sped along comparatively smoothly now, and
an addition to tlie income soon cropped up in an unex-

pected brand, plucked from the burning of my father's
patrimony, and rendering their condition easy.

" The friends of youth right loyally stood forth, and
grasped my mother and her husband by the hand ; their
only foes the man who still remembered how he lost a
bride, and, naturally, all those who were, in any way,
relations.

" But human halcyon days are short indeed, and these
were not abnormal.

*' My father went occasionally to France, to catch a
glimpse of those old faces which he once had known so
well. His visits grew more frequent and protracted, and
my mother accompanied him no more. Then gossip said
the case was like the rest ; that underneath these old-
time friendships a woman would be found. The doubt
which gained such tardy entrance to one too faithful
heart was pitilessly turned to certainty. A married
woman's trail was visible — one in such a station that
scandal would have murdered her outright.

" My mother's idol shattered, she was herself no more,
and threatened the exposure of a court. My father,
dreading this as worse than death for both the woman
and himself, knew not what healthy breathing was. A
fiend at once came forward to assist him in his need — one
who called my mother's sister * Wife,' and who, by virtue
of this proud position, had been made trustee for the fund
which my grandfather set apart to provide his several
daughters' incomes. This gentleman, under guise of
friendship, and feigning his belief in the reality, declared
my mother mad, and showed her husband signs most
unmistakeable and dangerous, which if not dealt with
promptly, might end — well, God forbid that he should
mention it.

••«!

«
a
a
a

((

u
((

«
((
((
((
((

" No further argument was necessary. Here was,
quite evidently, the one way through the maze, and by
quick and thorough action, all trouble could be killed.
Of course my father simply meant to gain a little time
for settlement ; the other parties in the game were after
different spoil.

" Where money is, what will a man not do ? Doctors
were found ready, close at hand, who for a certain fee
(perhaps a liberal one) would swear that symptoms of
insanity were plain. The man who loved my mother
once (and had waylaid her, overwhelmed with grief, at
the too frightful tidings of a husband's guilt, which he
had also * quite miraculously learned,' and proffered her
assistance of a kind which was rejected with some heat),
now ^ counted all he ' thought he could remember of a
casu interview,' and, somehow, proved the lady mad.

" We will not dwell on trifles. Suffice to say, before
my mother had a chance to enter on a suit, a private
madhouse held another inmate, and, apparently, the
world rolled on the same.

" Time went on, and my mother still remained in
durance as insane. My brother, growing older, heard
the tale with all its sad embellishments, and soon began
to clamour about ' Right.' This seemed to wake my
father up (for since the immuring of his wife he had
sunk into a kind of lethargy), and he tried again, finally
succeeding, to make terms for strict silence on my
mother's part. And then her prison doors were opened,
and she came forth into the world again, a much chan<red
woman, to be sure. Belief in the powers of evil as over-
ruling all the powers of good, at least upon this earth,
had deeply sunk its soul-destroying root, and spread its
loathsome trailers over tha nee laughter-loving heart.

" Since then, my father has hecome a very * Wander-
" ing Jew ' upon the globe. I never know at what place
to address him. Money seems to come in sums to satisfy
his wants, and enable him to send his sons a cheque at
" intervals, and, now and then, he turns up in the places
" where his children are, but after that, relationship is
"dead.

" The man whose scheme it was to incarcerate my
" mother is now a common beggar in the streets (if he is
" yet alive), and where his children are 'tis useless to
" enquire. His wife is long since dead. * The mills of
" God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small.'

" My mother and her eldest son lead a tolerable life
" at home. He hunts, shoots and lives within the income.
" She reads and entertains her friends, who, with all
" honour be it said, remain as steadfast as one man, despite
" the gypsy's warning, the latter part of which is still to
" come, or prove the lie I trust and think it is. Par par-
" enthhsey of course you know my real name is not Esmond,
" though * Ralph ' I own in honesty.

" Now, Miss Devigne, do you marvel that I'm not quite
" like the rest of men ? Or do you, like them, recoil from
one whose breath was drawn in such unhealthy atmos-
phere?"

" No, Mr. Esmond, I do not recoil, and I hardly think
" the insinuation kind. Have I ever shrunk in your
" recital ? (Pause.) Now, just look at our two chairs, and
" tell me if mine shows the least disgust ?"

Perhaps you. won't believe it, but that horrid man put
his arms around me and kissed me on — yes, right upon the
lips. Did I resent it? Oh, yes! Of course I did. But
then, I had so short a time to do it in ; 1 had so much to

h^M

If I

li '

say about his story, and was obliged to console the poor old
boy a little. Yes, yes, I thought of Fred; you need not
revert to that. But there was I, a frail, tender-hearted
girl, and just before my eyes the most pitiable (and at the
same time loveable) looking creature of his kind. I don't
think I could call myself a woman if my heart had not
gone out to him ; and (of course I cannot hope to show this
now) it seemed as if his heart was also roving round, and
these two hearts appeared to call to one another. Then I
gave in and settled any scruples by the reflection " What
can these minutes matter ? There's a life ahead in which
you can have misery enough to pay for all sweet moments
it is possible to gather." And so we twined our arms
about each other, 'blivious of everything, and sat quite
still — and I was happy ; oh, so happy !

