OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 or ILLINOIS 
 
 T88-iNK 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/sweetheartsfrienOOgray 
 
# 
 
 
 I 
 
 # 
 
 
 
SWEETHEARTS 
 
 AND 
 
 FRIENDS. . . 
 

 i A 
 
SWEETHEARTS 
 
 AND 
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 A STORY OF THE 
 SEVENTIES 
 
 By Maxwell Gray 
 
 Author of “ The Silence of Dean Maitland^'" 
 “ The Last Sentence^'* 
 
 &^c.t &c» 
 
 XouDon : 
 
 MARSHALL, RUSSELL & CO., LTD 
 Paternoster Row, E.C 
 
il. W. SIMPEON AND CO., LTD 
 The Richvtond Press 
 RICHMOND AND LONDON 
 
“For is it a griet to you that I have part, 
 
 Being woman merely, in your male might and deeds 
 Done by main strength ? Yet in my body is thrpned 
 As great a heart and in my spirit, O men, 
 
 I have not less of godlike . . . 
 
 Atalanta in Calydon 
 

INDEX. 
 
 Chapter I. ... 
 Chapter II. 
 Chapter III. 
 Chapter IV. 
 Chapter V. ... 
 Chapter VI. 
 Chapter VII. 
 Chapter VIII. ... 
 Chapter IX. 
 Chapter X. 
 Chapter XI. 
 Chapter XII. ... 
 Chapter XIII. 
 Chapter XIV. ... 
 Chapter XV. 
 Chapter XVI. ... 
 Chapter ‘XVII. 
 Chapter XVIII. 
 Chapter XIX, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 9 
 
 26 
 
 43 
 
 60 
 
 82 
 
 94 
 
 116 
 
 128 
 
 143 
 
 157 
 
 174 
 
 184 
 
 198 
 
 210 
 
 223 
 
 235 
 
 250 
 
 260 
 
 270 
 
Sweethearts and Friends 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 “ A being breathing thoughtful breath ” 
 
 /^NE of the most unpromising places for a 
 pilgrim in search of the beautiful is Fulham 
 Road ; yet even that sordid spot is visited by the 
 smiles of heaven, the holy looks of stars, the fairy 
 pageant of cloudland. And facing westwards, a 
 turn to the right from this dingy street offers a 
 vista ending in a gray and graceful spire, supported 
 by angels’ outspread pinions, rising above green 
 billows of trees. The spire, soft and aerial in the 
 distance, is led up to by a perspective of houses, 
 stuccoed and unlovely, but veiled and beautified 
 by broken rows of light-foliaged trees suggesting 
 woodland aisles. 
 
 Very quiet is the wide, forest-like thoroughfare 
 9 B 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 leading to the tree-girdled church in the square, 
 where, instead of the rabbit’s white whisking 
 tail, the stray dog or the persecuted town cat 
 darts across the path, or now and then a man in 
 a polished top hat, a pair of ladies in dainty 
 shoes pass along the pavement, or an occasional 
 carriage rolls by. In Angel Road, half-way 
 between Fulham Road and the tree-embowered 
 church, is a house in whose inmates the reader 
 is requested to take a special interest out of pure 
 courtesy. This house is number nine. 
 
 One mellow golden afternoon in October, a 
 time when the southing sun, as if relenting in the 
 moment of his departure, turns a lingering, loving 
 gaze backwards, the sunshine lay warm on 
 pavement, housetop and spire, wrapping the 
 thin-leaved limes in golden lustre ; masses of 
 cumulous clouds rose like celestial Alps on a pale 
 sky, their opalescent tints brightening to rose at 
 the summits and shading imperceptibly into gray 
 beneath their aerial bases. The golden lustre 
 poured into number nine through a back drawing- 
 room window, framed and half hidden by a 
 Virginian creeper burning in autumn glory. 
 
 10 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Some acacias stood in shadow, delicate and 
 immovable in the still air, before the front 
 windows. In this room tea was being taken by 
 several ladies fatigued by shopping, one of whom, 
 Mrs. Langton, was looking at a roll of shining 
 silk that her daughter held before her critical 
 gaze. She was the mistress of the house and 
 mother of many daughters. 
 
 It is too cheap. It looks well enough in this 
 light, but hold it before the window. It won’t 
 wear,” she said. 
 
 Well,” replied Georgie, who wants it to 
 wear ? In six months it will be as antiquated as 
 if it had come out of the ark.” 
 
 I agree with Georgie,” said a girl visitor. 
 ^‘1 found thirteen old-fashioned costumes of 
 mine in a closet yesterday, all new since the 
 spring. Now what is one to do with thirteen 
 costumes as good as new? I don’t like to burn 
 them all.’* 
 
 “ My dear,” exclaimed Mrs. Langton, why 
 when I was a girl — and we had almost as much 
 pin-money then as I have for house-keeping now 
 — a dress lasted us, a good silk, two or three 
 
 II 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 years. My daughters make their own dresses, 
 else we could not manage.” 
 
 “ We like dressmaking,” Georgie said, “ all but 
 Amy ; she hates it.” 
 
 “ Poor dear Amy is such a trial,” lamented 
 her mother. 
 
 “ A temper ? ” asked Mrs. Marshall. “ A little 
 mannish ? ” 
 
 “No; she is always thinking, and wanting to 
 do something.” 
 
 “ Girls never talked of doing things in my 
 day,” Mrs. Marshall said; “they did them.” 
 
 “ I used to want girls because I thought they 
 
 would give no trouble. But now ” An 
 
 expressive silence veiled Mrs. Langton’s grief. 
 
 “ You will soon be out of your trouble,” said 
 Mrs. Marshall cheerfully. “ In a couple of years 
 they will all be married. Come, Nettie, we have 
 another call to make. Love to naughty Amy. 
 Good-bye.” 
 
 “ If Amy would but give up thinking,” said her 
 mother, examining a letter brought in response 
 to the postman’s knock, and addressed in a firm 
 masculine hand to Miss Amy Langton. “ What 
 
 12 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 good can possibly come to a girl who thinks ? 
 We never thought of thinking when I was young.” 
 
 But mother dear, people were not in earnest 
 then,” said Grace, ^^the Church was only just 
 awakening from her long sleep.” 
 
 I wish it had never waked,” replied Mrs. 
 Langton. People did well enough when it was 
 asleep. No one had any doubts then, except 
 of course a few Atheists ; there were no good 
 infidels then ; it is more consistent of infidels to be 
 wicked. And people were not ashamed of being 
 comfortable in church. One was not expected 
 to be jostled in one’s pew by the common 
 people, and it was not thought so difficult to get 
 to heaven. This thinking turns everything upside 
 down.” 
 
 But, mamma, the Church ” 
 
 My dear Grace, I wish you would read your 
 Bible, mend your things, and keep up your 
 accomplishments, instead of talking of churches 
 and wanting to do things. No dears, the writing 
 is not a man’s, though masculine. Your sister 
 has no male correspondents. Where can Amy 
 be? ” 
 
 13 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Naughty Amy was safe in solitude of the room 
 she shared with Georgie, the sister who had least 
 in common with her, reading a big book 
 illustrated by diagrams of the human form, 
 and making notes in a manuscript volume. 
 Hearing her own name, and Georgie’s light step 
 on the stair, she grasped ink-bottle and notebook 
 in one hand, the big volume in the other, and 
 fled into a closet, in which dresses hung ; there 
 she remained until Georgie had satisfied herself 
 that the room was empty, when she emerged 
 from her hiding place, looked and listened for a 
 few minutes, stole to the bedroom door, closed 
 it softly, and sat down again to her book and 
 notes. But ink bottles cannot be carried wrong 
 side upwards with impunity ; this one had 
 discharged its contents in a black, sinuous course 
 over notes, books, and Amy’s dress, and thence, 
 in a thin dotted line, to the closet door and back 
 again to the table by the window. 
 
 And such a nice clear time before me, and I 
 might have got hold of Julius’s skeleton ! ” she 
 sighed, trying to sponge away the ink stains, in 
 the midst of which labours came a knock at 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 the door, followed by Grace with the thick letter. 
 
 My dear Amy ! what will mamma say ? 
 Another ink bottle upset ? ” 
 
 ‘‘What can I do, Grace?” she replied. “I 
 can only read when I hide. Why waste my life 
 helping others to waste theirs ? ” 
 
 “ Poor little silly ! I have brought you a 
 letter, but I am afraid the letter must wait till 
 after dinner to be read, unless the boys should be 
 late,” Grace said gently. “You will scarcely be 
 ready in time. Get ready, dear, I will manage the 
 ink.” 
 
 The boys were not late ; when the sisters 
 went down to the drawing-room, Amy with the 
 thick letter in her hand, they found Cecil and 
 Julius standing on the hearthrug and a stranger 
 sitting on the end of a couch by Mrs. Langton. 
 Cecil was a tall, fair, handsome man of four-and- 
 twenty, a clerk in a Government office, with a 
 conviction that the universe should have been 
 planned for his especial benefit ; Julius a merry- 
 faced lad of twenty-one, a medical student, with 
 none. 
 
 “ My dears,” said Mrs. Langton, as the 
 
 15 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 stranger rose on their entrance, Yon remember 
 Mr. Lester, Vivian Lester, at Baron’s Cleeve ? ” 
 They remembered him very well. ‘^The Im- 
 maculate Lester ” was one name by which 
 this young man was known to the family. 
 That beastly prig” another. Slim, knightly 
 looking, with large, melancholy dark eyes, more 
 manner than is usual, and a face not devoid of 
 intelligence, the Immaculate, with all his virtues, 
 was seldom disliked even by his own sex. An 
 only child, early left an orphan, and now at 
 twenty-four his own master, and that of a small 
 estate near Baron’s Cleeve, Vivian Lester, of 
 Croft Hall and the Middle Temple, was an 
 eminently desirable acquaintance for a family of 
 daughters. 
 
 I remember Mr. Lester as a boy on a pony at 
 Baron’s Cleeve?” Georgie replied. ‘‘Amy was 
 then only a dot in pinafores.” 
 
 Turning to Amy, Lester saw an awkward, shy 
 girl, whose tumbled dress looked as if it had been 
 pitchforked on to her shoulders, with red, though 
 well-formed hands, and hair that seemed as if a 
 touch would bring it down ; she had beautiful 
 
 i6 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 eyes of the deepest blue with long curling lashes, 
 a firm pure tint, resolute lips, and the white even 
 teeth of amiability and health. The face should 
 have pleased, but it was not the style of coun- 
 tenance the Immaculate admired. It had a want 
 of finish and repose, a look of expectancy and 
 eager intelligence, that he thought unbecoming 
 in a woman. The Immaculate’s views on women 
 were immense. 
 
 Georgie was a lovely girl, with gold hair, light 
 blue eyes, slight, rounded figure, and graceful 
 manner. Amy thought to read Lester’s character 
 at a glance. ^^A manly man,” she decided, 
 
 handsome, simple-hearted and intelligent, but 
 he evidently looks down upon me.” This was 
 unjust ; every feminine creature, even when 
 erring, was to Lester an object of veneration. 
 
 At dinner, Lester, who liked ladies to dine on 
 air and sentiment, was surprised to hear Cecil say, 
 when carving, Give that to Miss Am}^, there is 
 too much for any one else,” and horrified to see 
 that she took it with philosophic calm, and 
 dispatched it without emotion, until Cecil laughed. 
 ‘‘ Well, Amy,” he said, “ I really thought that 
 
 17 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 even you would have been staggered by that.” 
 Then she turned crimson and hung her head. 
 
 “ You ought to be proud other appetite,” Julius 
 said. “ It indicates health ; besides she’s grow- 
 ing. Don’t mind him, my dear girl ; take some 
 more beef; it will do you good.” 
 
 “ My dear,” Mrs. Langton began to Amy with 
 a view to changing the subject, “ I was so sorry 
 that you were out this afternoon when the 
 Marshalls called. Such delightful people ! ” 
 
 “ I was not out, mother,” replied Amy. 
 
 “Not out ? then where were you ? ” 
 
 Georgie laughed. “ The little puss was hiding 
 in the closet, ink and all,” she said. 
 
 “ I am distressed, Amy,” said Mrs. Langton in 
 a low tone and fluttering her cap strings with 
 vexation. “ That you will not see people is bad 
 
 enough, but when it comes to deception ” 
 
 “ Mother, it was no deception. If Georgie had 
 found me I should have been obliged to see the 
 Marshalls, as it was, I avoided them without 
 rudeness.” 
 
 The Immaculate, though much interested in 
 Grace’s conversation with Cecil and himself, 
 
 i8 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 overheard this, and it made him very, very sad. 
 
 When the ladies reached the drawing-room, 
 Amy put herself in a remote corner, lighting a 
 taper on a table near, and rea-d the long delayed 
 letter, which ran thus : — 
 
 Windermere, Oct., 187 — . 
 
 ‘‘ My darling Amy, — I have the most wonderful 
 piece of news for you. You remember my 
 poor grandfather’s death ? Well, the poor dear 
 old man relented, and left us — Lucius and me — 
 each £ 10 , 000 . You can guess what is going 
 to happen now that I am free. Of course I 
 shall carry out my long-cherished plan of study- 
 ing medicine. Miss Sterne, as might have been 
 predicted, cannot imagine how I can renounce 
 my beautiful calling” of teaching girls to do 
 nothing and shut their eyes to the realities of 
 life. Still, I do renounce the only profession 
 open to women till quite recently. 1 must 
 remain here till the Christmas holidays, when I 
 shall go to town and study at the new school of 
 medicine for women. I shall live in apartments 
 near. Till when ” 
 
 Amy looked up on the entrance of her brothers 
 
 19 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and the Immaculate, and put her half-read letter 
 once more in her pocket, her mind full of her 
 friend’s good fortune and audacity, when an idea 
 suddenly flushed her face crimson. Why not 
 follow her friend’s example ? She had been 
 studying anatomy with a view to making her 
 geological studies more complete, also chemistry 
 and physiology. Why not turn these studies 
 to practical account and become a useful 
 member of society? Why not cut the Gordian 
 knot by leaving that house of many 
 daughters, in which she was an anomaly and 
 superfluity ? She was so engrossed by these re- 
 flections that she did not observe the Immaculate 
 standing patiently before her with a cup of tea. 
 
 Oh, I beg pardon,” she exclaimed, starting 
 from her dreams, but such a splendid idea has 
 just come into my head.” 
 
 Can you sweeten your tea with ideas ? ” he 
 asked. That a girl should be so brusque,” he 
 thought. 
 
 I could with this, it is so very sweet ; but I 
 don’t like sweet tea, thanks.” She looked so 
 bright and full of pleasure that be was interested. 
 
 20 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and took a seat by her. Perhaps the blue-stocking 
 was only an affectation ; she was young. 
 
 wonder if you could sweeten my tea with 
 some of that superabundant sweetness, Miss Amy,” 
 he asked, looking as beautiful as the day, while 
 Georgie played a waltz on the piano. 
 
 I wish I could, but perhaps you know that 
 one man’s meat is another man’s poison.” 
 
 Still, some human beings have meats in 
 common.” 
 
 I am afraid,” she thought, that you and I 
 are not those human beings. Oh, I say ! ” she 
 cried, starting at a sudden thumping and struggling 
 at the door. Good gracious!” By Jove!” 
 cried her brothers, What has the creature got ? ” 
 Georgie’s music was silenced, the door burst 
 open and a large retriever puppy belonging to 
 Julius rushed in, rolling something between his 
 forepaws heavily over the floor. 
 
 Down, Jack, down,” cried Cecil. Drop it, 
 sir, drop it.” 
 
 A kind of bowl rolled to Cecil’s feet. He picked 
 it up with a suppressed smile and held it aloft. 
 Amy ran forward and took it eagerly, crying in a 
 
 21 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 tone partly injured, partly satisfied, “ Why it’s 
 my skull ! I can’t think how the dog got it,” 
 she added. “ I put it under my pillow myself.” 
 
 “ I tell you what, Amy,” said Cecil angrily, “ if 
 this thing turns up any more. I’ll smash it to 
 atoms.” 
 
 The Immaculate was overcome. Was this girl 
 a Valkyr ? he asked himself, as he listened to 
 a discussion of Amy’s anatomical studies with a 
 shocked face. 
 
 “ I say, Amy,” said Julius, who had returned 
 from tying up the retriever, “ It’s time you stowed 
 all that nonsense of learning anatomy. As if a 
 girl could learn anatomy.” 
 
 “ Why not ? ” she demanded, on her mettle. 
 “I know a girl who wrote an anatomical paper 
 for a science journal.” 
 
 “ Some old hag in spectacles cribbed it all out 
 of a book.” 
 
 “ Twenty-four and with pretty eyes. She’s 
 coming to town to study to be a surgeon at 
 Christmas.” 
 
 “She may study,” replied Julius. “There’s 
 not a professor at St. Scalpel’s who hasn’t sworn 
 
 22 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 to give up his place before he will examine a 
 woman.” 
 
 ‘^Amy,” said Mrs. Langton, where did you 
 pick up this dreadful person ? ” 
 
 Mother, it is Louisa Stanley.” 
 
 That English governess who has been the 
 ruin of you ? ” 
 
 She is my best friend. I like her better than 
 anybody in the world,” cried Amy. 
 
 The Immaculate was more and more shocked ; 
 he wished to turn the subject. ‘^Have you seen 
 Mr. Tennyson’s new drama, Mrs. Langton ? ” he 
 asked mournfully. 
 
 Of course she had. A discussion on the poet 
 arose, in which Julius said with acerbity, Fancy 
 Elaine walking the hospitals ! ” 
 
 Of course she would have fainted at the sight 
 of a wounded man,” returned Amy scornfully. 
 
 ‘^N-no; she would not have fainted,” said 
 Lester, with confusion. 
 
 He was looking at an engraving in the illus- 
 trated Idylls of the King, representing Elaine 
 extracting the spear from Lancelot’s side. ‘‘Yes, 
 it is a nice picture,” Amy said. “ Lancelot 
 
 23 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 looks so grateful. They were used to women 
 doctors in those days.” 
 
 “ Rude savage times,” said the Immaculate 
 crossly, to Amy’s enjoyment. 
 
 “ Still the times of chivalry ; of the apotheosis 
 of woman,” Grace added. “ Ah ! If the days of 
 chivalry were not gone by ! ” 
 
 “They are not gone by,” replied the Immaculate 
 
 vigorously. “ They will never go by, while ” 
 
 “ Don Quixote Lester is alive and kicking,” Julius 
 put in. 
 