And the clock struck one. If it had struck two dozen
it would have startled Ralph and me considerably less.
(Yes, we had arrived at the conclusion that the use of our
surnames, in private, would be priggish now, and we began
to act accordingly that night.) The evening had van-
ished, melted in the past. Five minutes since and it was
ten o'clock. But what had happened to the other two ?
Decidedly the best thing Ralph could do was to go and see
if the rink was open still.

He stood to say " Good night," and — well, ten minutes
afterwards the door had closed behind him, and I, not feel-
ing great alarm about the welfare of either Jack or Olive
(they must have been taken to a dance, I thought), went
quietly to bed, and moralized till morning, which I may
say, here, is quite a common habit with me, and nothing
can be argued from the fact on this particular occasion.

)oor old
ied not
hearted
1 at the
I don't
lad not
low this
nd, and
Then I
" What
1 which
Loments
ir arms
it quite

o dozen
Ay less,
i of our
e began
id van-
it was
r two?
and see

ninutes
lot feel-
er Olive
), went
I may
lothing
on.

XVI.

The allotted time had almost fled. " Only six weeks,"
" only a month," had dwindled down to " One week
more !" and we were going through our Dance of Death,
indeed. It was the last of our series of (if friends are ever
to be credited) not unsuccessful meetings, ^here " Chcumn
a son goM'' had ruled in sovereignity as true as any that
Thelema's convent could have yielded, and now some of
the wonted gaiety was lacking. I do not think it boastful
to declare that we made good friends, and the link which
bound us was shortly to be broken, possibly — in many
cases, probably — never to be welded.

Waltz succeeded waltz, for waltzes nearly always filled
our card, and still the corners of that " rookery " upstairs
retained their occupants, who only now and then descended
from their posts to dance, purely from a sense of what was
right, and wore the air of those who are engaged on their
"Last waltz" in very truth. "Apart" had died away
amidst the silence of applause (if, in these days of satire
on things pertaining to a heart, such paradox may pass
without a challenge.)

Perhaps the ones who bore themselves most bravely
were Olive and myself, because we had most reason to be
sad, and consequently, steeled our faces to a pitch far, far
beyond the point at Which our hearts deserted us. The
strains grew louder and more gay, but still no spirits rose.
The men made periodical excursions to the smoking-room,
but the blueness of the atmosphere remained. I drank a
little wine myself, but ideas did not come. The English
colony which made our house headquarters was evidently
down. Not one of them had done a silly thing for quite
an age. No twenty year old joke appeared as whetstone

l4:

100

for the abnormally dull perception of our wits — for wits
there were among them, though reward was generally
slow^ and always less than justice, fifteen minutes grace for
discovery of the jests being absolutely necessary to their true
enjoyment, and generally time was precious with us. How-
ever, we invariably took the fun for granted when we
could not see it, and to utilize dear Artemus' precaution in
a briefer way, we labelled two or three of our acquaint-
ances " This is a joke," and admirably did the plan suc-
ceed. Just then, however, all our jovial men seemed dead,
and, when the tone grew irretrievable, I gradually col-
lapsed among the rest, and often caught myself in an
attempt to brush away the cobwebs from the Future, and
dreaming " Things which never were to be."

Since the evening of Ralph's finishing his tale, some
eight short weeks ago (how had they flown !) the world
itself was changed, and all seemed different. I had con-
fessed to him the double part I played, and almost hoped
to be repudiated. But no; he only seemed to love the
more devotedly because of the apparent hopelessness of
our affection. How did he strive to '* raise the wind," and
gain enough for our purposes, but fate was iadamant. I
once proposed to write to Fred and cancel all with him,
but Ralph said, " Wait a while ; perhaps I never may arrive
" at competence, and when you get back to England — (no
" slight upon your constancy. The best of us are creatures
** of the veriest circumstance) — it is just possible that your
^^ jiance may not be so distasteful as he now appears." And
I, though disagreeing in the sentiment, had put the matter
off until now I was returning home, and could do it all by
word of mouth. Meanwhile, we agreed to live whilst live
we could, and love as love we might — the loving of

fit'

¥:

or wits
nerally
race for
eir true
How-
len we
ition in
jquaint-
an suc-
id dead,
[\y col-
f in an
ire, and

e, some
i world
ad con-
t hoped
)ve the
ness of
d," and
ant. I
;h him,
r arrive
d — (no
eatures
at your
' And
matter
all by
1st live
^ing of

101

despair, for something told me that fulfilment could not
be • that we had kept our hearts together curing these
short week? simply that Old Time's blunt scythe might
tear all bonds asunder and leave the jagged edges bare and
bleeding piteously, until the course of years should apply
its lint, and the grim, dark angel, Death, alone would
obliterate the scar.

"Did we enjoy ourselves?" . Would a criminal,
allowed to spend his last few days jn sunlight, the bright,
blue sky above him, the verdant grass beneath, and every
bush alive with chirping, happy birds, appreciate the
beauty of the surrounding loveliness ? Just as that crim-
inal were we. The long dull years before us, when we
should be apart, and our only peace lie in forgetfulness^
Jleligious solace had we none, and pure "Society" would
lend its scorn with liberal hand indeed, were our position
known. Our present knew no future, if by "future"
you mean " life." Yes, we did enjoy ourselves.

Olive was now engaged to Captain Warwick, who,
from some unknown source, had raised sufficient influence
to gain official recognition of his abundant talents, and an
income large enough for two. As things now were, how-
ever, he could not leave with us for England. Christmas
time had, with its usual beneficence, brought us strict com-
mands to shorten our visit by two months. An uncle had
returned from India, and longed to feast his eyes on our
entrancing beauty. , • . rv -

And so our stay amongst the savages (who are not so
pery savage, after all), was closing in and leaving older,
sadder hearts to mourn life's fruitlessness. One little year
ago, and I had scoffed at love — most palpable of snares it
was, I said. But soon I fell ; and, on that last sad night it

t ^;

■; '^

102

seemed impossible to say how deep the fall had been.
But, in the train of my descent came Lucifer's decision.
Beyond dispute, it is better to " reign in hell than serve
in heaven." Better to bask beneath the rays of an all-
conquering love, in utter disregard of what the world is
pleased to call " propriety " than dwell, a living icicle, with
all impulses dead, among the spiteful, disappointed crowd,
who prepare themselves for heaven, where all is perfect
love, by satirizing all that's lovely here.

Nearly all our guests had gone. Capt. Warwick and
his " property " were lost in some dark, secret corner.
Jack was doing what was requisite, as host, to the remain-
ing few, and Ralph and I were sole possessors of the gallery
upstairs, or rather of a little niche therein. His arms were
tight about me, whilst mine were round his neck. His
voice was not the same that night. It had the oddest little
break in it, that nearly tore my heart, and raised a lump
inside my throat which made my articulation difficult. A
single word at once was all that I could manage.

"'Tis time to say * Good-bye,' dear," he had repeated
many times, and yet I clung to him percdstently. Some
horrible foreboding that this might be the parting of our
J'^MS hung, like a clog, about me, and told me that I inaat
not let him go.

** Oh, Ralph ! dear Ralph ! I know how foolish all this
** is, but a heavy weight is on my heart, and I feel as if I
" could not let you leave me. If I were able to brush
" away the dark |>iesentiment that we shall meet no more,
" I know I could be brave. Why must you go away ? Is
" it not possible tv> accomplish what you want by telegraph
" or letter? Can I do nothing to assist you, dear ? Noth-
" ing which will keep you with me, or help to bring you

((

lil

d been.
ecisioR.
n serve

an all-
srorld is
le, with

crowd,
perfect

ck and

corner,
iremain-

gallery
ns were
L His
St little

a lump
ult. A

epeated

Some

; of our

I must

all this

as if I

) brush

J more,

J? Is
egraph
Noth-
ing you

103

" back at once ? Yes. Here ; take this ring. Now, swear
" to keep it on your hand until you give it me again. You
" know whose ring it is ? Oh, never mind. Don't think
" of that. It has a charm, I'm told, of returning to a man
" who shall be nameless now. As it was given to me,
** through me it must go back. You see ? You can hand
" it me — \i go you really must, the next time that we
" meet, for it must return to * him,' you know, as soon as
" possible."

" But, Nelly, darling, how can I wear another man's
" engagement ring ? Just think what you are asking me
" to do ?"

" Oh, please don't look upon it as a ring, but wear it
*' for my sake. It's nothing but a charm. I feel assured
** of seeing that again, and you will naturally be with it if
" you but grant me what I ask. Do me that little favour,
" won't you ? I shall feel so very, very lonely when you've
** gone, and that would help to keep my spirits up."

" My darling, do you think, if God there be with
" heart of goodness even human, that we could be torn
" apart ? To me it seems impossible. Of course, I shall
" succeed. Of course, all will be well. And, as your whim
" about this talisman is overpowering, of course, dear, I
" shall do exactly as you wish. Heaven only knows how
" I would love to stay forever by your side. But we must
" endure some evil to ensure the future good. Telegrams
" and letters would never do my work in Ottawa, but I
" shall certainly return, bringing good news and your
" antique, the day before you expect to start for home, and
" that will be a meeting nevermore to; — but let me go
" now, dearest."

104

But still I would not su£fer him. to leave, and, by my
cruel importunities conveyed, through sympathy, some of
those foreshadowings of evil which threw such dprkness
over me; and then, how must the devils who combine
against our mortal hopes have chuckled in their glee, and
gloried in our misery.

How vain a thing it is to try to follow the workings
of two tight-knit hearts, ordained by destiny to separate,
during that brief space of ecstacy and agony which imme-
diately precedes the devastation, no teacher but experience
can tell. 'Twere foolish to recount the sobs, the sighs —
the time-worn perjuries (which the great Clerk Angel
surely must blot out), the apparent blankness of the
future's page, on which, if aught appears, it is the one
word " Misery " scrawled across the sheet — (in spite of
which disfigurement fate manages to write, during the
years which fly remorselessly along, much interesting
matter.)