 The Immaculate smiled mournfully. He never 
 resented chaff, and was capable of laughing at 
 himself, so that his virtues were endurable. 
 
 “ Ah, but chivalry is gone by, Julius,” Amy said. 
 “ Sir Philip Sidney is scarcely ever seen riding in 
 the parks now ; Una never walks in Kensington 
 Gardens with her milk-white lamb ” 
 
 “ And ‘ the gentle lady wedded to the Moor ’ is 
 too busy studying anatomy to listen to Othello’s 
 stirring tales,” added Lester. 
 
 “ Hear ! hear ! ” cried Cecil. “ Look here, 
 Lester, you know what everybody ought to be and 
 do. Let us have your ideal of a woman,” 
 
 24 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ‘‘Drive on, old chap,” added Julius. “A 
 being ” 
 
 “With a big B,” Georgie put in, “and no 
 views ” 
 
 “ Miss Grace will tell us,” said the Immaculate 
 with his accustomed gallantr}^ “ Those who 
 live ideals can best paint them.” 
 
 “ Mr. Lester ! ” cried Grace, crimson, “ How 
 can you? I can’t!” 
 
 “Well,” began Lester, — “The — ideal — h’m ! — 
 woman is — ah ! — a being — whose weakness is her 
 strength, in whom — ah ! — feeling replaces intellect, 
 meekness and refinement strength, who — should be 
 a rest to her husband by her freedom from toil, 
 a strength to him by the appeal of her weakness, a 
 joy to him by her freedom from sorrow.” 
 
 “And have no relations, no pity, and ten 
 thousand a year,” added Amy with a derisive 
 laugh, echoed by Georgie. 
 
 “And only speak when she’s spoken to,” added 
 Cecil severely. “ Well done, Lester ! ” 
 
 “Thank you, Mr. Lester,” said Mrs. Langton ; 
 “ nothing can be more just or desirable than the 
 picture you have drawn of an ideal woman.” 
 
 25 
 
 c 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 “ The stars of midnight shall be dear 
 To her ; and she shall lean her ear 
 In many a secret place, 
 
 Where rivulets dance their wayward round, 
 
 And beauty born of murmuring sound 
 Shall pass into her face.’’ 
 
 l T rHEN Amy Langton at the age of eighteen 
 ’ left White How, a great rambling house 
 over beautiful Windermere, she was supposed to 
 have completed her education at that finishing 
 school. But she thought that, like that of her 
 brothers at the same age, her real education was 
 just about to begin. She had been very happy 
 in the bare bleak house on the hill, looking 
 across the clear brown lake, with its lovely Belle 
 Isle, that was russet brown in winter, of every 
 tender and soft colour in spring, green in summer, 
 rich and varied in autumn, reflected in the lucid 
 wave. The windows of White How had views 
 of brown and purple wooded hills, rising above 
 
 26 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 waterside meadows, of the bare jagged peaks of 
 Langdale Pikes, and the dim mountainous lake- 
 head at Ambleside ; westward they showed the 
 lake winding away like a broad river among the 
 mountains. 
 
 There, her nerves braced by exhilarating 
 mountain air, her spirit fed by the stern and 
 lofty beauty of fell and lake, body and mind 
 developed, the former growing tall, agile, clear- 
 skinned and bright-eyed, the latter eager, acute, 
 and avid of ideas ; there she consumed with equal 
 readiness and satisfaction the hearty north-country 
 fare furnished for these girls in the early seventies, 
 and such intellectual food as was attainable as 
 well. Holidays at White How were spent in 
 rowing in long out-riggers on the lake, wandering 
 through wild rocky woods, over craggy fells, 
 by becks and waterfalls. 
 
 A joy to those who taught what she thought 
 worth teaching, Amy Langton was a trial to the 
 music-master. She flatly refused to practise, 
 saying she had wasted time enough on an art for 
 which she had neither talent nor desire, till at last 
 the wearied man requested that she might no 
 27 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 longer attend his lessons. But she was a joy 
 to the pastry cook, whom the girls visited on 
 Saturdays, and to her school-fellows, being always 
 in good health, good spirits and temper, and 
 ready to help lazy girls. 
 
 Still, Miss Amy Langton was not a model pupil, 
 though so quick and teachable in class ; she was 
 always breaking rules and crockery, upsetting ink, 
 gravity, and teachers’ tempers. There were 
 many rules, mostly petty, always irritating. It 
 was forbidden to walk in the carriage drive, to 
 linger by the front terrace walls, to walk arm-in- 
 arm, to run through hall and corridor, to speak 
 to a servant ; to go out alone was never dreamt 
 of. There was not a rule unbroken by Amy 
 Langton ; some rules had to be invented expressly 
 to curb this lively damsel’s exuberant spirits. 
 
 One Saturday in May, a time so delicious 
 in the Lake country, when the foliage presents 
 its greatest variety, the school rowed across 
 the lake and moored their boats on the opposite 
 shore, where they dispersed in the woods to find 
 lilies of the valley and other flowers. Miss Sterne, 
 who had nearly accomplished the years allotted to 
 
 28 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 man, accompanied her pupils on water expeditions, 
 so that if they went to the bottom she might escape 
 the reproaches of bereaved parents. Comfortably 
 seated on a camp-stool in a shady nook, the 
 head of the school enjoyed the exquisite pros- 
 pect before her, the lake shining in sun, purpling 
 mountains reflected in its still surface, whispering 
 leaves overhead — and envied the young lovers 
 drifting past in a pair-oared skiff. At seventy 
 single blessedness has drawbacks. The young 
 English governess withdrew into a little cove 
 beneath some rocks by the water-side, and 
 listened to the waves’ tiny wash over the 
 pebbles at her feet. The girls’ light dresses 
 fluttering in and out of the trees were just visible 
 to her, their clear voices calling one to another, 
 just audible. Mademoiselle was on guard by 
 the shore ; Miss Sterne watched above ; all 
 was safe ; she opened a book and was lost in it 
 till a quick step sounded over the pebbles, and a 
 voice cried, Miss Stanley ! ” Fatal, too frequent 
 appellation ! Governesses soon learn to hate 
 their own names. Miss Stanley looked up 
 at the lanky figure of a girl of barely seven- 
 
/ 
 
 SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 teen, standing shy and awkward before her. 
 
 “ You gave me back my English composition 
 last night,” the girl said, colouring deeply and 
 speaking abruptly. 
 
 Miss Stanley’s delicate face showed impatience 
 repressed, her brows were knitted, her mouth 
 compressed. “ Yes, Amy, I gave you a Very 
 Good. It is the best composition you ever sent 
 in.” 
 
 “Thank you. But — there — was — this — ” 
 holding out a paper, “in it folded up — and, 
 before I knew, I had read half — then somehow I 
 was obliged to go on to the end.” 
 
 Amy's cheeks grew redder and redder; Louisa 
 took the paper, and, having glanced at it, 
 laughed. 
 
 “ Never mind,” she said, “ It is nothing 
 personal. For pity’s sake don’t cry. It is 
 only a translation. Come and sit by me. Let 
 us talk of something else.” 
 
 The girl looked up through tears at the clever 
 young face and wistful eyes with sudden interest. 
 “ How clever and kind you are ! ” she cried ; “ How 
 did you learn Greek ? ” 
 
 30 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 When she heard that it was done by grammars 
 and lexicons without other help, she threw herself, 
 like a long-legged boy, on the mossy ground 
 before Louisa with a great Oh ! ” of wonder 
 and admiration. 
 
 Let me learn Greek, Miss Stanley. We learn 
 in school such an awful lot of humbug. Greek is 
 not humbug.” 
 
 “You shall learn Greek; I will teach you — at 
 least what I know. But we shall have to get up 
 before the bell these bright mornings.” 
 
 “ It’s a shame to take advantage of you ; you 
 have such a lot to do. You seem to know 
 everything.” 
 
 “ I seem to know nothing.” 
 
 “ Why do you want to learn ? ” 
 
 “ I want to know. I want to live, not vegetate. 
 I want to be useful. I want to make a career,” 
 Louisa replied, dreamily gazing over the purple 
 hills. 
 
 “You are the most extraordinary person I ever 
 met,” cried Amy, “ and so talented. Have I any 
 talent ? ” 
 
 “Talent enough, but no ambition, no industry. 
 
 31 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Your wits are far beyond any girl’s at White 
 How.” 
 
 “ Well, the)^ need be. But what is the good ? 
 Next year I shall go home and spend my life like 
 Grace and Georgie, going to parties, receiving 
 callers, shopping, and making clothes. If I were 
 a man, or had to do something for a living ! I 
 wish to goodness I was obliged to work.” 
 
 “And yet I am not satisfied.” 
 
 “ You don’t like teaching ? Well, neither 
 should I, especially unruly girls like us.” 
 
 “ I have not the gift of teaching. Besides, we 
 are not teaching you the right things in the right 
 way.” 
 
 “ Then why don’t you set to work and do 
 it?” 
 
 “ Parents would never send their girls to us if I 
 did, as Miss Sterne often complains. Well, you 
 shall learn Greek, and you shall, even if circum- 
 stances compel you to do a great deal of visiting 
 and dressmaking, at least keep some corner of 
 your life for better things.” 
 
 “ Life seems to be a muddle ; everything is such 
 rot,” cried Amy, making ducks and drakes with 
 
 32 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 flat pebbles over the pellucid water. I don’t 
 want to come out. Boys don’t come out. Miss 
 Stanley, what would you do if you were not a 
 governess ? ” 
 
 I would have a profession ; I should like to 
 be a surgeon.” 
 
 Splendid ! But women can’t.” 
 
 Why not ? Ah, there’s the recall ! ” 
 
 There was no help for it. They had to rise 
 and make their way to the landing-place, where 
 girls swarmed round the boats, handing in 
 cushions, books, luncheon, flowers and plants. 
 Heads were counted, places and oars assigned, 
 the signal for starting given, and they 
 pushed off over the sunny waters, making the 
 shadows of the fells tremble in their wake. They 
 rowed among fairy-like islets, crowned with dark 
 rocks and trees, carpeted with moss and flowers. 
 A pair of swans followed them, bending their 
 beautiful necks to take biscuits the girls threw, 
 and making sudden sweeps after some morsel 
 carried away by the water. Amy, bending easily 
 to the light oars, pulled a noble stroke ; it was 
 difficult to pair her with any girl. Langdale 
 33 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Pikes were growing glorious in clouds of 
 molten gold, High Street and Coniston gathering 
 purple shadows about them, Ambleside fading 
 into indistinct rose-mists, while Wray Castle 
 stood out gray and solitary, like some venerable 
 relic of feudal splendour, or legendary tower 
 dear to poets ; Amy was thinking of this 
 new stimulating notion that women might 
 be doctors. Pleasure boats flitted by in 
 shadow and sun-light, a little steamer dashed 
 hastily along, leaving a silver furrow behind 
 it. The girls sang “ O Dolce Napoli, 0 suol beato,” 
 to the light plash of oars, and “ Row, 
 Brothers, Row,” one boat answering the other 
 till they reached Bowness Bay, where difficult 
 navigation compelled them to break off as 
 they wound among numerous little barks. This 
 was the time for eager conversation, laughing, and 
 such obvious jesting as excites the ready mirth 
 of schoolgirls. 
 
 Amy’s place was by Louisa as the school 
 crocodile wound up the steep street, past heavy 
 stone houses pitched here and there as if at 
 random. 
 
 34 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Miss Stanley, is it unfeminine to know 
 much ? ” she asked. 
 
 Was Lady Jane Grey unfeminine ? or 
 Elizabeth Herschel ? or Mary Somerville ? or 
 Vittoria Colonna ? ” 
 
 But strong minded females, Women’s Rights 
 women and all those, aren’t they rather horrid ?” 
 
 ‘‘ If they are horrid, it is not because they know 
 too much, but because they know too little. They 
 have been instructed, but not educated, not drawn 
 out. 
 
 Miss Stanley,” Amy flushed hotly and paused. 
 
 Well ? ” 
 
 Don’t men hate learned women ? ” 
 
 Do they ? What if they do ? ” 
 
 Only I should not like men to hate me. I 
 shouldn’t like to be an old maid,” she blurted out, 
 growing redder and redder. 
 
 Then don’t be a young owl. Knowing Greek 
 will not unfit a girl to be a wife. Oh ! my dear 
 Amy, half the misery of life comes from wives 
 knowing nothing that interests their husbands.” 
 
 You don’t think it silly, then, to think of being 
 married ? ” 
 
 35 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Young women ought to think, and think 
 seriously, of marriage. 
 
 I begin to love you. Miss Stanley. I think I 
 always liked you, though you are a governess. 
 This sweet Greek ! Pity it’s Sunday to-morrow.” 
 
 Tea at white How was a noble function, the 
 only drawback to which was its brevity. Girls 
 rose hungry from table purely because they had 
 not had the time to satisfy the regal appetites 
 they acquired in that bracing mountain air, 
 appetites unspoiled by excess and fostered by 
 regular hours and constant occupation. The 
 table, ringed round by rosy girl faces, was 
 pleasant to behold. The teapot was supple- 
 mented by terra-cotta jars of water; no excess 
 in that pernicious and seductive cup was there- 
 fore possible. A noble ham, brown loaves, piles 
 of oat-cake, glasses of honey, treacle and jam, 
 pickled char — a fish caught in the lake, Eccles 
 cakes — a kind of large sandwich mince pie, 
 apple cakes, fresh sweet butter and rye bread ; 
 all pleased girlish palates, all vanished swiftly 
 and silently* The business before them was 
 far too serious for conversation, which was 
 
 36 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 further hampered by being held in French. 
 
 Passez le sel, sHl vous plaitP 
 
 En voulez-voiis encore ? ” 
 
 Merci.'’ Such was the exciting and pleasing 
 tenor of this table-talk. There was, in conse- 
 quence, more time for reflection, and also for 
 enjoying beauty through the large, open windows 
 v/hich looked over the little town with its square 
 grey tower, the placid lake, and the mountains, 
 high above which Langdale Pikes rose darkly 
 against a rose-flushed sky, having half the lake in 
 shadow. Tea finished, girls strolled in the garden, 
 or sat in the verandah under the eye — they 
 were always under some eye — of Mademoiselle. 
 Then, in an upper chamber, known as the music- 
 room, the scene of many conflicts with the 
 music-master, the first delightful Greek lesson 
 was given. 
 
 Happy hour, happy, eager pupil, happy teacher ! 
 Lake and mountains changing in the setting sun, 
 long-lingering Northern afterglow shedding pale 
 lustre over dark shoulders of Fells, a wan, 
 white star trembling into lucid gold-green above 
 the hill, were mingled with the fascination of 
 37 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 those novel characters, henceforth to be friends 
 for life, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. A blackbird 
 sang in fresh-leaved woods below, orange points 
 came out on the margin of the lake, a steamer’s 
 green light played on the still wave, when 
 the last load of passengers was discharged on 
 the quay. Every character in that curious, 
 interesting alphabet, every inflection of the first 
 noun learnt that night, sank deeply, enchantingly 
 in the scholar’s memory, and ever after recalled 
 the charms of that pleasant twilight hour, the 
 blackbird’s flute notes, the steamer’s throb in the 
 water and the sound of her bell, as well as the deep 
 and romantic affection for the teacher that sprang 
 up in the pupil’s heart. 
 
 Louisa’s gentle manner and soft accent were 
 models constantly held before the school ; she 
 suggested enough beauty to touch the hearts of 
 girls in their teens ; she was popular, ruled firmly, 
 entered into sports, and knew how not to see 
 trifles. It was whispered that she spoke Sanscrit, 
 and had refused the hand of an Oxford professor in 
 faultless Greek. Louisa was particular about the 
 fit of her clothes, and the harmony of her 
 
 38 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 colours ; she never wore bad gloves ; this redeem- 
 ing weakness gave her more power over her girl 
 scholars than all the virtues and all the talents 
 put together. She was the only daughter of an 
 Oxford Don, who, renouncing his celibate fellow- 
 ship for a country benefice, had married late in life 
 and died ten years later, after a year’s widowhood, 
 leaving just enough property to bring up and 
 educate his son and daughter, transmitting to the 
 latter a taste for study and a well-developed active 
 brain, to the former, now in the army, little but 
 his name. Thus, having so few natural ties, 
 Louisa was the more ready to respond to the 
 adoring affection Amy Langton lavished upon 
 her ; at twenty-three she was scarcely older in 
 heart than Amy at seventeen. Louisa had two 
 ruling ideas ; the emancipation of her sex 
 from ignorance, frivolity, prejudice, and petty 
 tyranny, and a desire to console and heal. The 
 latter, together with a native scientific bent, 
 made her wish to be a physician and 
 surgeon. Amy, with more imagination, had 
 a similar leaning towards science. She had been 
 a troublesome child, who cut open bellows to see 
 39 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 
 where the wind came from, and worried her elders 
 for a reason for everything. 
 
 After the happy Greek lesson, associated ever 
 after with delicate beryl green of afterglow, 
 dark mountains, purple zenith, distant laughter 
 of schoolmates, faint sounds rising with blue smoke 
 from the village, and the fresh smell of May foliage, 
 associated above all with Louisa’s voice and looks, 
 Amy began to look forward to a liveable life, full 
 of aims and interests. Hitherto the life after 
 school had been thought of as an ending to all 
 things, like death, but with no desirable hereafter. 
 
 Other studies were soon added to the Greek. 
 Time for these was filched from early morning 
 and half-holidays ; often the two saw the sun rise 
 over Westmorland fells and waters. Now a dark 
 mass of mountain would be crested with rosy gold, 
 gradually stealing dov/nwards till it blushed 
 sudden crimson over the pale mirror of the lake; 
 The crimson would change to purple, orange, pale 
 gold. Then the lake would turn to delicate blue, 
 with a whitish satiny gloss in sunshine, to clear 
 rich brown in shadow, the brown of the high 
 moors, whence the waters descended. Mists 
 
 40 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 would float in capricious shapes about the hill, a 
 solid white cloud would brood over the lake like 
 a sleep, the hill-tops standing clear in morning 
 gold above, while the lake lay still and dark 
 beneath, with boats’ shadows cut sharply upon it. 
 Gradually the white cloud warmed to deep purple 
 and crimson ; again the crimson paled to rose, the 
 rose to salmon, to primrose, to nothing, when the 
 unveiled lake and mountains were spread out 
 clear in the morning light. Then rose matins 
 of early blackbirds and thrushes ; the bleak 
 moors and windy fells of Westmoreland are too 
 cold for larks. In winter, wrapped in shawls 
 and shivering in the light of a solitary taper, 
 the students saw the hill-tops, nearly always 
 covered with snow, gleaming beneath frosty 
 stars and wintry moons ; at times the weird 
 lustre of an Aurora spread over the sky, ribs 
 of light springing from horizon to zenith, where 
 they met in a crown, like the stone ribs of a 
 vaulted roof. These solitary studies in the 
 death-like stillness of the sleeping house, had 
 a tinge of romance and mystery that enhanced 
 their charm ; there was keener delight in 
 41 D 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 knowledge bought at the expense of ease and 
 comfort. 
 