All these intensities of feeling are crowded into such
a space of time that we can say of none " 'Tis here " before
'tis gone. A few short minutes sufficed to hold them ali,
and Ralph had left, and with him went the light. It was
not to turn a line the poet said " Love of man's life's a
thing apart ; 'tis woman's whole existence." . •

On the day which followed these funereal rites of the
gaieties which ourManitoban house had witnessed, Ralph
was to travel down to Ottawa, intent upon the capture of
an influential cousin's sympathy, and, with that fellow
feeling, something tangible in interest and money. The
*' Hub" of the Dominion's universe appears to be a refuge
for all those who, with a pecuniarily feeble constitution,
have yet some right good friend., at court. Ralph had

105

by my
ome of
T*kness
>mbine
ie, and

»rkings
parate,
imme-
jrience
lighfl —
Angel
of the
tie one
pite of
ng the
'esting

o such
before
em all,
It was
life's a

of the
Ralph
lire of
fellow
The
refuge
tution,
h had

many aspirations, some probabilities of actual success, and
not a few good parts. Decidedly, without a miracle, things
might turn out all right. He made so sure of it that all
arrangements were complete for his leaving Winnipeg to
make the trip to England with us, after the winning of his
victory in Ottawa. Of course, he knew not what he was
doing, and when I encountered Mr. Cliflford things would
be all so nicely settled that the sailing would be plain, if
not quite pleasant.

Poor Fred! I fear he was not treated very well.
Condemnation came upon him quite unheard. But what a
mercy was it not that he had been delivered from a double
life, which could not fail to have been miserable ? And so
the vision of his righteous anger passed away, and dream-
land put forth pictures of another hue, where two hearts
did truly beat as one. And this line phantasy continued
in one long line of bliss, until the midday sun dispelled all
dozing satires, and I woke to dull reality.

. XVII.

The time was come. Our final day in that North land
of which my latest hours will bear sweet recollections had
faded to a close, and we — the family — were walking to
our last festivity. '^lu.

The English " boys " had put their heau.n together and
'endered us a supper, whose memory should help us to
endure the trials of the tedious journey which next morn-
ing would initiate. Turning over the disagreeables of the
day, I leaned upon Jack's arm, engrossed in meditation,
and stood upon the threshold of our supper-room before I
gave a thought to things that be. Jack paused before we
entered, and then I woke with something of a start, rub-

\ (

106

bing my eyes to make quite sure I was not dreaming still.
Two steps more, and we were well inside a long, high and
narrow room, the door of which opened in the centre of
the wall, an end one, and after passing through the humble
looking portal, one seemed to say good-bye to all things
solid and mundane, to launch upon a life of Asiatic bliss.

By some most cunning artifice, tall Eastern plants,
exhaling their atmosphere of luxury, forgetfulness and
ease, were ranged, presumably on shelves, around the room,
and towered one above the other's head, the sides and ends
all gradually tending towards one point, until the topmost
plants had joined their foliage and made a bower no fairy
could despise. Down the middle of this Pixy's grove a
table shone with glittering plate and glass. The few
exotics which stood upon the board held up their heads,
and did not poke their noses into conversation, as is the
wont of common dinner-table plants, v/ho oppose a most
uncompromising front to any indiscriminate interchange of
views. The fruit was not obtrusive, and yet was quite
enough for all good purposes. The whole was lighted by
two gigantic chandeliers, which shed a pinkish light, by
some device, and did away with any of that garish light
that spoils so much effect. When, otherwise, a silence
would have reigned, the gentle trickling of water might
be heard; and on enquiry, if one could raise sufficient
energy for that, the noise was found to issue from a foun-
tain at the lower end, which played its soothing tune
incessantly. At each of the table's two extremities stood
an enormous easy chair, enveloped deep in fox skin rugs,
raised to such a height as would meet a supper's prime
necessity by a carpeted and cushioned dais.

ill'

g still.
;h and
itre of
lumble
things
bliss,
plants,
iss and
e room,
id ends
:opniost
10 fairy
^rove a
he few
> heads,
8 is the
a most
ange of
ts quite
ited by

jh light

silence

might

ufficient

a foun-

ng tune

es stood

in rugs,

s prime

107

My first, and doubtless most truly flattering remark^
on entering, was commonplace enough; yet "Oh, how
beautiful !" was greeted with a good deal of complacency^
and raised the thought that, belabour our poor brains aa
diligently as we may, simplicity will bear away the palm
in almost every case.

No one seemed to know how this Southern paradise
had come to its maturity in a land not very far removed
from the habitat of Esquimaux and seals. Each man had
done a little, so they said, though to my mind, each must
have done the people and the town with great impunity \
otherwise, from Winnipeg, they never could have raised
the wherewithal to do us such royal honour.

I spare the reader details of the disillusionizing way
in which that mortal gathering thought proper to amuse
themselves in this elysium. 'Tis always hard on one's
susceptibilities to see the facts of gastronomic art which
fragile-looking beauties will perform, but sure 'tis sacri-
lege, in such a place, the summit of a god's or fay's ambition
as a home, to see great men — and Englishmen with native
appetites at that — responding to the lying calls of hunger
with hand so liberal that common logic stands aghast and
swears that, once for all, she severs her connection with
that arch deceiver, Nature.

"Rj general acclamation, I occupied the post of Presi-
dent. Olive was voted in as Vice, but, steadfastly refusing,
a working chairman took the vacant place.

Though atra cura was, even here, quite visible for
some short time, the cloud gradually cleared away, in
deference to the stern determination of the gathering to be
merry, and good humour having once appeared among us,
the infection spread with such rapidity that presently the

If \

108

fiin grew fast, and even verged upon uproariness. We
talked, some favoured us with songs, smd how we laughed !
As if there were no better morrow. Jokes dead and buried
in the Middle Ages were now remorselessly exhumed, and
did their duty with a zest which sadly shewed the waste-
fulness of life for which the coiners of " the last new thing"
will have to give account.

But, audaenly, a hubbub rose, for everyone was saying
" Sh !" as if dear life depended on their unanimity. At
length the wiahed-for silence was secured. Our worthy
chairman stood upon his legs, and, skipping all usual inter-
mediate toasts, called upon a Mr. Thornton to give his
views upon the situation, which, with the " Hums " and
" Hahs" of an inexperienced speaker, about to take a plunge
into the vortex of an unfathomable mind, in hopes of
bringing up a pearl, he did, as follows (for I made him
deliver up his notes a little later on) : —

" Gentlemen, — ^^We are on the eve of a great dissolu-
" tion, but, being Englishmen, and, therefore, moulded
*' somewhat on the lines of the stoical old Romans (I prefer
** that theory to the Semitic one), we must, as far as in us
" lays, endeavour to bear up and emulate those ancients,
" who saw no ghastly form in even death. Albeit they, in
"leaving earth, were going to their gods (to drink and
" have some supper, presumably like this one, if Bacchus
" was good nntured), whilst Fate deprives us moderns of
" our goddesses, which is " Fons lachrymarum " unknown
<* to any of the heroes, according to — hem — hem (hear,
**hear!) — I won't insult your learning, gentlemen; you
" know the various authors I refer to, well. t , ^.

" Devigne by nature as by name, we all must trust —
'* and trust we do (for I know the company is with me on

■'--■'■'>^**'>^^«H*iil

ughed !

buried
ed, and

waste-
thing"

saying
y. At
worthy
il inter-
ive his
and

phmge
opes of
de him

dissolu-
noulded
I prefer
Eis in us
ncients,
they, in
nk and
Bacchus
lerns of
iknown
(hear,
in ; you

trust —
L me on

109

" this subject)— (•* Bet your bc.ts we'll stay with you and
" the subject till to-morrow, if you like ")— that our deities
•* but go before. I would suggest that they were going to
" prepare our paths, but knowing the high odour — of sanc-
" tity, of course — in which some of our- number are held in
" their paternal homes — our lively young friend "Spondee"
" there, for ready instance, who draws so beauteously on
" his imagination and his mater, one may, without a fear
" of contradiction, say he lives upon his wits — that more
" perfect understanding or affectionate relationship could
" not be desired by our most genuine friends. Be that as
" it may, I feel that we shall meet in heaven or elsewhere,
" and I ask you now, when the sun of Manitoba (our guests
" ^ Duaejunctae in Uno') is about to disappear, to rise and
" drink to its departing rays, knowing that they will shine
" as brightly — more brightly could they not— in that dear
" old land to which they go, and to which, despite our
" many inconveniences, we all hope to follow in due course,
" for very sunflowers, blessed with legs, are we."

(Hear, hear, etc., etc., etc.)

A good deal of confusion followed this panegyric,
occasioned, principally, by the festive " Spondee " (a nick-
name given in honour of two very lengthy feet) who
vigorously protested against the "terrible example"
which the last speaker had manufactured out of him.
However, it was passed, nem. con., that ».uch very raw
material should be proud indeed to be turned to so excel-
lent an account.

: . Jack, looking somewhat lost, got up, and was about to
set the pump at work upon his brain — a vacuum existed
there already, I incline to think — when all the arms
within a radius of five yards were stretched at length toi

;i!^

110

push him down again (it must have been a ladder up to
heaven, or out of the lower regions back to earth, to be so
interrupted), but still he seemed to think that he was being
robbed of something worth a good deal more than any mess
of pottage, when it was pointed out that I must speak
" Just for the last, you know."

Of course, in maiden modesty, and scarcity of notions,
I solemnly protested for a while, then, seeing no way out
but by a dash, I rose, praying to the gods for inspiration.

" Friends, Countrymen, and (as you wish to be, I call
" you) Bum 'uns! — The exhibition of this tenderness quite
" un woman s me. I feel myself becoming puerile — (isn't
" that the word?) — and hasten to address you whilst I am
" in your mood.

" I oflfer you the heartfelt gratitude of my sister and
" myself, — I also will include in that small, thankful group,
" my brother, though, in case you do not know it, I may
" say of him, with truth, * The article speaks amply for it-
" self,' and, sometimes, as I know, most superabundantly, —
" for the glorious way in which we have been f^ted, and in
" which our toast was drunk. To our former large indebt-
** edness, these items will be added, putting us so far into
" arrears that I fear no earthly power can extricate us.
" We may but hope that you will be repaid in heaven.

" As each, one of you knows, I am not formed by nature
" for an orator, and always shall prefer to listen to the
** veriest nothings — sweet or otherwise — to ventilating
" ignorance in speech.