 So when the sad moment arrived for her to 
 take final leave of White How, Amy Langton left 
 it in glowing health with deep regret, but with 
 promises to her friend to correspond and pursue 
 her studies at home. 
 
 But Louisa ! She was thinner, paler, more 
 ethereal in appearance than ever. 
 
 42 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 “And custom lie upon thee with a weight, 
 Heavy as frost and deep almost as life. ” 
 
 HAT am I to do with Amy ? ” Mrs. 
 
 Langton asked her stepson Steven, the 
 
 head of the family, an ex-captain of dragoons of 
 about forty-five. 
 
 What has she been doing now, mother ? ” 
 
 ‘‘ She is so utterly unlike other girls. She will 
 think ; and she will say what she thinks, which is 
 worse. She reads Julius’ medical books ; the 
 most shocking things, my dear Steven. And she 
 dislikes society. She wants to go to Girton. 
 Grace’s sisterhoods, slummings, and perpetual 
 church-goings are bad enough. Cecil cannot do 
 upon his pay in the Sealing Wax Office. Poor 
 Algernon, of course, is a trial. Georgie is my 
 only comfort. But Amy, hidden away in corners 
 with books and bones and dissections of dead 
 bats and birds, is something appalling. ” 
 
 43 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Shocking, mother, shocking ! Still, Amy 
 isn’t a bad little maid, and she’s young, too. 
 Eighteen, isn’t it ? ” 
 
 “ Now she wants to study at this new school 
 of medicine for women, thanks to that horrid 
 governess, Louisa Stanley. ” 
 
 “ Let her come to us for a few months. I’ll 
 reason with her. Alice will urge her to sweet 
 reasonableness. We’ll make a woman of 
 her.” 
 
 So Amy went to Baron’s Cleeve for a few 
 months. Her brother reasoned with her for a few 
 months ; his wife likewise. The immaculate 
 Lester, whose little estate, Croft Hall, was near, 
 frequently called, dined, lunched, and slept at 
 Baron’s Cleeve during those few months, and 
 reasoned with her, but she was still immovable. 
 Mr. Lester was at this time much burdened 
 with responsibility for the moral welfare of his 
 neighbours, which he lost no opportunity of trying 
 to promote by precept as well as example. Amy 
 thus had the advantage of counsel’s opinion 
 against her project, to which she remained firm, 
 nevertheless. 
 
 44 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 When she went home, she importuned her 
 mother daily to save her from the emptiness of the 
 life of an ordinary spinster at home. She spoke of 
 Mrs. Langton’s recent losses, and of her straitened 
 means in case of the stepbrother’s death. The 
 boys will marry, ” she said. Boys always do. 
 Cecil will never be rich, and always extravagant. 
 Algernon has already spent his money, and wants 
 more ; Julius will never make a fortune. Grace, 
 Georgie, and Lucy, when they marry, will take 
 their portions. How little will be left ! ” 
 
 And Amy, when she marries ? ” 
 
 Amy will never marry,” she replied ; and if 
 she does,” she added inconsequently, “ she will 
 first make a stipulation that her mother is pro- 
 vided for.” 
 
 Mrs. Langton was touched. None of her other 
 children had troubled themselves much about a 
 future provision for her. 
 
 Finally, Amy won her point. Steven persuaded 
 her mother that a few years’ study would, at least, 
 be good discipline for the young woman. The 
 whim will soon pass if not made stronger by 
 opposition,” he said. Amy’s god-mother had left 
 45 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 her a few hundred pounds ; this would pay the 
 expenses of her studies. ^‘You can buy a good 
 deal of experience with £ 300 ,'' Steven maintained. 
 So Mrs. Langton reluctantly yielded, to the 
 intense anger of Cecil and Julius, who refused to 
 meet their sister while she studied medicine. Amy 
 therefore shared Louisa Stanley’s rooms, an exile 
 from Angel Road. 
 
 I am afraid we shall find the want of male 
 society a great void in our life,” Amy said one 
 evening, when the friends were sitting over their 
 fire after dinner. 
 
 Of course we shall, and our development will 
 suffer in consequence. But that cannot be helped. 
 These conventionalities will pass and men’s 
 prejudices will give way.” 
 
 Yes, we are only pioneers after all, though the 
 first roughness of the way has already been 
 smoothed for us by more daring spirits. We 
 must be content to give up the softer things of 
 life.” 
 
 Certainly. We must be careful not to 
 marry, for instance. It would be a good plan to 
 found a secular order of celibates. At all events 
 
 46 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 you and I will take vows against marriage, 
 Amy.” 
 
 “ Why bind oneself by vows ? ” 
 
 “ Lest we should be tempted. We must 
 certainly not marry, Amy,” repeated Louisa. 
 
 “ I don’t know about that,” replied Amy. 
 
 “ Ah ! Amy,” returned Louisa, reproachfully ; 
 “ You are weak ! You are not prepared to sacrifice 
 yourself to the Cause.” 
 
 “ Suppose it should involve sacrificing somebody 
 else? ” 
 
 “ You traitor ! you are in love.” 
 
 “ I am not,” replied Amy. “ But I am 
 human.” 
 
 “ Even if I should lose my health,” Louisa 
 
 added after a pause. 
 
 “ Louie,” the other interrupted, “ You are not 
 really ill, are you ? ” 
 
 “No; only feeling the effects of governess life. 
 .1 left off and entered this haven of rest just in 
 time. You are strong enough.” 
 
 “Almost too strong; I never know how to 
 throw off my superfluous energy.” 
 
 “ There is another disadvantage for us. We 
 
 47 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 have no physical training, like those noisy boys at 
 St. Scalpel's, and our recreations must be so 
 painfully few and select.” 
 
 “ Amy, be very careful, and on no account form 
 intimacies with men,” her mother said one day, 
 after many other injunctions, when visiting the 
 exile at her apartments in town. 
 
 “I will indeed, mother,” replied Amy, throwing 
 her arms round her mother’s neck and kissing 
 her, “ But I can’t help laughing ; your advice is 
 so superfluous. In Angel Road I had a hundred 
 times the opportunity for such intimacies. In 
 rooms with Louisa, fenced round by all the 
 bulwarks of conventionality, I am as safe as in a 
 convent.” 
 
 “ Conversaziones,” murmured Mrs. Langton, 
 half suffocated by her child’s embrace, “ Pro- 
 fessors, queer people at medical women’s houses.” 
 
 “ Nearly all married, all ugly, many old. Dear 
 mother, they are about as dangerous as the 
 mummies in the British Museum.” 
 
 “ Doctors,” pleaded Mrs. Langton. 
 
 “ All hate us, but one, and he is madly in love 
 with Louie.” 
 
 48 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Actually in love with her!” cried Mrs. 
 Langton, freeing herself from Amy’s arms. 
 
 And are they engaged ? ” 
 
 Oh 1 dear no ; Louie doesn’t care for him. 
 They seldom meet, except in the street.” 
 
 Then pray, how do you know ? ” 
 
 I see it in his eyes.” 
 
 You see far too much,” complained the 
 mother. 
 
 Exiled from Angel Road, Amy passed part of 
 the summer vacation with her stepbrother at 
 Baron’s Cleeve, where she frequently met and 
 argued with Lester, whose appetite for these 
 conflicts grew with indulgence, and whose opinions 
 strengthened with opposition. 
 
 I have millions of things to tell you,” he said 
 in the course of a visit one sunny afternoon, 
 during this holiday, but do come out. A 
 house is a dungeon to-day.” 
 
 What more natural than to stroll along terraces 
 until they reached a trellised arbour of vine and 
 fig trees. What more natural and pleasant and 
 conducive to the confidences of friendship?” 
 
 The Immaculate forgot his million things for 
 
 49 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 about half-an-hour, then he spoke of his plans. 
 He was about to make a Swiss tour. There 
 was no longer any chance of a county election, the 
 present member had no intention of resigning, as 
 had been supposed. Lester was on the whole glad, 
 being still too unsettled in his opinions for party 
 politics. Amy was sorry. She thought definite 
 duties and aims would give stability and con- 
 centration to his character. In this he agreed. 
 “ By the way, if I were really in Parliament, dear 
 pythoness,” he said, having so styled her because 
 of her oracular speeches, “and that little apple 
 of discord. Female Suffrage, were thrown amongst 
 us, I should not be on your side.” 
 
 “ Not yet. The many will never be on our' 
 side, but descendants of this generation of either 
 sex will contend in the House of Commons.” 
 
 “ Let me be spared the sight, dear prophetess.” 
 
 “ Society must progress,” she continued, 
 “ and women will rise with men ; the great tidal 
 wave is set in motion, it cannot turn till it has 
 reached the flood. Everybody is against our cause ; 
 many are against us. The struggle is killing 
 Louisa by inches. It shan’t kill me.” 
 
 50 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Give it up in time,” he said, half amused, 
 half touched by her earnestness. 
 
 Never.” 
 
 What is to be done ? Argument is useless, 
 compulsion out of the question. But it is hard to 
 stand by and see friends destroy themselves.” 
 
 Amy gathered a white rose; she paused and 
 thought. You are the only person who has 
 ever really shaken my purpose,” she said, after 
 a time. 
 
 Perhaps no one else has ever had so true an 
 interest in you and in your welfare,” he returned. 
 
 I would do anything on earth to save you from 
 this dreadful fate. Let me be your knight ; let 
 me rescue you.” 
 
 Thank you, I would rather not be rescued,” 
 she replied, flushing slowly and deeply. 
 
 Think, dearest prophetess, he added earnestly; 
 ‘‘We may not meet, as we are meeting, again for 
 months, perhaps years. You might be so happy 
 in a natural womanly way. You might make 
 at least one person so happy.” She quivered at 
 this, but made no reply. 
 
 Then the old ground of woman’s fitness and 
 
 51 
 
 UBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF flUNOfS 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 unfitness was gone over, the charms of seclusion, 
 meekness, and dependence were advocated, the 
 beauty of wifely and motherly virtues extolled, 
 and the loneliness of professional women’s lives 
 dwelt upon. 
 
 She was greatly touched. She felt that their 
 friendship, that ideal and equal friendship between 
 man and woman, of which she had alternately 
 dreamed and doubted, was a real and pleasant 
 thing to both. She felt that it must now come 
 to an end, or culminate in something more 
 agitating and imperious. am not ungrateful,” 
 she replied, after some consideration, ^^but I am 
 quite decided.” 
 
 Think again,” he said, not without anger. 
 Then, going down to a lower terrace, he paced its 
 length twice, and returned with some carnations 
 in his hand. 
 
 Have you been thinking ? ” he asked, with 
 something in the depths of his dark eyes never 
 before seen by Amy, who was sitting in full 
 sunshine on the low parapet that edged the 
 terrace. She looked away over the wide 
 prospect of sunny harvest fields, woods, hills, 
 
 52 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and sea, before she replied in a steady voice, 
 
 I have been thinking how sorry I am that you 
 and I will never be able to talk solemn nonsense 
 together about things in general again.” 
 
 “ I was a fool to think I could move you,” he 
 exclaimed, dashing the flowers on the stones. 
 
 You are angry?” rather tremulously. 
 
 I am sorry,” in a softened voice. 
 
 They looked at the river on which they had 
 rowed together, the woods and fields in which 
 they had wandered in their brief holiday, and 
 both sighed. 
 
 Good-bye, Amy,” he said, lingering; ^‘Good- 
 bye,” she replied in a faint voice. Again he said 
 “ Good-bye,” turned away, came back and said, 
 ‘‘ Come what maj^ let me still be your friend.” 
 
 Your friend,” she echoed. 
 
 He was gone. She tried to concentrate her 
 attention on the Descent of Man.” She had 
 no time for sentimental regrets and fond imagin- 
 ings in her busy, strenuous life. But Amy’s 
 pillow was wet with tears that night. 
 
 53 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 One sunny January day the Immaculate Lester, 
 with the weight of five more years upon his head, 
 and the accumulated wisdom of the same time 
 within it, was leisurely walking along a winding 
 road in the Riviera, rejoicing in the bright ex- 
 hilarating air from a sapphire sea that broke in a 
 white streak of hidden foam far below. Arrived 
 the night before, he had left London a fortnight 
 ago in a rich brown fog, since when he had been 
 at Pisa, in a narrow room, made dreary by sick- 
 ness and death, and the sorrow of a newly 
 orphaned girl. 
 
 He leant over a low wall by the road, pressing a 
 white cluster of violets growing in a crevice. Here 
 was a bush of blossomed thyme, full of murmur- 
 ing bees, a green, bright-eyed lizard flashed across 
 the stone wall. Ships with curved lateen sails 
 flitted over the clear blue, sea gulls sunned white 
 breasts on waves, the song of fishers was borne 
 faintly across the waters. The bare boughs of 
 plane, vine, and fig were scarcely seen among 
 broad-leaved palms, spiked aloes, orange and 
 lemon groves, shining myrtles, clothing the steeps 
 below. Above, a majestic amphitheatre of moun- 
 
 54 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 tains surrounded and sheltered these sunny 
 declivities from bitter blasts that swept over 
 Central Europe and rushed with concentrated 
 fierceness through Alpine passes. Sterile moun- 
 tain crags stood bare against the blue sky at the 
 verge of the amphitheatre, their strong flanks of 
 limestone, seamed and scored by the storms of 
 ages, fringed below by pine woods, lower still by a 
 series of foot-hills, clad with chestnut, oak, and 
 solemn, grey-stemmed olives, and cleft by gorges 
 threaded by little bickering streams, sometimes 
 swollen to torrents. The remains of a mediaeval 
 stronghold crested one wooded peak. Peasants 
 in peaked hats led their sagacious, well-laden 
 donkeys down the paths, and handsome girls 
 balanced baskets gracefully upon their heads. A 
 little eminence beneath was crested by a slender- 
 stemmed stone pine, the dome of which was out- 
 lined on the translucent blue of the Mediterranean. 
 
 After his farewell on the terrace at Baron’s 
 Cleeve, the Immaculate had been seen little in 
 those regions, never by Amy. Nor did they meet 
 elsewhere, nor did Amy realise the significance of 
 the farewell, or of what preceded it. But the 
 55 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 blameless knight, whose virtues increased — his 
 friends maintained — alarmingly with age, had not 
 been idle in these years. He went on circuit 
 for a time ; he then went to the East, to India, 
 Australia, America, peeped at New Zealand and 
 South Africa, glanced at Europe. He scribbled 
 on most subjects, and was infallible on all. He 
 had for the last two years represented the 
 borough of Dalesby. He was still as beautiful 
 as the day, and as polite as Sir Charles Grandison. 
 
 Leaving the carriage road, he was beginning 
 to climb a wild mountain path, when he perceived 
 another traveller a little further on. She was tall, 
 she moved gracefully in a well-fitting serge gown. 
 A botanical tin was slung over her shoulder, a roll 
 of white cambric was round her shady hat. She 
 was taking a plant from a sunny bank, so Lester 
 only saw her outline, and some thick plaits of brown 
 hair shining in the sun. She turned at his step 
 and looked up with a flush of pleasure and surprise. 
 
 “ Amy Langton,” he cried. 
 
 It was indeed Amy ; her angles turned to curves, 
 her gawkiness to grace, her eyes bright with 
 pleasure and kindness. “ I should have known 
 
 56 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 you anywhere,” she exclaimed. You are not a 
 bit altered.” 
 
 But you are much changed,” he said, for 
 the better,” he thought. 
 
 She looked so radiantly happy and so brilliantly 
 healthful it took away a month of low spirits to 
 look at her. Why is she so happy ? ” he 
 wondered. Has she given up physic ? ” 
 
 “ No, I am not alone, Mr. Lester ; a carriage 
 full of invalids belonging to me is going round by 
 the road. Lettice and I got out to walk. We are 
 to meet by that clump of olives.” 
 
 “ Lettice ? ” 
 
 ‘‘ Lettice Marshall, my brother Cecil’s wife’s 
 sister.” 
 
 They walked over some broken ground towards 
 the olives, Amy giving him an account of 
 her invalids ; of Louisa Stanley, now a fully 
 qualified surgeon and M.D. in broken health ; 
 of Grace, who had fallen into a pining state during 
 her last year in an Anglican Sisterhood ; and of 
 Lettice Marshall, who had recently recovered 
 from fever. Amy, who had gone through all 
 studies and passed all needful examinations to be 
 
 57 ^ 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 an M.D. and general practitioner, was taking care 
 of the party medically, socially and financially, 
 and enjoying a delightful holiday as well. Mrs. 
 Langton, in consequence of Cecil’s marriage, was 
 now obliged to reduce her establishment. She 
 had had losses besides. But, Cecil being gone, 
 Amy was at liberty to visit at Angel Road. Her 
 reconciliation with Julius had been very gradual. 
 They now met with the stipulation that Amy 
 should never refer to professional topics, and 
 were as friendly as ever. “ I would rather see you 
 in your coffin,” Julius had said ; “ but since I 
 have done all I could to prevent you, it must 
 be endured.” 
 
 “Julius,” his sister told the Immaculate, 
 “young as he is, is temporary house-surgeon at 
 St. Scalpel’s. I am told that his operations are 
 a really beautiful sight.” Georgie and Lucy led 
 the old life, dressmaking, calling and shopping 
 by day, and dancing in other people’s houses 
 and yawning over fancy work in their own 
 by night. Georgie was quite as pretty and 
 much more amusing than in former times ; 
 Lucy, a brilliant pianist and bad musician. 
 
 58 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 There had been a rumour of Georgie’s engage- 
 ment to Mr. Charles Lovelace, Cecil’s friend, 
 of the Sealing Wax Office; it was nothing 
 more than rumour. Since this Mr. Lovelace had 
 happened once to go to the same place as 
 Georgie, he had continued to happen to go to 
 every place in which there was a probability of 
 her appearance. 
 
 What a fool I was in those days,” the 
 Immaculate said very wisely. 
 
 Are you so wise now ? I liked you well 
 enough as a fool. You would not be so nice 
 without your follies.” 
 
 This walk was one of those few purely blissful 
 memories that smile along the waste of years. 
 So pleasant it was, that it occurred to the Im- 
 maculate, as they strolled on, to spend a few 
 weeks in the Riviera, instead of returning to 
 England in a few days, as he had intended. 
 
 59 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 “ Indi i monti Ligustici e Riviera, 
 
 Che, con aranci e sempre verdi mirti. 
 Quasi avendo perpetua primavera. 
 Sparge per I’aria ben olenti spirti.” 
 
 Ariosto 
 
 MON GST other important events occurring 
 
 since we last met,” Lester said, in the 
 course of this delightful mountain walk, “ I have 
 become a parent — by adoption.” 
 
 “ A parent ? ” 
 
 “Yes; I have come in for a legacy of a little 
 girl, five years old.” 
 
 “ Really ? What will you do with her ? ” 
 
 “What indeed, Miss Amy?” 
 
 An artist, dying penniless in Pisa, had sent 
 for his old college friend, or rather acquaint- 
 ance, and confided his motherless child to his 
 charity. Lester could not conceive why he, a 
 former acquaintance, lost sight of for so many 
 years, had been chosen by the dying man as 
 
 6o 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 his child’s guardian. But Amy, with affectionate 
 pride in her friend, thought she knew why. 
 The adventure seemed highly characteristic of 
 her Bayard, her knight without fear and without 
 reproach. It could have happened to no one 
 else. 
 
 Presently they reached some broken ground, 
 where blocks of sandstone were scattered amongst 
 a sparse vegetation of juniper bushes and bloom- 
 ing heather, when the carriage was seen waiting 
 by the olives. Suddenly, hearing a faint cry, 
 and looking up, they saw the slight figure of a 
 girl with a pretty face and shining golden hair, 
 run laughing down a steep descent. A vision 
 of ideal loveliness seemed descending from the 
 blue above, in this fairily-fashioned figure flitting 
 down the rough steep in the sunshine. Seeing 
 the stranger, she tried to stop, caught her foot 
 in some heather and fell. Amy and Lester ran 
 to her : Amy lifted her head and supported it. 
 
 Any pain ? ” she asked in a matter-of-fact voice 
 that Quixote Lester thought hard. 
 
 My foot,” she sighed. The laughing, pink- 
 flushed face was white as marble, the delicate 
 6i 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 mouth drawn with pain. Lester thought it the 
 most lovely face he had ever seen. 
 
 “ Come, Letty, don’t faint,” Amy said, laying 
 the drooping head with its loosened hair on 
 some heather, while she examined the foot, 
 appearing no more moved by her friend’s 
 suffering than if a butterfly’s wing had been 
 dusted. Had she screamed or fainted, the 
 Immaculate would have liked her better. But 
 she actually laughed. “ Why you little silly ! ” 
 she exclaimed, “ your foot is all right. You 
 can stand.” 
 
 “Oh, I can’t, Amy, I know I can’t,” replied 
 the patient, turning away and hiding her face. 
 
 “ She is fainting,” cried Lester indignantly, 
 raising her very carefully in his arms. 
 
 “ She had better not let me see her faint. 
 There is a nice cool well down there. Miss 
 Letty, if you want to faint.” 
 
 Speechless with indignation, the Immaculate 
 lifted the girl’s light figure in his arms, carry- 
 ing her carefully and easily over the broken 
 ground to the carriage, in which Louisa Stanley 
 and Grace Langton were waiting. “ Could 
 
 62 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 you meet Mr. Lester under more appropriate 
 circumstances ? ” said Louisa in an undertone 
 as he approached the vehicle with his lovely 
 burden, and placed the patient carefully in the 
 carriage, whence she gave him a grateful look 
 from eyes grey as glass. 
 
 “ Oh, Miss Langton, I did not recognise you 
 at first in this garb. How are you ? ” he said, 
 startled by the face of Sister Avis, and wondering 
 at his former admiration for this wasted worn 
 woman. 
 
 “No longer Miss Langton ; Sister Avis,” she 
 corrected with a wan smile. 
 
 The carriage drove off ; the gentle knight 
 caught sight of a gleaming tress of gold hair as it 
 disappeared round the bend of the road. Then 
 he sat upon the gnarled and twisted roots of an 
 olive, and gazed out upon the sparkling sea in a 
 deep reverie. 
 
 It was quite late when the Immaculate reached 
 his hotel at Col Aprico. Shadows were sloping, 
 the sea was tinged with purple. A little dark 
 figure, two little dark figures, were in the hotel 
 garden, looking out anxiously. One was four- 
 
 63 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 footed and welcomed his approach by flying 
 out with short, joyous barks, and scurrying 
 along the dusty road to meet him. This was 
 Nep, the dead artist’s retriever, who had trans- 
 ferred his second-class affections to his dead 
 master’s friend and successor, the first being 
 reserved for Angela. While he was yet in 
 a perfect agony of whining, barking and tail- 
 wagging, his little mistress, whose feet had 
 meanwhile borne her less swiftly along the sunny 
 road, arrived with streaming hair and out- 
 stretched arms, followed by an anxious scolding 
 nurse, and added her caresses to the dog’s. 
 Lester lifted her in his arms, kissed her and 
 carried her back to the hotel. 
 
 “I thought you were dead, Carino,” said the 
 child in broken Italian. “ I thought the wolves 
 had eaten you.” 
 
 “The Signorina has cried for two hours and 
 eaten no dinner,” added Perpetua, the nurse. 
 When he felt the little arms round his neck, the 
 round cheek pressed against his face, he thought 
 he had a good legacy. 
 
 64 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Col Aprico is a health resort not very far 
 from Mentone and at no great distance from 
 Genoa. There Lester had rooms with a sunny 
 outlook, in the “ Montone d’Oro,” while seeking a 
 more suitable cage for his bird. Not far from 
 the “ Montone d’Oro,” a little higher up on the 
 sunny slope that gave its name to Col Aprico, 
 was Villa Dole’ Acqua, a boarding-house or 
 pension kept by a German lady, who exercised 
 a kindly, if tyrannical, supervision over her 
 invalids of many nations, and under whose 
 benevolent wing the Langton party had taken 
 refuge. 
 
 No sooner had the carriage turned the corner 
 of the road and vanished from the sight of her 
 gallant deliverer than Lettice Marshall’s faintness 
 disappeared ; she sat up and asked with interest 
 how it was that Mr. Lester contrived to appear 
 so unexpectedly and so opportunely on the spot. 
 “ I think, Amy, you might have introduced 
 him,” she added. 
 
 “You saved me the trouble. Nothing could 
 have been more perfect than your mutual 
 introduction to one another.” 
 
 65 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ The Immaculate will cherish a life-long 
 gratitude to Lettice for appearing in the 
 character of distressed damsel,” added Louisa 
 Stanley. 
 
 “ It is fortunate that Letty’s faints never 
 occur when she is out of reach of masculine 
 succour,” added Amy, with unusual asperity. 
 
 “At all events, I neglected this opportunity,” 
 replied Lettice, sweetly, “ and you must acknow- 
 ledge that it was a good one.” 
 
 “ It would have been a pity to waste a faint,” 
 returned Amy, acidly, “ when a twisted foot 
 did quite as well.” 
 
 “ I forgive you, dear,” said Lettice, with im- 
 perturbable sweetness. “ I admit that it was 
 unkind to disturb that very interesting tete-a-tete, 
 I should have kept discreetly out of the way. 
 But why do you call him the Immaculate? 
 Carrie says he is not priggish, only perfect.” 
 
 “ Without any humbug, what a good fellow 
 he is ! ” Amy exclaimed, in her impulsive way. 
 “ Fancy a young man like that burdening him- 
 self with a little destitute child ! Isn’t it just 
 like our Bayard, Grace ? ” 
 
 66 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “He was always kind, Amy.” 
 
 “ Well, really this is a revelation. A man 
 exists whom Amy admires,” murmured Lettice. 
 “ And does he admire you ? ” she added sweetly. 
 
 “ Oh, no. He has the greatest horror of 
 medical women.” 
 
 “ And yet you are devoted to him ? How 
 touching ! What a thing it is to be clever and 
 strong, and to have platonic friendships.” 
 
 All the pleasure Amy had felt in meeting the 
 Immaculate once more, all the innocent happiness 
 she had expressed vanished. She did not know 
 why, but she wished he had not come to Col 
 Aprico. 
 
 The approach to Villa Dole’ Acqua was by a 
 gate between two square massive pillars opening 
 on to an alley formed by similar pillars, bearing 
 creepers trained across from pillar to pillar. 
 Between the pillars on one side the eye ranged 
 over a lemon-orchard in bloom, and thence 
 down green declivities to the dark calm sea. 
 Here, next morning, Lester, with the little dark- 
 eyed child and big black dog, appeared. The 
 child danced at his side, clinging to his hand and 
 67 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 gazing up in his face while she prattled in the 
 Italian that came quickly, yet brokenly, to her 
 lips, and of which he could only occasionally catch 
 the meaning, to the amusement and anger of the 
 child, who laughed at his stupidity, and punished 
 him with pinches. 
 
 “ Did you pinch your father like that ? ” he 
 asked, in his difficult Italian. 
 
 “ No,” replied Angela ; “ he was not a fool. He 
 understood.” 
 
 “You are naughty,” he said, looking severely at 
 the small creature. “ If you pinch or say ‘ fool ’ 
 again I shall — whip — ^you.” 
 
 Bui'sting into a shout of laughter, the imp ran to 
 play with Nep. “You are too much afraid of 
 hurting,” she cried derisively. The Immaculate 
 felt that this was wrong; he was puzzled. 
 
 They met a pale young Frenchman arm-in-arm 
 with a hectic Swede on their way, and, turning 
 a corner beneath a small cliff of bare rock 
 partially covered by creepers and climbing 
 geraniums, entered a sunny flowery cove furnished 
 with garden seats and tables. Here Amy and 
 Lettice were playing ball with green lemons, aim- 
 
 68 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ing at each other’s faces. The Immaculate, sur- 
 prised to see yesterday’s patient so agile, greatly 
 admired the spectacle, which was very pleasant 
 and picturesque, especially to one ignorant of 
 tennis and cycling, involving swift, graceful 
 movements, flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes, and 
 gusts of laughter. Amy could tie herself into 
 true lover’s knots, and do wonderful things on the 
 horizontal bar ; Lettice had scarcely lost the 
 supple grace of childhood. Thus they were very 
 quick and deft at the game, reminding him 
 of Nausicaa and her maidens playing at ball by 
 that very sea. He assumed that the injured 
 foot was healed. 
 
 ‘‘ Oh, it was never really hurt,” Lettice replied, 
 laughing and pushing her bright hair into place. 
 “ What a coward I am ! My foot ached, and 
 I turned faint, and thought I was half-killed; 
 that was all.” 
 
 “We don’t expect ladies to be very brave,” 
 replied the chivalrous Lester. “They are not 
 made of iron.” 
 
 “Ah! how refreshing to hear that,” returned 
 Lettice, with her lovely smile. “ I’m scolded all 
 69 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 day long for cowardice and folly. I don’t want 
 to be wise and brave. I like to be petted and 
 taken care of.” 
 
 “ How natural and how charming ! ” he thought, 
 dazzled by the laughing blue-grey eyes. 
 
 “ I ought to thank you for your kindness 
 yesterday,” continued Lettice. “ 1 must have 
 made your arms ache.” 
 
 “ Not in the least. So glad and proud to have 
 been of service.” 
 
 “ Is this your legacy ? ” asked Amy, indicating 
 the child. 
 
 “ What a little sweet ! ” cried Lettice, opening 
 her arms. “ Come and speak to me, dear.” 
 
 “ Go Angela,” Lester said, in Italian ; but she 
 turned to her protector, clasping him by the knee 
 and hiding her face. 
 
 “ Don’t tease her,” Amy said. “ Poor mite, 
 does she speak no English ? ” 
 
 “A little. She is only five,” replied Vivian, 
 stroking the dark curls against his knee. “ Miss 
 Amy, I am glad to see you in such beautiful 
 spirits this morning. Come, Angela, come.” 
 But Angela declined to unclasp her hands and 
 
 70 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 show her face, till Amy addressed her in Italian, 
 when she at once lifted her head, looked in her 
 face, and ran to her. 
 
 Lettice flitted on to warn Frau von Stein of a 
 stranger’s approach, and so give her time to make 
 herself presentable. The others followed, Nep 
 stalking behind, surveying the three with critical 
 approval. Amy wore what Lester called her 
 prophetess face; she smiled upon the child with 
 calm compassionate sadness. The prophetic 
 mood that amused him in old times was now 
 somewhat awe-inspiring. She had grown so tall, 
 and was known to be so learned. After all, it was 
 well that she had chosen a self-dependent, if 
 unfeminine, life. Could any man love a being so 
 strong, so superior, so capable ? On the other 
 hand, who could fail to respect her, or who would 
 not like to have so true and sure a heart to rely 
 on in time of need ? 
 
 There is a nun ! ” cried Angela, dashing 
 forward and pointing through some shrubs at 
 the figure of Grace sitting by some myrtles, 
 her face bent over a red-edged book. 
 
 ‘‘ Fancy having to say special prayers for every 
 
 71 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 hour of the day ! ” Amy said. “ Imagine break- 
 ing the time of a thinking being into tyrannical 
 chips like that ! No study is possible; very few 
 occupations.” 
 
 “ But cannot Sister Avis understand that such 
 things are bad for her health ? ” 
 
 “Certainly not. Sister Avis has renounced 
 the conduct of her understanding, though 
 Grace Langton is heartily sick of monotonous 
 prayer-grinding. My sister is a slave, Mr. 
 Lester.” 
 
 “ Who is free ? ” he asked. Once he had had 
 yearnings for a conventual life himself ; vested 
 in spotless white, he had a lifted seraphic voice 
 with seraphic looks and genuine devotion. “ Is 
 Dr. Amy Langton quite unfettered ? ” 
 
 Frau von Stein and a detachment of her 
 children were discovered on the verandah, 
 enjoying the sunshine ; the good Frau in 
 a clean morning cap and newly washed hands. 
 These eccentric English are full of small 
 prejudices — about clean hands for instance 
 — as if hands could be clean in the morn- 
 ing, when every good Hausfrau is busy 
 
 72 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 with dusters and pots and pans. Lester 
 addressed her in his best German, to the 
 joy of a young man from the Fatherland, sitting 
 by a fair pale Swiss girl, whose accent he was 
 trying to improve ; a blonde Danish girl joined in 
 the German that Louisa and Amy spoke well ; 
 Frau von Stein’s consumptive niece could feel the 
 breath of German air on her face. 
 
 The ladies of Villa Dole’ Acqua were interested 
 in the pretty child, Italian by birth-place, by her 
 mother, by her dark eyes and hair, her speech and 
 her breeding. But Angela did not respond. 
 German, which she considered as a hideous kind 
 of intensified English, frightened her, so did the 
 Italian upon which some of her Teutonic friends 
 ventured. She clung to Vivian and Amy alter- 
 nately and was not to be beguiled by bon-bons. 
 Nep sat on the gravel in front of the verandah, 
 his paws stretched out before him, and looked on 
 with benevolent condescension. But, when Lettice 
 attempted to draw the child to her by force, he 
 growled and Lester warned her in German that 
 he was dangerous. 
 
 Pray don’t speak German to me,” replied 
 
 73 
 
 F 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Lettice, “ I never could understand, much less 
 speak, anything but English.” 
 
 “ Why should you ? ” he wondered, thinking it 
 quite enough pleasure to hear her voice. 
 
 Frau von Stein loved “ these mad Englishmen ” 
 and made this one welcome, though he worried 
 and confused her by handing cups and chairs 
 and opening doors for her “ like a servant ” ; 
 therefore the Immaculate soon became a 
 frequent and welcome visitor at the pension. 
 Sometimes he stayed in the garden, sometimes 
 he accompanied those who were strong enough 
 to walk. One bright morning while Lettice and 
 Amy were setting out on such an excursion, he 
 asked permission to join them with his pets. 
 Climbing a steep path they found better 
 views and brighter flowers for Angela, who 
 adorned Nep with collars of violets and daffodils, 
 which he wore with his accustomed dignity. 
 
 “ Amy’s strength is something frightful,” Lettice 
 observed, pausing in the ascent, leaning on 
 Lester’s arm, which had already saved her from 
 one or two slips. “She is actually carrying that 
 child.” 
 
 74 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 I think her strength admirable,” he replied, 
 glad that no such strength deprived him of the 
 pleasure of supporting the fairy-like creature upon 
 his arm. ‘Tt is like looking at some statue of Pallas 
 or Plere, in which strength is so lost in beauty 
 that we feel rather than observe it, while the whole 
 effect is one of calm perfection.” 
 
 Lettice shot a momentary glance from her 
 bright eyes to his. ‘‘ I never thought of Amy 
 in connection with statues,” she returned slowly 
 with a thoughtful air, her chief notion about 
 statues being that they were deficient in clothing ; 
 ‘‘but people see things so differently, and friend- 
 ship is sometimes a little blind. Knowing this 
 clever Amy must make you look down upon the 
 rest of us, who like enjoyment and dress, and are 
 frightened to death at — Ai ! Ai ! ” she screamed, as 
 a little green frog hopped across the narrow path. 
 
 He looked at her but said nothing, lest he 
 should say too much ; he was falling so swiftly 
 under the spell of her exquisite loveliness. The 
 glance revealed much, too much ; but Lettice 
 wanted more, she wanted the direct homage ot 
 words. 
 
 75 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Ah ! ” she sighed with a hurt look, “ You are 
 too kind to wound me by saying what you think.” 
 
 The fish immediately swallowed the bait. “ I 
 
 could say nothing that would wound you ” he 
 
 began, and stopped, intoxicated. “ Do you 
 know,” he continued after a pause, “ that weak- 
 ness is — loveable? Weakness is a woman’s 
 greatest charm.” 
 