*• That we may meet in England I shall always hope ;
" that we can spend a time as happily as we have done the
** past few months, thanks to ; iur indefatigable efforts, I
^* must doubt."

Ill

it
it
a

a
it
a
a
a

a
a
«

" I cannot say to you, en masse, what I might swear to
each ; but then that's your advantage, for you may think
it all, and more, too, if you like, so long as you remember
that the conversation is d deux.

" My sister pours her blessings on you, and I have lost
a heart — how the pieces are distributed, I know not ;
therefore, cannot tell. The only thing* which troubles
me is that it is so small. One heart among so many —
why, there'll be nothing round — so you will act upon
* the square ' for once.

" I hope that even when we have really disappeared,
and you have swept from oflf your stage whatever rubbish
we may leave behind, preparatory to the coming of some
star, occasionally you will waste a thought upon us, and
the many hours spent together, in different happy ways.

" And if, through the course of the ^ ears which await me,
" Some new scene of pleasure should open to view;

" I will say, while with rapture the thought shall elate me,
" Such were the days we in Canada knew.

And I resumed my seat. Here came ten minutes inter-
val, during which everyone engaged in the laudable
endeavour to sing " Auld Lang Syne " quite independently
and characteristically. ' Effort crowned with perfectly
astonishing success.

Jack came to the surface once again, to reassert his
right as our spokesman and protector, on which he thought
the company were trampling most unwarrantably. But
" I would say " and " On behalf" was as far as he could get
with followers, for it had been previously arranged that
just two speeches should be given, and none would tolerate
a third. So our brother had to rest beneath his load of
gratitude, and give up all idea of chaperoning us again.

112

¥4

Candidly, I must admit that our indulgent brother's tute-
lage was never quite a tangible affair. The idea of his
authority had been a good deal scouted, and doubtless he
would, in his heart of hearts, rejoice to see our vessel
gradually receding, and leaving but one long, thin line of
smoke, quickly to dissolve itself in air, and symbolize the
deep impressions which we all create upon the living world.
Before the ship should vanish from the sight of those on
land. Jack would turn himself about, give his back a
shake to make quite sure the incubus was gone, and
Voila! We were dead. How merciful a Providence is
that which gives to man such happy constitution !

But * to get back to our mutton.' The conversation
very soon was general and free. No stiff-backed etiquette
was here, and I was shaking off incipient melancholy (no
easy task just then) and preparing to enjoy myself, in spite
of having such a surplus over my pet audience of one.

A waiter here brought in a twisted little note, upon a
salver, which he handed up to me. I took it, turned it
over, saw it was inscribed "The Chairman of the Meeting,'*
and passed it to my deputy. He scribbled something, gave
it to the man, who disappeared forthwith ; only to return
immediately with an addition to our feast — a most unwel-
come one to me — though none around the table guessed
the idiosyncrasy.

"Mr. Conyers." -

And in he strode, amidst an avalanche of ** How d'ye
do's," "Glad to see you back's" (the latter greeting I
advanced to him, rendering the " You "as " Your," which
simple innovation was not visible, and gave my feelings an
an immense relief;) 1 ' . *

's tute-

of his

less he

vessel

line of

ize the

world.

lose on

back a

tie, and

ence is

irsation
iquette
oly (no
in spite
[le.

, upon a
irned it
meting,"
ig, gave
> return
unwel-
guessed

Dw d'ye
eting I
' which
an

113

" I just got in from Ottawa, was told, of course, the
" news of your departure, and really could not resist intrud-
" ing on you, even in this too informal way."

Since our mutual experience this man had grown quite
odious to me. To be sure I had not seen him after it, and
much against my wish I saw him now ; but when his face
had crossed my mind, a certain loathing always kept the
apparition company, and each time I exhumed his memory
it was to bury it some fathoms deeper down in what, in
flattery, I called Oblivion's Sea. But now, alas ! the waves
had washed the very body back to shore to threaten misery.

" Our friends can never be de trop. I hope we shall
" impress that truth upon you now, for there may never be
" another chance, you know ; and, should we leave without
" good wishes, the rolling pnd measureless ocean would
" doubtless think that we abused your country's hospitality,
" and deal with us accordingly. Seriously, I am very glad,
" indeed, to say " Good-bye " to you. Oh, please don't be
" so cynical. You know exactly what i mean. I am per-
" fectly in earnest."

I had pushed my chair back from the supper table, and
he persisted in following it up, to the evident exclusion of
all other of my satellites. There was something fixed and
disagreeable about his look which made my nerves vibrate,
and, spite of everything, I could not prevent my face from
growing cold, and, doubtless, pale to lookers-on.

" I don't question your good-will for one short moment,
" Miss Devigne. I am too thankful for the very smallest
" mercy at your hands to cavil at the way by which it
" comes. But the reason I seem to you to sneer is, very
" likely, owing to my feeling blue (unpardonably so for
*' one who thrusts himself upon this merry meeting (in

-J

■lil

114

" consequence of having been a witness to an accident that
" happened to a fellow who is well known to nearly all the
" men around us now (the sight of them brought him to my
" mind again), whereby he came within a very measure-
" able space, at all events, of losing what he used to call
" * That bugbear, one's existence.' Indeed, for all I know
" at present, he may have gone the entire distance, paid
" all earthly debts, and satisfied his enemies forever. 1
" was just wondering whether I should wait until to-
morrow brings me news of the condition of the patient,
or tell the plain, unvarnished facts, as they occurred, and
" let the fellows know the truth at once. This is what was
" troubling me, and giving me, perhaps, a look of depre-
" cation than which nothing could . be further from my
"thoughts."