 She was highly amused at these remarks. 
 “ You are saying wicked things, for which Amy 
 would kill you,” she laughed in her silver treble. 
 
 “ Is Miss Langton so terrible ? ” he asked, 
 smiling. Just then Amy turned on her upward 
 path, the laughing child in her arms, and looked 
 down upon the pair below. She saw the look upon 
 Lester’s face, a transfiguring, almost religious 
 expression, and a spasm of pain shot through her. 
 “There is no doubt about it,” she thought. But 
 why should that grieve her ? “ Surely,” she 
 
 mused, “it is well; for Lettice needs a strong 
 loyal nature to guide her through life.” 
 
 The magnetism of Amy’s gaze caused Vivian to 
 look up. He saw, in the sunshine high up, the 
 child’s dark Italian face beneath Amy’s fair 
 
 76 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 English one ; the little thing, clinging to the well- 
 poised form, looked down in safe confidence. 
 Sunbeams made a glory in Amy’s light brown 
 hair; her smile was pensive, even sad. A moment 
 before it had been in his mind to ask her not to 
 carry the heavy child ; now he thought she might 
 carry a world. 
 
 Presently they halted on a little terrace, under 
 the shelter of a rock, and looked down soft 
 declivities clothed with verdure and blossom, far 
 down, to the deep, indescribable blue of the quiet 
 sea. Nep chased lizards, Angela butterflies ; the 
 others sat in silence, hearing humming bees, 
 distant tinkling cow bells, confused murmur from 
 roads and gardens below; under all, like the 
 sweet burden of a melody, the soft croon of the 
 sea. Swallows flitted out twittering from a 
 warm rocky shelter beneath. Voices of singing 
 girls rose from orange gardens below, where 
 they were piling baskets with Hesperian fruit. 
 
 It is like the gardens of Armida,” Amy said. 
 
 Who was Armida ?” asked Lettice, with her 
 innocent candour. 
 
 A woman of genius, who made people fall in 
 
 77 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 love with her. She was very beautiful and un- 
 scrupulous.” 
 
 She was not a woman at all,” Lester added, 
 ‘^but a fiend.” 
 
 “ And then he knew it was a fiend, 
 
 That miserable knight,” 
 
 quoted Amy. 
 
 Among the numerous perfections of the Im- 
 maculate were a velvety voice and a pleasant way 
 of reading poetry. Therefore when Lettice, 
 attracted by a wretched knight and a lovely 
 fiendish lady, wished to know their history, he 
 was kind enough to repeat, most musically and 
 impressively — 
 
 “All thoughts, all passions, all delights, 
 
 Whatever stirs this mortal frame, 
 
 Are all but ministers of love, 
 
 And feed his sacred flame,” 
 
 till Angela, caught by the rhythm and the words 
 
 love,” dream,” happy,” left her play and 
 
 leant against Amy’s arm to listen. 
 
 “ And she was there, my hope, my joy. 
 
 My own dear Genevieve,” 
 
 repeated Lester almost tremblingly, when he 
 found he was thinking of Lettice, while he gazed 
 straight out to sea. 
 
 78 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ She listened with a flitting blush, 
 
 With downcast eyes and modest grace ; 
 
 For well she knew I could not choose 
 But gaze upon her face.” 
 
 Who could help seeing Lettice in that ? 
 
 “ And so I won my Genevieve, 
 
 My bright and beauteous bride,” 
 
 the Immaculate ended, with a quiver in his voice. 
 
 “Thank you; a pretty tale, but she was very 
 easily won,” Lettice remarked. 
 
 The others were silent ; but Lester carried 
 Angela down the moi^tain. During the descent, 
 which was not hurried, one of the old discussions 
 arose between him and Amy on such airy trifles as 
 Fate, subjective poetry, drama, enchantments, 
 the use of opium. Lettice listened “with a 
 flitting blush, with down-cast eyes and modest 
 grace,” contributing little to the serious and solid 
 conversation beyond a smile or an ass8nt. 
 
 When at bedtime, according to custom, Amy 
 went to the room she shared with Louisa Stanley, 
 to be able to attend on her suffering friend at 
 night, she arranged the knotted olive roots 
 burning on the open hearth, and brushed out the 
 shining coils of Lousia’s hair, her nightly task. 
 79 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 But though this was the moment for confidences, 
 she brushed in silence to-night. 
 
 “ What is the matter? ” asked Louisa, enjoying 
 the dancing fire-light and the magnetic influence 
 of the brush, with the dreamy languor of 
 consumption. 
 
 “ Nothing,” replied Amy, finishing her labour 
 of love and twisting the long fair hair into a 
 massive coil ; “at least, I was thinking of cutting 
 your hair short, this heavy growth weakens you.” 
 
 “ Spare my hair ; my one vanity.” 
 
 “Oh ! Louie ! ” cried Amy, throwing herself on 
 her knees before the glowing wood fire, and 
 burying her face in her lap. 
 
 “ Well, child ? ” 
 
 “ He is in love with her.” 
 
 “ Who is in love with whom ? ” 
 
 “ Vivian Lester with Lettice Marshall.” 
 
 “ What of that ? Will the world come to an 
 end? ” 
 
 “ You know what she is, Louie, a shallow, 
 selfish girl, and he ” 
 
 “ Well ! he is all very well, but not exactly a 
 demi-god. I always liked your Bayard, Amy, 
 
 8o 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 though he is so fatally perfect. Let us hope that 
 he will strengthen Lettice’s character.” 
 
 She will drag him down.” 
 
 Then he must be made of poor stuff. My 
 dear child, go to sleep, dream that you are 
 physician to the Queen, and leave the Immaculate 
 to fall in love and out again, as best he may.” 
 
 My pretty Amy ! ” Louisa thought, as she 
 tossed on her restless couch, and listened to the 
 sleeper’s even breathing ; her affections are as 
 untroubled as her health. But I wish this 
 Perfection would go back to England and leave 
 us in peace.” 
 
 Amy was dreaming of the ruined tower in the 
 ballad, the low sweet music and the love-stricken 
 knight, who of course wore the features of the 
 blameless Lester. Presently the sleeper’s smile 
 faded as the dream darkened; singing of birds 
 arose in the enchanted gardens of Armida, and 
 two Crusaders, with faces like Amy and Angela, 
 sprang from the bushes with drawn swords to free 
 the spell-bound knight from his enchantment. 
 
 8i 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 “Tell me where is Fancy bred, 
 
 Or in the heart, or in the head. 
 
 How begot, how nourished ? 
 
 It is engendered in the eyes, 
 
 With gazing fed ; and Fancy dies 
 In the cradle where it lies.” 
 
 EBRUARY came, bringing a warmer and 
 
 longer day, white heath blossom, white 
 lilies, hyacinths, anemones and primroses, and 
 glowing masses of tulips in gardens. The 
 sparsely blooming flowers- of winter — geraniums, 
 salvias, and carnations, now blossomed more 
 freely, the scent of wall-flowers and stocks was 
 in the air, camellias became daily more splendid ; 
 violets were a weed, mimosa a golden cloud. 
 Those pure white camellias are often put to a 
 melancholy use at this season, when invalids die 
 
 off. 
 
 With February another Parliamentary session 
 opened in England. Members came thronging 
 
 82 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 back to Westminster, from fox-hunting and 
 shooting, from Egypt, Algiers, Mentone and 
 Rome ; but the member for Dalesby was not 
 among them. No very exciting events were 
 forward ; England was not even waging a little 
 war, although a few skirmishes had taken place 
 on the borders of British India; there were 
 few Irish grievances ; Scotland was lapped in 
 momentary content ; Conservatives were in 
 office; the country was not over-run with 
 discharged labourers and half-pay officers ; no 
 one for the moment was particularly anxious to 
 disestablish the Church, to abolish the Crown, 
 the Constitution, or the rights of property. 
 Neither Slave Trade nor Factory Acts, Female 
 Suffrage, or Artisans’ Dwellings, disturbed the 
 Parliamentary mind, and the gardens of Armida 
 were fair ; therefore the Immaculate decided that 
 his country might be trusted to dispense for 
 awhile with his presence. 
 
 An enchanter’s wand had been waved over the 
 prose of Lester’s life, turning it to pure poetry. 
 He seemed to have forgotten that he had only 
 come to the Riviera to place Angela there, 
 
 83 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and that a multitude of duties and interests 
 called him back to England. At night he liked 
 to go in the fishing-boats, hauling tarred ropes 
 and handling fish, nets and bait with the fishers, 
 and coming home in the small hours, or even at 
 dawn, drenched and weary, invigorated and 
 delighted. It was beautiful to flit over dark 
 waves beneath the silence of a starry sky 
 and watch the boat’s light tremble on the water ; 
 to see Col Aprico and the fishing village on the 
 shore below, the distant coast towns and villages 
 sparkle out among orange groves, aloes and 
 caroubs, casting flickering lights on the dark 
 sea; to feel the keen night-breeze, with now and 
 then a scud of rain, a squall of wind, even a 
 storm; to share the anxiety and excitement of 
 the fishermen, to whom weather meant bread, 
 even life. Their patois of mixed French and 
 Italian was soon understood ; they sang songs to 
 plaintive, monotonous tunes; they were fascinated 
 by the Immaculate’s genial courtesy and adapt- 
 ability, and soon discovered his genuine kindness 
 of heart. Whole pages of Homer and Byron 
 floated through his mind while he bore a part 
 
 84 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 in whatever was forward on board. Sometimes 
 the song of the Sirens would rise from the sweet 
 sea silence; again Ulysses and his men sped 
 westwards on the last endless voyage over the 
 wine-dark sea. Or Ulysses looked out, homesick, 
 upon the blue waters, from the chamber in which 
 the beautiful nymph sat by her perfumed hearth 
 and span, while actual, present seamen plunged 
 their lances into the fish by the light of fire- 
 buckets at the prows. Or there was the morning 
 plunge in keen cold sea, the svv^im, the return to 
 little Angela at breakfast ; the rosy child clinging 
 to him, caressing him, giving him a home. On 
 sunny days he took her with her nurse for a sail, 
 Amy and Lettice and Frau von Stein often being 
 of the party. 
 
 Sometimes the Immaculate passed long sunny 
 hours with the invalids on the verandah or 
 in the garden. On those occasions he was 
 often struck with the sad change in Grace 
 Langton, to whom five years ago he had lost 
 nearly half a heart, so near was this gentle, 
 sweet-faced girl to his ideal. But Sister Avis ! 
 faded, haggard, pinched in face and figure, with 
 
 85 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 constant headaches, mysterious sufferings, and 
 no interest in life! She was an object for pity, 
 indeed, profound pity, but love ? — No. 
 
 ‘‘What has changed your sister?” he asked 
 Amy one day, understanding that Grace had no 
 disease ; “ if I am not mistaken, she has no 
 
 true vocation for the religious life.” 
 
 “Neither has she. She needed occupation; 
 she couldn’t stand the emptiness of our frivolous, 
 aimless girl-life. Slumming and church embroidery 
 were not enough for her. So she drifted into this 
 Sisterhood. The severity, monotony and tyranny 
 are killing her. That is all.” Her eyes haunted 
 Lester, who was not deficient in feeling ; hungry, 
 restless eyes they were, the prison-cells of a 
 struggling soul. Louisa Stanley was an even 
 more piteous spectacle to him in her frailty and 
 feverish energy, with her short dry cough, 
 brilliant colour, transparent hands, and the 
 remains of such singular beauty. What an 
 irony, he thought, on this new notion of learned 
 and professional women. 
 
 “Ahl” replied Amy, to some such remarks, 
 “ it is not study. I knew Miss Stanley as an 
 
 86 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 overworked, worried governess, thinking the 
 long hours and perpetual strain of school teach- 
 ing paradise in comparison with the life of a 
 private governess. It is the repression of every 
 faculty but that of monotonous endurance that 
 kills. The repose of wholesome study came 
 too late.” 
 
 The Immaculate was deeply grieved; he felt 
 that all these girls ought to have been married 
 long ago, and thus saved. But he could not, 
 under existing social arrangements, marry them 
 all, else would he cheerfully have done his duty 
 as a gallant knight. 
 
 Grand discussions took place on the verandah, 
 complicated often by the confusion of tongues 
 prevailing at Villa Dole’ Acqua. During these 
 serious debates, Lettice looked on and down 
 from a supercilious height, occasionally smiling 
 in response to some appeal, or appearing to listen 
 in gracious silence. Not that she actually listened 
 to ‘^dry stuff” about politics, literature, art, 
 science, morals, human nature; but she looked 
 as if she listened, and she looked charming, while 
 she mused upon her bonnets and frocks, or 
 87 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 thought of various little relationships, jealousies 
 and antipathies at Villa Dole’ Acqua, or in the 
 English colony, — of the depth of a certain 
 consumptive clergyman’s devotion to Amy, of 
 the extent to which the blameless knight had 
 resigned his affections to her own keeping. This 
 topic was most interesting ; she really liked 
 Lester; his homage was more acceptable than 
 that of other men; she appreciated his gracious 
 presence and fine courtesy. The Immaculate 
 was enchanted with the sweet womanly humility 
 with which she listened, thus offering a quiet, 
 unobtrusive sympathy by her silent presence. 
 This still receptivity was the crown of Lettice’s 
 charms. 
 
 Frau von Stein’s weekly receptions were small 
 and early, being arranged for the convenience 
 of her invalids ; “ der ritterliche Lestare ” was 
 almost always among the guests. Col Aprico 
 society was necessarily limited in quantity and 
 chiefly invalid in quality; the von Stein recep- 
 tions occurred after sunset. Conversation was 
 polyglot, but largely English — of a kind. The 
 ubiquitous Amurkan girl, marvellously dressed 
 
 88 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and absolutely at her ease, was not wanting at 
 the evening receptions. The Immaculate’s sen- 
 sitive feelings were often wounded by these 
 damsels; especially by Miss Ada D. Williss, who 
 speedily came to the conclusion that “ the 
 Britisher was just real queer, and she had no 
 use for him anyway.” 
 
 But “our good Herr Lestare’s” exquisitely 
 poised feelings were often pained and shocked even 
 by the proceedings in Frau von Stein’s salon. He 
 insisted on opening doors and placing chairs for 
 ladies, and greatly embarrassed fair-haired Fraiilein 
 Anna, Frau von Stein’s niece, by wanting to hand 
 coffee and cakes, a prerogative she reserved to 
 herself, according to national custom. Resigning 
 himself sorrowfully to these depraved habits, 
 he learnt at last to look on, tolerant, but 
 martyred, and more beautiful than ever. 
 
 On a certain noteworthy evening in early 
 March, a young German, von Wilden, was at 
 the piano, making it rage and roar like an 
 angry Titan, wail and lament like a lost angel, 
 whisper soft ecstacies, breathe exquisite long- 
 ings, and peal in jubilant exultation. Then 
 89 G 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 he showered discords upon the keys, as if a 
 demoniac battle were raging within ; again a 
 troop of fairies seemed to be tripping to 
 delicate measures in the moonlight ; it is 
 impossible to say what this young Teuton did not 
 do with the instrument. A steely flame was in his 
 blue eyes, his flaxen moustache and long hair 
 bristled ; his compatriots wept ; Lester was so 
 enthralled that he did not observe the departure 
 of Lettice from the room. Presently the music 
 died into rippling sweetness, like hidden brooks ; 
 it was so low and soft that the crackling of olive 
 roots on the hearth was heard, — then, like a 
 nymph from the water, arose a melodious 
 Volkslied, simple and artless as a wild bird’s song, 
 yet vibrant with elementary feeling. 
 
 Von Wilden kept his eye upon a curtain which 
 was drawn across the doorway of the double 
 drawing-room, and modulated the concluding 
 strains into the slow mysterious notes of the 
 immortal “Lorelei,” with its burden of unutterable 
 yearning, and deep delicious melancholy. It 
 was taken up in four parts by hidden voices, the 
 curtain was raised, the lamps lowered. 
 
 90 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 In the brilliant light thrown into the back 
 room, oleanders, palms and myrtles in tubs made 
 a miniature forest, beyond which was the sheen 
 of water (mirrors on the ground, their frames 
 hidden with ivy), out of which, shadowed by 
 more verdure at its base, rose a rock, the 
 summit steeped in yellow light. Above all, in 
 the blaze on the crest of the rock, reclined the 
 fatal, fairy Lorelei, combing her golden hair and 
 singing her mystical song. Her slender white 
 throat and round white arms glittered with jewels ; 
 a golden belt, studded with gems, bound her 
 shining white garment. The gold tresses, delicate 
 features and fairy-like form were those of Lettice. 
 All who could sing joined, as if under a spell, in 
 Ich weiss nicht was soli es bedeuten^'^ Englished 
 
 thus by the Immaculate — 
 
 I know not why I am so holden 
 By this mysterious woe, 
 
 A legend of centuries olden 
 From memory will not go. 
 
 The air is cool, it is darkling. 
 
 The Rhine waves peacefully flow. 
 
 The tops of the mountains are sparkling 
 In evening’s tranquil glow : 
 
 Above is a maiden reclining. 
 
 So sweet, so fairily fair ; 
 
 91 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 / 
 
 The light in her jewels is shining, 
 
 She combs her golden hair ; 
 
 Her comb is of gold, and serious 
 And sweetly, singeth she 
 
 A song with a deep, mysterious 
 And mighty melody : 
 
 The fisher, his little bark sailing. 
 
 It seizes with wildest woe ; 
 
 He sees not the rocks, but, paling, 
 
 Looks up at the golden glow. 
 
 Lester scarcely breathed as he looked up at the 
 beautiful vision, spell-bound, his features wan and 
 strange in the dim light. 
 
 At last in the wild waves swinging 
 The fisher and boat are spun ; 
 
 And that, with her magic singing. 
 
 The Lorelei has done. 
 
 The curtains ran across ; a storm of applause 
 arose — Wunderschon,” Wal, that was just 
 elegant,” “ Ravissant,” Brava,” “ Well done ! ” 
 — Then Frau von Stein, who had wept from 
 the first Lorelei note, rose, the guests melted 
 imperceptibly away, and Lester went out into 
 the cool starry night, singing softly like one in 
 glamour. 
 
 Her comb is of gold, and serious 
 And sweetly singeth she 
 
 A song with a deep, mysterious 
 And mighty melody. 
 