" That is not the purest flattery of my conversational
" powers, do you think ? But I shall pass it by on condi-
" tion that you give your tale to me. In any case, I think,
" if I were you, I would not tell the people here your news
" to-night. It would but damp their merriment for no
" good end. You can, however, let me hear it now without
" the least reserve. My present mood is just the one that
*' doats on something startling — I need it as a tonic — so let
' us hasten on. Now, don't say that it's melancholy — so am
" I. I could not possibly be more so. * Fire away.' "

He did not hesitate, or wait for more persuasion. In
fact, I detected almost eagerness to pour the history forth.

" If you command, for me there is but to obey; though
" I will warn you that the tale is far from being an anti-
" dote to ' blues.'

" Just four days ago this fellow came from Winnipeg,
" and put up at the ' Russell.' I met him there at dinner.

115

mi that
all the
to my
leasiire-
to call
1 know
ce, paid
ver. I
ntil to-
patient,
red, and
'^hat was
f depre-
'om my

rsational
•n condi-
I think,
)ur news
t for no
without
one that
3 — so let
— so am

on. In

y forth.

though

an anti-

nnipeg,
dinner.

n
a
«
n
it
a
a
a
a
li
a
((
a
n

n
a
i(
it

i(
a
a

(I
n
a
(t

and, naturally, was very glad to see a Manitoban once
again, and talk of Absent friends — not scandal ; no. Men
never think of that. We turned out for a stroll. The
night was simply gorgeous. Not one cloud to be seen.
The moon was shining with something more poetic, and
very little weaker, than the light of day. The sky was
of that transparent blue you know so well, and no square
inch of it but, on examination, would show a star or two.
The air was sharp and bracing, and the hour just nine
o'clock. An unexpected change of weather had brought
the winter back again, and snow lay quite thick upon the
ground. A sleigh ride was suggested (by him or me, I
cannot now remember), and a horse and cutter stood
before the Russell House ten minutes later, and we,
enveloped in fur coats, prepared to think of Winnipeg.
My friend got in and took the reins, and I sprang up
beside him."

" Such a glorious drive it was ! Through tall, dark
trees, past rippling water (Manitobans never see such
trees and don't know what it is to hear the music of a
stream dashing over rocks) and out into the brilliant
moonlight.

" Our horse seemed to enjoy the beauty of the night
almost as much as we, and jumped about and shied with-
out the slightest provocation — the simple ebullition of
high spirit.

*' At last we called a halt, and looking at my watch, I
found that it was half-past ten, and time, I thought, for
us to be returning. So, turn we did, and came, at break-
neck speed, towards the town. Going down a long,
straight stretch, I thought I saw an object in our path,
and, thinking of the freshness of our horse, I said : * Do

:;:s^'

lip

lit

u
n
a
a
i(
a
a
a
((
It
a
a
a
n
ki
n
ii
n

((

a
a

a
n
li
n
u

116

you see that black thing in the way ? It looks just like
a drunken man. Take care.' But the driver did not
seem to hear me. One moment later the horse had shied
across the road, and, in his fright, as I at once perceived,
though the other fellow did not notice it apparently,
stood upon the very edge of the bank above the river,
a precipitous descent of thirty feet, at least, with a
rugged bed of rocks below. I scrambled out, and as my
friend sat still, to all appearances waiting for the horse
to move, quite careless of his danger, I walked towards
its head, intending to get my hand upon the bit and then
to lead the brute into the road again, when, catching
sight of me, it gave one start of fright, a snort, a side-
long jump, and everything was over! An unconscious
man, a mangled horse, and the fragments of a cutter were
what was found at the bottom of the bank. The man, or
what is left of him, is in the hospital, but whether dead,
or lingering on, or really getting better, I am not able
now to say. To-morrow may tell more."

'- Well, Miss Devigne, are you not sorry now that you
insisted on it ? By that knowledge you are placed almost
on a level with myself — all around us gay, and yet how
grinning death will threaten us." .

" The story is not a pleasant one, most certainly ;
and it can hardly be a thing that you will care to trea-
sure in your memory. But, by-the-bye, you never told
me what the poor man's name might be. I was on the
point of asking half a do/en times, but did not like to
interrupt, you were so much engroHsed.'"

" He was in Winnipeg whilst I was down in Ottawa,
these last few montiis. I hardly know if I should tell or
not, but I suppose I might as well divulge the whole of

V \

■""•»« i9m

1st like
iid not
shied
ceived,
irently,
river,
with a
as my
horse
owards
nd then
atching
, a side-
)nscious
er were
man, or
br dead,
lot able

hat you
I almost
^et how

'tainly ;
:o trea-
^er told
on the
like to

)ttawa,

tell or

hole oi'

117

" my small secret. His name is — DID you ever meet him,
" Miss Devigne ?— Ralph Esmond."

The lights grew dim, but as they faded two bright
eyes shone out. I had seen the self-same eyes, with some-
thing of that brilliancy, once before ; but now there was
an additional expression. My head was in a swirl, but
still those devil's eyes remained and glittered. With a
spasmodic, superhuman effort, I stood erect, and, stretching
out my arms, gave vent to one loud scream. Then the
total darkness fell, and I was happy.

XVIII.

Three weeks hence, and Eleanor Devigne will be a
Clifford. The legend of the ring is evidently true. It
will return to the reigning heir, and with it I shall go, as
an appurtenance. But the history of that ring contains
some chapters closed as with the seal of Fate, of which its
master's hand will never turn a leaf Chapters full of an
overwhelming tenderness, yet bearing in on me the bitter-
ness of Dead Sea fruit. Parts of the tale of a buried love,
such as my heart can never know again, are these, con-
nected with which story I have but one little, tear-stained
relic, surviving heaps of accumulated worthlessness, whose
destruction cost a depth of mental anguish far beyond the
power of pains corporal to wring, and prized beyond the
scale of any earthly things. 'Tis nothing wonderful —
nothing rare. A simple scrap of paper, unbeautifully
hend'jid with the miserable engraving of a Canadian hotel,
and it served as wrapping for the talismanic ring on its last
journey from a nortliern land. Yet, steeled to agony as
my poor bosoni has become (thanks to a liberal training
during six long months) I cannot even now look on that

R'i "i

I I

'I,

118

sheet without a dimness of the eye and aching (yes, yearn-
ing), of the heart which speaks too plainly of a passion not
yet dead, though propriety, the world and common sense
(how I hate the combination, one and all!) would dic-
tate its burial forever, five feet deep in cold Canadian soil,
with the author of the few sad lines (now very nearly
blurred into illegibility by drops whose coming caught me
unaware) which scrawl across that page.

My Darling : — It is not to be. Could I but kiss those fond lips
once again before the barrier falls forever. The darkness closes in and I
can write no more. Nelly, dearest one, good-bye. Remember /low I
loved you.

And that is all my treasure. The note can make no
boast of even signature.

" Not very extraordinary," you say. No. 'Tis noth-
ing but the headst(me of my broken heart, a bagatelle, at
best. 'Tis not of interest to the gaping crowd to know
that with that scrawling "you" (the identity of which
word is part faith with me) ebbed out one (yes, surel>
two, for what remains to me but husk and recollections t)
worthless human lives. It would take up valuable time,
which might be ndvantageously and amusingly expended
in calculating probabilities of stocks, the chances of some
"dark youngster" for a race, or the charming symmetry
of "Cupid" in the ballet, to tell how he, who, three or
four short r.Ights before, breathed Love's *nad assurances in
my ear, and ever and anon pressed to my own his warm,
sweet lips, seeming to draw anotlier life therefrom, in
scribbling those lew half-formed characters, had spent the
whole of that short, lucid interval which Providence had
granted him between the occurrence of the accident and
the laying on of death's relentless hands.

fampnier

yearn-
don not
1 sense
lid dic-
an soil,

nearly
ght me

fond lips
i in and I
)er how I

lake no

is noth-
telle, at
o know
f which
. siireh
ctionsl)
►le time,
upended
of some
mmetrv
three or
ances in
8 warm,
rom, in
)ent the
nee had
LMit and

119

" In any case," they say, " 'tis none of our concern."
And they speak truth. 'Tis mine alone. It only comforts
me to know that, tightly elapsed in two cold hands beneath
the cruel soil of a far-off, stranger land, there is a golden
locket, inscribed "E. D.," which holds a little curl of hair,
in colour not unlike the coil which now lies loose upon my
shoulder, and hangs upon this sheet, which I am covering
with scrawls. That locket bears the intermingled kisses
(he insisted on my 'kissing it when the gift was made and
we were full of hopefulness) of two sadly foolish humans.
One has already solved the Future's problem, and the
writer of these lines looks forward to the coming of a day
when Eternity will be inscrutable no more, and when, she
trusts and hopes, the counterparts of souls will be united.

In the meanwhile a marriage will occur, and, as the
phrasing of the day may put it, " The bridegroom and the
bride looked well, and wiU make a happy couple."

Yes, do you hear that Wedding March ? No. 'Tis
nothing but the organ of the old Cathedral as it bellows
forth the grand " Dead March in Saul."

Flirt! flirt! Men, women, children, flirt your lives
away ! But, oh ! beware lest love, in some unguarded
moment, should thrust a peace destroying dart behind
your shield. Had I not so plenteously despised the
enemy, and but maintained a line of conduct in accord with
my belief (which, by the way, was always what it is), how
many pains and troubles would have been eschewed ! I
cannot now declare, with certainty, that my negligence is
bloodless.

Flirtation was (and still would be, had I not, in the
maddest moment of my life, fallen from the pedestal of

120

Wisdom), the purest happiness to me. It can but rank as
anodyne to-day — thanks to ray unforgiven weakness. But
you — take good advice, and flirt ! flirt ! flirt ! Yet accept
the warning of my One Mistake.

< !

''■■^■:^^^W §

*ank as
s. But
t accept

. f • . . . (,

•,' .', j-4

,^v' f '