 92 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Alas, poor blameless knight ! he lingered long 
 beneath the lemon-flowers, watching the lights 
 fade from the villa. Then he went to the shore, 
 unmoored a boat, and rowed out to sea. 
 
 A crescent moon poured a flood of liquid 
 silver on the dark sea plains. Col Aprico, with 
 lessening light-sparkles, lay nestled in the gorge ; 
 hoary olives, shining myrtles, caroubs and orange 
 trees stood magically still in the moonbeams. As 
 the boat shot tranquilly on, terraces widened, 
 masses of olive and fir gloomed darkly, rocks 
 gleamed whitely, in silver rain of light. Snow 
 had fallen recently, the higher mountains were 
 tipped with sparkling white, waves washed softly, 
 oars dipped with a musical splash ; all was poetry 
 and enchantment. He rowed on and on, over 
 paths of silver, over fields of gloom, beneath wan 
 stars, the magic song in his ears, the Lorelei 
 spell upon him, on and on in silence and night 
 and solitude. Deeper than the lowest depths 
 of the Mediterranean, deeper than unplumbed 
 wastes of deepest ocean, this poor knight thought 
 himself in love. 
 
 93 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 Celia : “ Come, come, wrestle with your affections.” 
 Rosalind ; “ Oh, they take the part of a better wrestler than 
 myself.” 
 
 T N the moonlit garden of Villa Dole’ Acqua, 
 “*■ breathing flower-scented air and gazing 
 wistfully on the silvered sea, where the solitary 
 boat was a dark speck on the moon’s bright 
 path, Amy Langton lingered long, thinking of 
 Lester’s face, wan and strained under the Lorelei 
 spell. 
 
 “ Moon-struck, Amy? ” asked Louisa from her 
 bed, when at last she went in. 
 
 “ Completely lunatic,” she replied, “and wicked 
 enough to leave you to brush your own hair.” 
 
 “ I am quite strong now. I shall be able to 
 work again in tne summer.” 
 
 “ Ah ! dearest physician, heal ihyself first.” 
 
 “You shall do that.” 
 
 “ Don’t talk. Go to sleep.” 
 
 94 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Amy,” said Louisa, starting up suddenly, “ if 
 I fail, if I die — remember, it was not the 
 profession.” 
 
 “ Hush ! who talks of dying ? ” 
 
 “ If I become a confirmed invalid, don’t let 
 them say ” 
 
 Amy was silent, knowing that her friend would 
 never be well enough to do anything. 
 
 “You know it was not the profession,” continued 
 Louisa with flushed cheeks. “ Remember those 
 years of exhausting drudgery and teaching ; how 
 I robbed myself of sleep to get the mental food 
 I was denied by day. And then that early 
 unhappiness ! Nothing saps health like that.” 
 Amy too well remembered a story of treachery 
 and wrecked happiness heard once in the 
 twilight. 
 
 “ Sleep, dearest, sleep,” she said. “ Dream 
 that you are principal of a medical college.” 
 
 Louisa was nine-and-twenty ; she looked scarcely 
 nineteen ; in the quiet slumber that soon fell upon 
 her she had an infantine look, the occasional effect 
 of the disease that was consuming her. How 
 much had Louisa’s story had to do with her 
 95 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 sickness ? Was the unnatural gloom of the 
 cloister or the pining for a lost dream the cause of 
 Sister Avis’ weariness of body and spirit ? Surely 
 Grace might have been healthy and happy by this 
 time, had she lived a wholesome life. Louisa had 
 so long learnt to rate the man who had broken 
 faith with her at his real worthlessness, that a less 
 laborious, less wearisome struggle against the 
 world might have spared her fatal disease. 
 
 Waking in the early sunbeams and looking at 
 the marvels of light upon the dawn-touched sea, 
 Amy’s first thought was of the Lorelei spell. She 
 had aimed at living on such a high level, in such a 
 pure, passionless calm of soul, had so loved old 
 tales of lofty maiden lives, of Athenes, Dianas and 
 Teuton prophetesses. Such lives she had thought 
 herself strong enough to follow. And now? 
 Why, why, did the Lorelei spell make her so 
 sad and sick at heart ? 
 
 She took the geological hammer, likened by the 
 Immaculate in happy times gone by to that of 
 Thor, the botanical tin, a long roll of bread and 
 a piece of cheese, and went out into the beauty of 
 the dawn. The sea was a vast heaving splendour 
 
 96 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 of millions of jewels and sheets of molten gold, 
 transfusing themselves silently one into the other ; 
 the breath of morning was gentle but invigorating. 
 Peasant boys with donkeys, basket-laden girls 
 tripping up mountain paths, boatmen out in the 
 bay, sang as they went their several ways. Flower 
 fragance rose like incense from censers of golden 
 light, every step crushed violets and blossomed 
 thyme in the path, the song of birds, blended 
 with low sea murmurs, and the soughing of pine 
 tops was a chant of joy before the Eastern 
 splendour of sea and sky. 
 
 She flitted rapidly and easily in that buoyant 
 air, up the steep, sunny eminence that gives 
 name and shelter to Col Aprico, till she 
 reached an olive grove above it, and rested. 
 A larger expanse of sea and sky was now 
 visible in increasing splendour, the transfusing 
 of jewels and blazing gold was deeper, the great 
 sea spread out its storied waters in burnished 
 glory ; her heart thrilled to think of all those 
 waters had seen in ages gone by. That glow- 
 ing flood touched almost every shore venerable 
 in story and song, the cradles of learning and of 
 97 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 art, of law and religion ; its farthest wave was even 
 now kissing the soil of Palestine. Exhilarating 
 thoughts, exhilarating air, exquisite world of 
 beauty and peace ! 
 
 Farther on she presently came upon a girl 
 milking goats, and asked for a draught of milk. 
 In a few minutes the milking girl’s history was told, 
 the story of her father and mother, her brothers and 
 sisters, their goats and olive yard, her betrothal, 
 the little tragedies preceding it, her approaching 
 marriage and the small house that she was to live 
 in. The milking-girl was very happy, she said — 
 milkmaids always are ; at least in poems and 
 plays ; why can we not all be milkmaids ? — She 
 had refused Pietro only five times, of course 
 meaning to have him if he asked long enough. 
 Pietro was a good lad, and “ bel garzon.” Happy, 
 happy milking girl ! 
 
 Amy gave her something to buy a wedding 
 present with, and went her way, picturing the 
 girl’s homely life with envy, as she walked on. 
 All in it was so calm and restful ; nothing stirred 
 it but the season’s changes, hopes and fears of the 
 olive harvest and wandering goats, excitements of 
 
 98 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 lemon picking, of pruning and planting fruit trees 
 and tilling patches of maize. 
 
 At the end of the day Amy had walked far and 
 rested long ; but the hammer had been idle, the 
 flower tin was empty. 
 
 One subtle movement of soul had taken all 
 the taste and spirit out of her life; yesterday 
 it was the rose blooming on the stem, to-day the 
 rose cut and withered in the sun. 
 
 “ Were it not better done as others use, 
 
 To sport with Amaryllis in the shade ?” 
 
 Something nobler replied, No ; life has 
 better things than happiness.” 
 
 Everything suddenly seemed more difficult, less 
 worth doing ; life had become arid, barren of 
 interest ; the past was dreary to remember, the 
 future weary to anticipate. For there could never 
 be any joy, nothing to anticipate but work and 
 struggle ; a grey sunless life. What struggles 
 Louisa and she had made to gain their professional 
 knowledge. Amy had spent vacations in teaching 
 children, supplementing nursing staffs, and writing 
 for magazines. How they had been pushed about 
 from examining body to examining body, found 
 99 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 perfect and then denied diplomas ! What antag- 
 onism they had encountered in private and public ! 
 They had figured in public prints as un- 
 womanly women.” Personal rudeness and 
 unmanly sneers they had received, but not 
 the actual physical violence some older friends 
 had suffered at the hands of chivalrous men 
 students at a great historic city in the north. 
 Those ladies, it seemed, had to be hustled and 
 knocked about and forcibly expelled from lectures, 
 lest the knowledge of the laws that govern, and 
 the harmony that pervades, organic life should 
 blunt their finer feelings. Vexed by a thousand 
 arbitrary obstacles to study, while their brothers’ 
 studies were cradled and fostered in silk and 
 velvet, they had still surmounted them ; but would 
 she — for Louisa’s race was run — have courage 
 to face those offered to the practice of that hardly 
 won profession ; arbitrary obstacles and barriers 
 made lest the finer, feebler stuff of female minds 
 should be strained by over-much labour ? Yet 
 they had conquered so far. Are women, then, 
 made of more heroic stuff than men ? 
 
 Such thoughts revolved all day in her brain, 
 
 100 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 gradually and insensibly soothed by the beauty 
 and calm of the hills. A solemn still voice spoke 
 peace from the deep heart of mighty nature, the 
 undying friend of man. “ I am great/’ that calm 
 voice said, ^^but there is a greater. Have no 
 fear; only be true, unselfish, noble. Live up 
 to the fuller light dawning within. Let happi- 
 ness take care for itself.” 
 
 Thus exalted in spirit, she came down the 
 mountain path, into the purple glory of evening, 
 that burnt in her wind-blown hair, and trans- 
 figured her face. The first star swung tremulous 
 in the pale green West ; Villa Dole’ Acqua was 
 still far away, when something black bounded 
 up the steep path in the purple gloom with a 
 joyous whine, heralding his master. 
 
 Ah ! my Bayard ! why, why did I not listen 
 to you, long ago ? Why was I blind and deaf 
 and stupid? Nobody and nothing is like you in 
 the whole world,” she thought. Let them call 
 him a prig — perhaps she was another — he might 
 be impossibly perfect, too fond of regenerating 
 mankind by his own unaided wisdom, too much 
 inclined to preach and prose ; still he was in truth 
 
 lOI 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 a very perfect gentle knight ; he was made of 
 sterling stuff, and he was young, and she was 
 young, and — he was bewitched by the Lorelei’s 
 song. 
 
 “ Why, what is the matter ? ” asked the 
 Immaculate, springing up the path in the gather- 
 ing dusk in his proper person. “ And where have 
 you been the whole day long ? ” 
 
 “ I’ve been geologising and botanising, as you 
 see. There is nothing the matter.” 
 
 “ But, dear prophetess, you are pale. You are 
 not looking happy.” 
 
 “ Who is happy ? ” returned the Sibyl ; “ Life 
 is not always easy.” 
 
 “ But it should be. Come, dear prophetess, 
 can’t I help you? Nothing I can do ? I don’t 
 like to see you pale and sad.” 
 
 “ Not sad ; a little tired. I’ve been thinking.” 
 
 “ Ah ! Dr. Amy, your good angel, believe 
 me, has spoken to you — indeed it has struck 
 me of late that something was stirring within 
 you. You have been different — at one time 
 I thought you were vexed with me — but I 
 see now, that you are perceiving the mistake 
 
 102 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 of your life. It is not too late to change.” 
 
 ‘‘ Much too late.” 
 
 No, not too late. A character with such fine 
 elements as yours. Try a happier life ; natural 
 
 and feminine like ” 
 
 Like Lettice’s ? ” 
 
 ‘‘ Exactly. That is a life that soothes and 
 elevates one to contemplate.” 
 
 “ It does not soothe or elevate me in the least. 
 No, Mr. Lester, your eloquence is wasted. My 
 good angel has indeed spoken and counselled me 
 — to go on. But I must go home. I am tired.” 
 
 ‘‘At least take my arm.” 
 
 “ Thank you, no. I am best alone when tired. 
 I am always best alone.” 
 
 “ Take warning from your friend’s fate. The 
 life has killed her.” 
 
 “ Not this life,” Amy said, “ something far 
 more wearing.” 
 
 “ Dear Miss Amy, are you a real woman or a 
 goddess ? ” 
 
 “ Oh, a goddess,” she replied. “ Can you 
 doubt it ? ” 
 
 “ I believe it. I always thought it ; I am awed 
 
 103 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 by you. You are a higher, an unearthly being, 
 superior to human weakness. But, dear goddess, 
 I have not yet told you.” The Immaculate came 
 to a full stop ; perhaps he blushed. 
 
 Nothing wrong with Angela, I hope ? ” 
 
 “ No, and yet — I have to leave Angela — I am 
 going back to England.” 
 
 “ Poor neglected England ! It’s about time. 
 Who knows but the empire may already be beyond 
 even your succour ? ” 
 
 ‘‘You are severe. I shall be gone about ten 
 days. Will you take the child in my absence ? ” 
 asked the Immaculate, whose virtues were almost 
 redeemed by his good temper. 
 
 “ Certainly, if you can trust her.” 
 
 “ As for trusting ! This is real friendship, Amy. 
 In gratitude for which I shall make further 
 demands ” 
 
 “ I am tired,” she said petulantly, turning 
 towards a bench under an olive, where she rested ; 
 '“The moon is rising. I hope that no bad news 
 calls you to England,” she added, looking down 
 at the dark sea. 
 
 “ No; not bad news.” 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Then you want no sympathy,” she replied 
 with concentrated essence of gall. 
 
 “ Ah, but I do. It takes two to be happy,” was 
 the profound rejoinder. “ Do you remember our 
 old talks, of the ideal I hoped to realise ? ” 
 
 “ Perfectly. You were to inform me when the 
 catastrophe occurred.” 
 
 “ It has occurred.” 
 
 “ Quite unnecessary to tell me.” 
 
 “Why?” 
 
 “ Because my eyesight is good.” 
 
 “ Ah ! Do you think others have seen ? Has 
 she seen ? ” 
 
 “ Others have not seen. And Lettice — what 
 she thinks I do not mean to tell. If you can’t 
 make love at first hand, you can go without a 
 wife.” 
 
 “ Oh ! thank you ; thank you so much. But I 
 must wait ten days before I may venture to take 
 decisive steps to make sure.” 
 
 “ Don’t you think her worth waiting for ? ” 
 
 “Ah! Amy, you have never been in love.” 
 
 “ How do you know ? Somebody waited twice 
 seven years once.” 
 
 105 H 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ I would wait thrice — for her.” 
 
 She thought it would be a good plan. 
 
 “I have known her only a few weeks; she is 
 away from her parents.” 
 
 “ I am her guardian for the time.” 
 
 “ Dear prophetess, you look like a guardian, but 
 not an earthly one. It is so slight an acquaintance ; 
 she is so young, so inexperienced. She is so — 
 how dare I think of winning her ? Every mean 
 thing has vanished from existence; there is a 
 new splendour on the sea, in the stars. Life is no 
 longer a disease, but a rapture.” 
 
 “You ought to say all this to her, not to me,” 
 she returned drily. 
 
 True. The Immaculate was silenced, but he 
 had almost said what he secretly thought, that 
 his beloved would never understand these trans- 
 cendental emotions. Pale light filtered through 
 the olive boughs on his beautiful, spiritual face. 
 Amy, with her head resting against the rugged 
 gray olive trunk, her face in the shadow, wondered 
 and wondered. “ Poor Rinaldo,” she thought ; 
 “ Poor, helpless, spell-bound knight ! When will 
 he wake and be in his right mind ? ” 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The moon’s path widened on the gleaming 
 wave, white stars looked softly from an azure 
 sky ; some boats cuttle-fishing, with pots of fire 
 at their prows, moved in the shallow waters 
 close in shore, their red lustre falling weirdly over 
 the sea and reflected upon the dusky figures 
 standing with ready poised lances in the boats. 
 Points of ruddy gold along the coast were towns 
 and hamlets ; massed myrtles, orange and lemon 
 leaves threw back the moonshine like flakes of 
 silver. He looked on this beautiful night scene 
 for a little, she on him ; then he turned to her 
 with a smile, You will at least wish me God 
 speed ? ” he said. 
 
 ‘‘ With all my heart.” 
 
 Thank you. But how shall I ever win her — 
 one so far, far above me ? ” 
 
 She is fortunate in winning such unselfish 
 devotion,” Amy returned with hardly veiled 
 impatience. This prostration before such a 
 worthless idol degraded him. To see him 
 twine garlands on the ass’s head was 
 painful. 
 
 I want you to approve my choice. Tell me 
 107 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 that she is not only the most beautiful, but the 
 best, of her sex.” 
 
 “ My good friend, I am not in love with Lettice,” 
 she said gently. 
 
 “Nor with me, yet you seem to set me 
 highest.” 
 
 Amy passed her hand over her face. “ Don’t 
 women always run one another down ? ” she 
 asked acidly. 
 
 “ Dearest goddess, you should be more than 
 woman.” 
 
 “ Perhaps I am less.” 
 
 They sat long in the solemn shadows of hoary 
 olives, he speaking, she mostly listening. He told 
 of his plans ; arranged to prevail upon Frau von 
 Stein to take Angela. “ Why not the whole 
 menagerie ? ” Amy suggested. 
 
 There was a strange peace in thus sitting and 
 conversing for the last time, she thought. What 
 a child her knight was, after all ; like a child sitting 
 at his mother’s knee in the firelight, pouring out 
 his small hopes and aspirations ; like a child, 
 unconsciously selfish ; like a child, pitied and 
 borne tenderly with by his confidante. Flower 
 io8 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 scents rising on the chill sea breath, soft rustle of 
 winds in olive, aloe and oleander boughs, mellow 
 lustre of the ascending moon on magic sea and 
 fairy shore, grey olive boles, torn and twisted as if 
 by storm, and looking, in the faint filtered lights, 
 like aged pillars in a Saxon church, sounds of each 
 other’s voices, low boom of the gentle sea; all 
 were impressive, never forgotten. 
 
 But what was this ? When they rose from 
 the olive shadows and began the descent, Amy 
 found the world turning wildly ; her limbs gave 
 way, she swayed, the Immaculate caught her a 
 dead weight in his arms. Had she done this a 
 few days earlier, well ! the course of the 
 Immaculate’s true love might have been 
 different. As it was, he was frightened to 
 death. Still it was amongst his perfections 
 adways to do the right thing at the right moment. 
 Therefore there was of course a flask of brandy 
 ready in his pocket, which he applied with the 
 utmost elegance and dexterity to her lips with one 
 hand, while supporting her head on his shoulder 
 with the other arm, kneeling gracefully meanwhile 
 on one knee. It was a most affecting spectacle. 
 109 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Miss Amy Langton weighed at the very least 
 ten stone ; no wonder Mr. Lester trembled beneath 
 his lovely burden. But would he have quivered 
 and turned so pale under ten stone of oats or 
 potatoes ? Possibly not. All night in dreams he 
 was toiling through endless distances, Amy always 
 stayed upon him, and always slipping through his 
 arms down infinite descents. 
 
 When Amy woke next morning, she found the 
 natural, but prosaic, result of a long day’s wander- 
 ing and romantic evening conversation in the olive 
 shades, was a severe and very unbecoming cold in 
 the head, of all mortal ills the least relieved 
 by romance. If no philosopher ever endured 
 toothache patiently, who can endure a down- 
 right, deafening, blinding, stifling catarrh with 
 resignation ? Especially who that is feminine 
 and fair ? Yet Miss Amy Langton supported 
 her affliction with philosophy ; she bore the 
 reproaches and caresses of Frau von Stein and 
 her strange, unhallowed potions with angelic 
 patience, admitting that it was wrong to wander 
 so far on the hills, of the sequel to which 
 wandering she was silent. A gentle strife raged 
 
 no 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 between Louisa and the good Frau on the treat- 
 ment proper for the patient, the latter, acting 
 upon the principle of hitting a man when down, 
 prescribing starvation and lowering medicines, 
 a principle which is one more testimony to 
 the invincible toughness of German constitu- 
 tions ; the former holding to the principle of 
 picking up the fallen. 
 
 Early next morning the Immaculate called 
 to take leave and hear what was to be done 
 with Angela. The announcement that he was 
 leaving the Riviera for England stirred a universal 
 desire to take advantage of his journey. The 
 English had letters for him to post in London, to 
 these they added half-a-dozen parcels. The 
 foreigners, to a woman, required needles of English 
 manufacture in various sizes, which, perhaps, 
 Meester Lestare would make come ” for them. 
 The young German gentleman wanted English 
 books and stationery, Frau Von Stein was in need 
 of a few dozen yards of English calico, so were two 
 or three other ladies, Fraiilein Anna mentioned 
 with some blushing that she should like some long 
 stockings of English machine make ; almost 
 
 III 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 everybody wanted Sheffield cutlery. The young 
 Frenchman alone needed nothing from England, 
 but if M. de Lestare should be at Paris, would he 
 have the extreme complaisance to procure him 
 half-a-dozen indispensable articles from the only 
 civilised spot on the globe. 
 
 Monsieur de Lestare, with the utmost charm 
 and complaisance, undertook all these com- 
 missions, taking the precaution to record them in 
 his note-book. 
 
 Tell me Liebchen, ” added the good Frau, 
 knitting her brows in thought, as she addressed 
 Amy, who was sitting in the sun, a semi- 
 animated mass of shawls, “Is there something 
 more I might make bring cheaply out of 
 London ? ” 
 
 “You were wanting a four-post bedstead the 
 other day, meine Beste. ” 
 
 “ Zat could incommode him, ” replied the 
 Frau, “ such English bedsteads are heavy. ” 
 
 Lester turned to Lettice, who was reclining 
 gracefully, sunlight and shadow enhancing her 
 beauty, a white camellia in her hand. 
 
 “ And you ? ” he asked, “ what may I do for 
 
 II2 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 you ? I shall ask permission to call upon Mrs. 
 Marshall one day. ” 
 
 No; will you really?” returned Lett ice with 
 joyous surprise, “then you will take my love to 
 them, and say how well I am looking — that is, 
 if you think so.” “ But I shall certainly fall 
 ill if I go home yet,” she added with charming 
 archness; “Be sure you say that, Mr. Lester.” 
 
 “ Every word of it. But I shall be seeing 
 your nieces, Miss Langton’s nieces — one is my 
 god-daughter.” 
 
 “ Oh, yes. My love.” 
 
 “They want somebody’s love,” Grace said. 
 “ They get very little from their parents.” 
 
 “They are angry with them for not being 
 boys,” added Lettice. “How natural!” 
 
 The Immaculate’s sensitive face quivered as if a 
 false note had jarred. 
 
 Frau von Stein consented to receive Angela and 
 her nurse, to the satisfaction of the majority of her 
 guests. It was a serious matter to break the 
 tidings to the child, and the parting was not 
 accomplished without some diplomacy. Angela 
 received an invitation to dine and sleep at Villa 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Dole’ Acqua, which she gladly accepted, her joy 
 dashed by the announcement that Vivian was not 
 coming home that night. Weeping ensued, 
 whence her mind was diverted by fairy tales and 
 promised pictures and toys at Villa Dole’ Acqua. 
 
 “ Does that woman live there ? ” she asked 
 suddenly, lifting her head from her adopted 
 father’s arm. 
 
 “ Which woman ? ” 
 
 “ The cross one with yellow hair, Letty. ” 
 
 “It is naughty to call people cross, Angela. 
 I hope you have not been naughty to that 
 lady. ’’ 
 
 “ I shall not go if she lives there, ’’ the child 
 returned tranquilly. 
 
 “ Will you not go to Sister Avis and Frau 
 von Stein and Miss Amy ? ’’ he asked, lifting her 
 head and setting her on the ground impatiently, 
 upon which she began to cry. His heart smote 
 him when he looked at the small figure standing 
 before him, its chest heaving, its little fists 
 screwed into its eyes. 
 
 “Don’t cry, Carina. Look, I am going to bring 
 you a beautiful doll when I come back. She 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 needs a mother, poor mite, ” he thought, caress- 
 ing her till she smiled again. 
 
 But Angela, though pacified, was firm in her 
 resolution not to go to the cross woman,” 
 and only the appearance of Frau von Stein and 
 Amy on the hotel steps cut the knot of the 
 difficulty. 
 
 I promise you, my little angel, you shall have 
 nothing to do with Lettice ; that young lady 
 would go to the end of the world to leave you 
 behind,” Frau von Stein said in broken Italian. 
 
 You need not fear, Herr Lester, ” she added 
 in German, ‘^the little one will always be happy 
 with Miss Amy. You can therefore buy my 
 calico with a light heart, and think of your little 
 one in a child’s paradise. Farewell, my good Herr 
 Lestare. A happy journey. Atif Wiedersehen 
 Angela declined to go without her father ; he 
 therefore accompanied them to the gate, where 
 Amy turned, with the child clinging to her 
 dress, and bid him vanish without good-bye 
 before Angela perceived him. ‘‘Take this,” 
 she added, giving him a piece of white 
 heather, “ for good luck.” 
 
 115 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Viola 
 
 “ ril do my best 
 
 To woo your lady — yet a barful strife, 
 Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife.” 
 
 Twelfth Night 
 
 HE presence of a child among the boarders 
 
 ^ at Dole’ Acqua was not unattended with 
 inconvenience. Angela’s following, consisting of 
 Perpetua, who systematically spoilt her and was 
 ready to wage war with the universe on her behalf, 
 and of Nep, who glared with fiery eyes and gaping 
 jaws upon anyone who appeared to molest his 
 little mistress, was a not altogether welcome 
 addition to the household. A few days of rain 
 which kept the invalids close to the house, and 
 prevented the child and dog from playing in 
 the garden, complicated matters, so that, what 
 with keeping Angela from annoying the invalids 
 and soothing her nightly grief at the non- 
 appearance of her father, besides preserving the 
 peace between Perpetua and the household, and 
 
 ii6 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 seeing that Nep was fed and kept from mischief, 
 Amy was somewhat burdened. 
 
 Really, Amy,” said Lettice, one pouring wet 
 afternoon, as she strolled into the dining-room, 
 platonic friendship is a fine thing. I wonder 
 if Mr. Lester is as much obliged to you as he 
 ought to be for the trouble you take with his pets.” 
 
 Perpetua was sitting by the hearth in great 
 good humour. She had been telling anecdotes 
 of Angela’s family, of Angela herself, and of Nep, 
 who were playing at ball with Amy. The game 
 was to keep it passing from hand to hand. 
 Amy threw the ball, Angela missed the catch 
 with a shriek of joy, the dog caught it with short 
 barks of delight. Perpetua, a handsome peasant 
 woman of forty, looked on with gleaming teeth 
 and sparkling eyes. 
 
 I like children and dogs,” replied Amy. Ball 
 is great fun on a wet day. Come and try, Letty.” 
 
 ‘^Thanks,” replied Lettice, shrugging her 
 shoulders, and drawing a chair to the hearth, I 
 am afraid of that great dog. I wonder when Mr. 
 Lester means to send that spoilt child to school. 
 Perhaps he is looking for a school in England for 
 117 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 her. Amy, why are you so mysterious about this 
 journey of his ? You know all about it, of course.” 
 
 “ Oh, yes,” she replied, coming to the fire with 
 Angela, who climbed on her lap, “ I know.” 
 
 “ But you don’t mean to tell. Well, I think 
 you might tell me in confidence. Take care, 
 Amy, these moonlight wanderings are dangerous.” 
 
 “ Are they ? ” 
 
 “ Colds are not the worst results. Amy, I 
 really think you believe in that man with his 
 perfections and his pretended friendship.” 
 
 “ Possibly. Don’t you ? ” Did Lettice really 
 dislike the Immaculate, or were these sharp 
 sayings only jealousy ? 
 
 “ Oh, he is well enough,” replied Lettice, 
 impatiently pushing a piece of wood into the 
 flame with her foot. “ But men are never to be 
 trusted. He is a flirt : one of the worst kind. He 
 blinds you with his solemn talk about dry things, 
 which he knows is the right way to your heart. 
 He is not like others who have one manner for all. 
 Oh, yes, Amy, he is enjoying a fine flirtation 
 without compromising himself. If I were you 
 I would put an end to it. He looks so desperately 
 
 ii8 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 good and solemn all the time. And yet in the 
 midst of this fine talk with you he will suddenly 
 turn and look at me : such a look ! At first, 
 before I discovered what a thorough flirt he was, I 
 used to believe in those looks. I actually laughed 
 one day, and wrote to Carrie that I had never 
 seen a man so hopelessly and ridiculously smitten 
 before. But he need not think to throw dust in 
 my eyes. I am too well used to that sort of 
 thing.” 
 
 Which, Letty ? Being deceived or being 
 made love to ? ” 
 
 Not being deceived, certainly. You know so 
 little of life, dear. Stewed up with your books, 
 you have never felt what it is like to walk into a 
 ball-room and see all the men surrender at once. 
 You know that garrison dance last May I was 
 telling you about ? It was my first big dance. 
 There was a huge fellow with a beard by the door 
 who went dead white at the first glance. My 
 card was full before he could get an introduction. 
 You should have seen his face ! He stood against 
 the wall and eyed me all the evening ; he made 
 a dash at me at supper time, and took me down. 
 
 1 19 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 He proposed in the hall. Three engagements 
 were broken off on account of me that night, and 
 the young Wellmans, who had then been married 
 about two months, have not been friendly since. 
 It almost frightened me when I saw five big men 
 standing round me and all declaring that I was 
 engaged to dance with them at once. They were 
 telling lies, of course. I chose the one I liked best, 
 and just as we were starting on the waltz, up 
 came the right man with a face like thunder, and 
 showed his card. I promised to divide the dance 
 between them. One man turned crimson when- 
 ever I looked at him, another stammered when he 
 spoke to me. Oh, it was fine ! ” 
 
 “ Really, Letty, I don’t think you need accuse 
 other people of flirting.” 
 
 “ Flirting ? My dear, I didn’t flirt ; what chance 
 had I ? I simply came into the room and looked 
 like — who was it, either the Duke of Wellington 
 or somebody in the Bible ? — who came and saw 
 and conquered. Not that I disliked it. What 
 girl could ? Not even you, with all your learning. 
 Wait till you have tided, and 5’ou might make a 
 sensation in a room, if you took pains to make 
 
 120 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 the most of yourself, and took care not to open 
 your lips and betray your cleverness and learning. 
 See if it doesn’t get into your head like 
 champagne.” 
 
 My poor little Letty ! This is a very 
 dangerous kind of champagne.” 
 
 ‘‘ Stuff! You know nothing of the world, Amy ; 
 you are much more likely to get your wings 
 singed than I am. By the way, people here have 
 made a pretty good guess at the object of Mr. 
 Lester’s journey, and if they are right, you are 
 not so simple as I thought.” 
 
 Well,” replied Amy, taking the restless Angela 
 once more on her knee and displaying a picture- 
 book to her gaze, ‘^what do people imagine the 
 object of Mr. Lester’s visit to be ? To be present 
 at the Disabilities of Women Debate ?” 
 
 Viviano mio,” murmured Angela, catching her 
 friend’s name among the waste of hard English 
 words that were so unintelligible to her, and 
 lifting her liquid, lustrous Italian eyes from the 
 picture-book to Amy’s face with an eager, beseech- 
 ing look. ‘‘He is coming back to-night? Yes, 
 Amy ? ” 
 
 I2I 
 
 I 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Figliuola mia, not to-night, next week.” 
 
 “ When is next week ? It is never next week,” 
 murmured the child. 
 
 “ To be present at the debate ? Naturally that 
 was part of it. Ah ! that was a fine stroke on the 
 part of our Viviano, as Angela calls him. He 
 knows the way to your heart, dear. The delicacy 
 of the stroke ! Fancy that humbug standing up 
 before them all, the story teller, and declaring that 
 he had come to vote against the Bill for removing 
 Disabilities, but that what he had heard in the 
 honourable member for Slowcombe’s speech had 
 induced him to support it.” 
 
 “ So you read Mr. Lester’s speech? I thought, 
 Letty, you never looked at newspapers, much less 
 debates.” 
 
 “ Neither did I ; I only listened to Mr. Browne, 
 who was talking to Louisa about it. ‘ Ah,’ Mr. 
 Browne said, ‘ I know what self-deceivers we are, at 
 least the masculine portion of us, and I could not 
 help thinking that had our friend, the member for 
 Dalesby, more strictly analysed his reasons for 
 changing his opinion about Female Disabilities, 
 he would have been obliged to confess that the 
 
 122 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 society of a charming and very learned lady in the 
 Riviera had a great deal to do with it. I assure 
 you, Miss Stanley,’ he added, ‘that no one at Col 
 Aprico would be surprised at receiving interesting 
 intelligence about a certain lady doctor and a 
 certain honourable member.’ ” 
 
 “ Mr. Browne said that ! ” cried Amy, “ Miser- 
 able old gossip ! Hateful old donkey ! Let him 
 go about in petticoats and take to working 
 cross-stitch ! The chaplain is the faithful reflection 
 of the gossip of the community,” she added, 
 making sparks fly from logs on the hearth. 
 
 “Just so ; dear child. Can you wonder now 
 that people suppose Mr. Lester’s visit to have 
 reference to matrimony? ” 
 
 “Stuff! By the way, Lettice, what did Mr. 
 Browne think of Mr. Lester’s speech ? ” 
 
 “ Whose ? Oh, Bayard’s, of course. He said 
 it was very good; he admires his speaking. What 
 was it he said ? Oh, I know, ‘ his ready eloquence 
 often makes us forget his want of logic,’ that was it.” 
 
 “ Mr. Browne is right ; he is not logical, he is 
 eloquent. His imagination is stronger than his 
 reason.” 
 
 123 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “Now confess, Amy,” continued Lettice, “the 
 object of his visit is matrimonial. Aha, Dr. Amy! 
 we know all about the olive-yard, where two 
 people were seen sitting on a bench in the moon- 
 light, who knows for how long ? I wonder what 
 kind of conversation is likely to be held under 
 olive trees in moon-light ? ” 
 
 “ It depends on who the people are. Who saw 
 us? ” asked Amy, reddening. 
 
 “ Oh, my dear, these little things are not so 
 easily hidden from the vulgar gaze as you think. 
 Somebody saw.” 
 
 Amy was tired of Lettice’s perpetual teasing 
 about the Immaculate; besides, a dim suspicion 
 had lately been increasing within her that Lettice 
 did not care for him, so she thought she would 
 end the teasing and decide her doubt at once. 
 
 “ Well! ” she replied, “then I had better tell you, 
 in strict confidence. Mr. Lester does contemplate 
 marriage, and is gone to England on that account.” 
 
 “ Ah! ” cried Lettice, turning pale, and stooping 
 to adjust the burning wood, “ this, then, is the 
 meaning of platonic friendship ! Well, Amy, you 
 might have been more open. So it is to end in 
 124 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 this way, after all. Oh, how false ! What a flirt ! 
 What a humbug ! Of course your people will 
 consent ; they’ll jump at him, and you will be 
 married like other people, just — ^just as if you had 
 never been a doctor. Carrying off such a catch, 
 too ! ” 
 
 I ? ” returned Amy, almost regretting her 
 words when she saw Lettice’s discomposure, I 
 am not going to be married. I was speaking of 
 Mr. Lester. But keep my secret, Letty. I told 
 you in strictest confidence, remember.” 
 
 He is not engaged to you ? ” exclaimed 
 Lettice, turning from pale to red, and yet he 
 thinks of marrying ? ” 
 
 This is a secret, remember. Not a soul knows. 
 How foolish I was to tell you.” 
 
 Who is the girl, dear ? Tell me, oh, do tell 
 me, there’s a darling ! ” cried Lettice, hiding her 
 face in Amy’s dress. I know I am horrid to 
 you. I worry you to death, but I promise you to 
 be so nice if you will only tell me. Is it — Louisa? 
 Is it that horrid Lottchen Romer ? ” 
 
 My little Letty, I can’t tell you ; I’m sworn 
 to secrecy.” 
 
 125 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “Oh ! you must, you must, you shall ! ” cried 
 Lettice, passionately, her face still buried. “ Is 
 she pretty ? ’’ 
 
 “ H’m, yes. Everybody says so.” 
 
 “ I don’t believe it ; I am sure he has no taste. 
 Oh ! tell me, she has a great fortune, he wants 
 money.” 
 
 “ She has little, if anything, I believe ; besides, 
 he does not want money.” 
 
 “ Oh, what a story ! You always told me he 
 was poor.” 
 
 “ So he is ; poor for his position.” 
 
 “ A landed gentleman of good family,” mur- 
 mured Lettice. “The county will visit her. She 
 will go to Court. She will have a town house, no 
 doubt. Well, if he is poor, it is not much of 
 a marriage. You told me Croft Hall is a 
 ramshackle old house, and with very little land. 
 When I marry, I shall marry into the peerage, 
 and take care that there is money.” 
 
 “ I would, if I were you, Letty. While you are 
 about it, you may as well aim high. But I hope 
 you will marry a good man. If you love him, 
 you will not care about his position or money.” 
 126 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Something like a sob came from the hidden 
 golden head. “Tell me, Amy,” she murmured “is 
 he much in love with her ? ” 
 
 “ Over head and ears. Bewitched.” 
 
 “ It’s a shame ! She’s a horrid thing, hideous 
 and stupid. Some gaunt, grim, learned creature, 
 with red hair and spectacles ! I always thought 
 him a fool, a prig, and a flirt. Now I know it. I 
 hate the wretch ! ” 
 
 She raised her flushed face from her friend’s 
 shoulder, sprang up, stamped, and rushed out of 
 the room, crying with all her might. 
 
 “ At all events,” mused Amy, as she stroked 
 Angela’s glossy curls, “ she loves him as much as 
 she can. They may be happy after all. He will 
 see no fault in her. Poor Lettice ! at least she 
 loves him.” 
 
 127 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 ‘A^ou are a thousand times a properer man 
 Than she a woman — 
 
 But, mistress, know yourself ; down on your knees 
 And thank heaven, fasting, for a good man’s love.” 
 
 As You Like It 
 
 “ T~^ GIA la settimana prossima ? ” little Angela 
 ■* ' asked of Amy as usual, when she went to 
 her in the morning to say her prayers, “Amy, 
 will it never be next week ? ” 
 
 “ Next week at last. He will come to-day, 
 carissima mia.” 
 
 “ Oggi, gran Dio ! Oh ! Amy, oggi. Will he 
 come to breakfast ? Oh, I shall die, I shall die ! ” 
 “ Are you so glad to leave me ? You know you 
 will go back to the hotel when he comes.” 
 
 “No, I won’t. Viviano shall live with the Frau, 
 or else you shall live with us and Nep. We will 
 have maccaroni for dinner every day. Amy, do 
 you love him ? ” 
 
 “ Picciolina mia ! Come to breakfast.” 
 
 128 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The child was beside herself ; she ate no 
 breakfast ; then she fidgetted about till she knocked 
 against Lettice and dashed her cup out of her 
 hand, sending the black, scalding coffee all over 
 her new spring costume. This was too much for 
 Lettice; she turned with an angry cry and gave 
 the child a sounding box on the ear. Angela stood 
 for a moment, dizzy, half-stunned with the blow, 
 which made Lettice’s hand tingle ; then, with a 
 shrill scream, she sprang at her like a wild cat. 
 Sister Avis pulled her off with considerable 
 difficulty, and carried her out, kicking and 
 struggling, into the verandah, where she laid her 
 down on the cool pavement. 
 
 That child is a perfect demon ! ” cried Lettice, 
 crimson with rage and pain. Look here ! ” 
 Rolling up her sleeve, she showed a ring of little 
 red indentations in the cream-white arm. She 
 almost made her teeth meet.” 
 
 I wish she had,” Grace replied hotly. ^Went- 
 ing your wicked temper on a poor little child ! ” 
 Ach ! That was not well done, my Lettchen,” 
 said the good Frau, looking at her favourite’s 
 arm and then at the frantic child on the ground ; 
 
 129 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Ze little was never beat yet, and Italian blood 
 is warm.” 
 
 I 
 
 Lettice went away, injured and in high 
 dudgeon in spite of some twinges of conscience, 
 thinking to make it up to Angela with sweets 
 and toys some day. The child screamed till 
 she became rigid and black in the face. Sister 
 Avis then picked her up exhausted, and carried 
 her out to look at the flowers and see the pigeons 
 fed. There they met Amy, rather pale and with 
 her hand tied up, Nep following her, his tail 
 between his legs. 
 
 “ The dog has bitten you ? ” cried Grace. She 
 had heard Nep’s growl when Angela was struck, 
 and had seen Amy run out on the verandah and 
 catch him by the collar, as he was about to rush 
 into the breakfast-room. 
 
 “ I was obliged to beat him,” Amy said. “ I am 
 the only person in the house who can master him.” 
 
 “ He might have killed Lettice,” said Sister 
 Avis, “ he would have had her by the throat the 
 next moment.” 
 
 “ Don’t say anything. Fortunately Perpetua 
 was not there.” 
 
 130 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The bite was not severe, though the skin was 
 broken ; but the sisters thought it well to keep 
 both dog and child out of Lettice’s way for a 
 time. They strolled up the hill path, carrying 
 Angela by turns, while Nep slunk behind with an 
 ominous red glare in his eyes and a confused 
 sense of wrong in his canine brain, knowing that 
 he had been beaten for trying to do his duty. 
 Presently they came to a warm niche in the rocks, 
 carpeted with violets and redolent of thyme ; 
 here they rested, Angela lying quiet on the ground, 
 with the dog, also quiet, crouching beside her. 
 
 When Sister Avis looked at the deep sapphire 
 sea in the bright morning sunshine, she did not 
 want to die; life seemed so lovely, so full of 
 possibilities. 
 
 How we shall miss the sea,” she said. It 
 was mistaken kindness to bring me here. I shall 
 have the fight to subdue my worldly affections 
 all over again.” 
 
 Take your freedom, Grace ; live a natural life. 
 Leave what you have no vocation for.” 
 
 When you renounce your chosen vocation it 
 will be time for me to think of doing the same ; 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 not before,” her sister replied, rising and taking 
 the child again. 
 
 Little Angela soon forgot her injuries and her 
 passion, but Nep slunk about with a trailing tail, 
 red eyes and a beaten look, all day, avoided by 
 the household, who heard that he had bitten 
 Amy. 
 
 I am glad I didn’t see it,” was Lettice’s 
 comment on the incident, ‘‘I should certainly 
 have fainted.” 
 
 In the afternoon, when it was growing chill, 
 several of the Dole’ Acqua family were sitting in 
 the garden, with Angela playing close by ; Lettice 
 was hovering about discontentedly, wanting to 
 talk to Amy, who was reading, but restrained by 
 fear of Angela and Nep, who were making a 
 barrier to her. 
 
 Presently quick, light footsteps were heard 
 approaching, and the Immaculate himself appeared 
 from round a corner hidden by some shrubs, having 
 come softly to surprise Angela — so he told himself — 
 whom he had seen from a distance through a glass. 
 But it was not easy to surprise her, she heard and 
 recognised the step almost as soon as the dog did, 
 
 132 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and flew to him with a cry of joy. He caught 
 her up, kissed her, and was going to set her down 
 again ; but the small arms were too tightly clasped 
 about his neck. Angiolina mia, what is the 
 matter ? ” he asked. The little girl was crying, 
 and clinging to him, while Nep whined, 
 barked and sprang into the air in a manner that 
 prevented the Immaculate from doing his proper 
 devoir to the ladies present. De Rolleau said 
 something about family joys and V art d'etre pere, 
 Lettice, standing apart, contemplated this effusive 
 meeting with profound scorn. A nice family,” 
 she thought ; they both bite.” 
 
 After all the blameless knight was human, and 
 to be human is to have moments of unreason. 
 That is probably why M. de Lestare, ecstatically 
 received by the child, the dog, and M. de Rolleau 
 of Paris, was chilled and disappointed at evoking 
 no display of enthusiasm from the Misses Marshall 
 and Langton. Could he expect these ladies to 
 throw themselves into his arms en masse ? 
 
 “ How are you ? Had you a pleasant journey ? 
 What an age since you left. When did you leave 
 England ? ” ought surely to content an ordinary 
 
 133 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 mortal ; but perhaps the Immaculate was not an 
 ordinary mortal. He said and did all the proper 
 things in the most proper manner, as soon as 
 he was disembarrassed from Angela and had set 
 her down with an injunction to go and play. 
 
 “ The white heather brought me good luck,” 
 he said presently to Amy, who was again absorbed 
 in her book at the farthest end of the sheltered 
 nook, not unobserved by Lettice, whose eyes shot 
 a green glitter in that direction, her mouth still 
 scornfully set. 
 
 “ Yes ? I am very glad,” she replied, looking up 
 a moment, without so much as a kind smile, and 
 again perusing the page in her hand. He turned 
 away chilled. 
 
 Lettice, leaning on the bough of a tree a few 
 paces off, looked away at the sun-lit sea, 
 apparently quite unconcerned by the return 
 of the faultless knight ; Fraiilein Lottchen 
 hoped he had executed all his commissions 
 and amused himself highly without spoiling his 
 health. He answered at random, annihilated 
 by the fact that Lettice did not care what he 
 had done during his absence. Fraulein Anna’s 
 
 134 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 stockings were exceedingly civil and hospitable; 
 he had paid considerable duty at the Custom 
 House for bringing over the Langtons ; he had 
 discovered the Frenchman’s neckties in a hotel at 
 Paris, and dined with them. Mr. Steven Langton 
 was among his luggage at the Montone d’Oro. 
 Yes, he had delivered all the letters and posted 
 the messages. The Cecil Langtons were most 
 expensive ; their little daughters much over- 
 weight.” 
 
 ‘‘We all read your speech on Female Dis- 
 abilities, Mr. Lester,” Louisa said kindly, “even 
 Lettice read that.” 
 
 “ Ah,” his face lighted up at last, as he flashed 
 a glance at Lettice ; she was an embodiment of 
 immovable indifference. 
 
 “ And so you changed your mind ? ” continued 
 Louisa. “We have hopes that you may 3^et 
 become reasonable on the Woman question. 
 Won’t you come in ? You will find Frau von 
 Stein at home ; she will be so glad to hear that 
 her calicoes have arrived.” 
 
 “ Such a pity to go in yet ; just as the sun is 
 setting. Miss Marshall, I have many messages 
 
 135 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and parcels for you. I have been seeing your 
 people.” 
 
 He had turned and approached her with a 
 diffident air, as he spoke, looking as beautiful and 
 as melancholy as a strayed angel, and quite as 
 good. 
 
 “Flirt!” Lettice thought. “Thank you” she 
 said, “ I had a letter from home this morning ” ; 
 which was an invention. 
 
 Then Angela spoke for the first time, as her 
 guardian gently disengaged her arms for the third 
 or fourth time. “ You will never, never go away 
 again, Carissimo mio ? ” 
 
 “ Why, why, what about the lovely big doll I 
 was to bring ? ” he returned. 
 
 “ I don’t want dolls, I want you,” she replied, 
 lifting her large, dark eyes to his face and smiling. 
 Then they told him of her excitement at the 
 prospect of his return, and her daily longings and 
 enquiries for him, while she prattled on in her 
 liquid Italian, her arms outspread, her sweet 
 flower-face uplifted. The Immaculate’s heart was 
 not of stone ; he was obliged to catch the 
 tiny creature up and embrace her. “ You shall 
 136 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 never leave me, my pretty bird, never. There, 
 there ! Now run and play. Are all little girls like 
 this ? ” he asked in English. 
 
 “ Not all,” Louisa said impressively. 
 
 “Certainly not,” Lettice interjected, “this is 
 an unusually savage specimen. She bites.” 
 
 “ Bites ? ” he echoed, glancing at Amy’s hand. 
 “ Surely she did not bite you. Miss Amy ? ” 
 
 “No, Angela bit me, your other pet bit Amy,” 
 Lettice returned. 
 
 “ Oh ! — Miss Marshall ! Surely, surely not ! 
 Oh, I hope she did not really hurt you.” 
 
 “ It was nothing. Just a red ring on my arm. 
 There is no danger. A dog’s bite is worse,” she 
 replied, while Angela began to cry bitterly. 
 
 “ Poor old Nep, of course he must be killed,” 
 said his master ; “ but Angela ! she bit you ? ” 
 
 “ What a shame to tell on the child ! ” cried 
 Fraiilein Anna, “at least tell all the history, 
 Lettchen.” 
 
 “ Oh, I didn’t mind the bite and I must 
 confess that I boxed her ears,” answered Lettice, 
 laughing. “ Don’t punish her, Mr. Lester, please, 
 please.” 
 
 137 
 
 K 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The Immaculate looked grave, as who would 
 not. “ The dog must at all events be killed,” he 
 said, while the great generous creature leapt 
 round him and fawned. 
 
 “ Indeed he shall not,” cried Amy. “ Poor 
 dog, he only did his duty.” 
 
 “ In biting you, dear prophetess ? ” 
 
 “ Certainly. He saw Angela struck ; he rushed 
 to help her; I pulled him back. He naturally 
 bit me. Then I had to beat him. Poor, dear, 
 old Nep ! ” 
 
 “ But I can’t keep a dog that bites.” 
 
 “ Give me the dog then ? ” Amy entreated. 
 “ He shan’t be killed.” 
 
 “ Come Angela,” Louisa said, “ where are the 
 flowers you were going to give Mr. Lester ? 
 Fraiilein Anna, we poor wretches must go in out 
 of the chill.” 
 
 In the general move, Lettice, singing softly 
 in very bad German, “ Ich weiss nicht was soil 
 es bedeuten,” moved languidly in the opposite 
 direction to that taken by the others, through an 
 alley shaded by a now leafless pergola. The 
 Immaculate, torn by conflicting emotions, but 
 
 138 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 still looking as beautiful as the day, remained 
 rooted to the ground, half-Vv^ay between the 
 battalion going homeward and the slight figure 
 moving through the alley. Angela was too much 
 bent on gathering flowers for the Immaculate to 
 observe his absence ; she danced joyously on, 
 singing and stooping to pick carnations, until it 
 began to grow dark and she found herself back 
 at the house. Then discovering his absence she 
 began to cry piteously, whereupon the dog 
 sympathised by opening his jaws in a long-drawn 
 howl of inconceivable melancholy, that alarmed 
 the house. 
 
 Alas ! poor faultless knight, left in the mean- 
 while gazing distractedly after the fair damsel 
 disappearing in the dusk of the alley ! He 
 rumpled his hair, — with the utmost grace ; he 
 smote his breast — with elegance; he wished he 
 had never been born — but in the most decorous 
 manner, vdthout any swear-words or unbecoming 
 gestures. What had he done to offend her? 
 Then, as became a gallant knight, he resolved to 
 do his devoir even though it slew him, and cast 
 himself prostrate at the feet of his lady, avowing 
 
 139 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 his devotion in the nicest words to be found in the 
 dictionary. 
 
 “ Ich glaube die Wellen verschlingen,” sang 
 Lettice of the golden locks, pacing the slow time 
 of the melody with fairy steps, as she issued from 
 the dusk alley into bright sunset glow on a green 
 slope, shadowed by murmuring pines. Just then 
 she turned with slow nonchalance to face the 
 agitated knight pursuing her swiftly through the 
 alley. 
 
 “ Not gone in, Mr. Lester? Best out here, isn’t 
 it?” 
 
 “ It is divine. Miss Marshall, I — ah ! — I called 
 on your father — I went on purpose — ” 
 
 “ Really ? I thought you scarcely knew him.” 
 
 “ I love you, Lettice — I loved you from the 
 first.” 
 
 So the Immaculate began. No doubt he 
 continued with equal propriety. The scene must 
 have been a charming one, especially suited to 
 the lyric stage, between a tenor and soprano. 
 Picture the despair, the yearning, the pleading of 
 the tenor. The response of the soprano on upper 
 C, the roulades and trills bringing her down to 
 140 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 lower B. Her staccato coquetry gliding on to the 
 middle voice ; then a melodious relenting ; then 
 the duo allegro affettuoso ! 
 
 Ha ! our good Lestare ! ” cried Frau von 
 Stein, later. He is returned. What a joy ! 
 And my calico, my needles, my shears ? I am 
 almost sorry, liebe Aimee, that I did not let him 
 bring the post bedstead. Such bedsteads last 
 one’s lifelong. Our good Lestare has been here 
 and did not come in ? Hein ! ” 
 
 But what is this in the rays of the rising moon ? 
 Two figures walking slowly, slowly, and close, 
 oh, so close, together. Lettice’s face, spiritualised 
 in the moon light, was lifted, half-tenderly, 
 half-bashfully, to Lester’s dark one, bent down 
 with an almost religious fervour on her’s. The 
 brilliant allegro movement for two voices in 
 C major had been sung, with shakes, cadenzas, 
 and flitting solos, the tenor C in alt, the soprano 
 F sharp, to what joyous orchestral tumult ! roll 
 of drums here, pearling of flutes there, and always 
 the human cry of violins and ’cellos beneath. 
 Fortissimo! Tutti 1 Curtain! 
 
 “ Ach ! Aimee! But no, never,” cried Frau 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 von Stein. Du meine Gute ! Ach ! this 
 Lettchen ! No never was something so beautiful. 
 Doch ! Dcch ! Can that be possible ? These 
 English ! Doch ! Ach Gott ! ” she added with deep 
 emotion ; that is indeed bride and bride-groom. 
 Du lieber Himmel ! So walked I with my blessed 
 Karl in the old sweet days. 
 
 ‘ Ach, dass sie ewig griinen bliebe, 
 
 Die schone Zeit der jungen Liebe.’ ” 
 
 Then the Immaculate, pale and more solemn than 
 ever, said in his sweet voice, the two simple 
 words, Meine Brant.'' 
 
 142 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, 
 
 Are of imagination all compact : — 
 
 One sees more devils than vast hell can hold — 
 That is the madman, the lover all as frantic. 
 Sees Helen’s beauty in a brow of Egypt. 
 
 OU are not glad?” Lester asked Amy, 
 
 ^ while Frau von Stein exhausted her 
 enthusiasm in embracing Lettice and congratu- 
 lating her in a curious and excited mingling 
 of English and German. 
 
 I am glad,” she replied. 
 
 ‘‘You don’t seem glad,” he added with a 
 wistful look. 
 
 She laughed a forced laugh. “ I am a true 
 Briton, and give my thoughts no tongue. 
 Besides, it is no surprise to me, and I have not 
 just won a bright and beauteous bride.” 
 
 “ Do you wish us joy ? ” 
 
 “ With all my heart.” 
 
 The Immaculate was chilled. He could not 
 
 143 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 be perfectly happy without sympathy. None but 
 Amy Langton could properly share his feelings. 
 Why had she turned to ice ? Poor dear perfect 
 knight ! Angela had sprung into his arms, she 
 pressed the flowers she had gathered for him 
 against his face, chatting away in her musical 
 Italian, like a little bird. He clasped her closer 
 and kissed her tenderly. Here was sympathy at 
 last. And who should rejoice if not this mother- 
 less child, about to know a second mother? It 
 was then that the enthusiastic Frau, having set 
 Lettice free, descended like a benevolent 
 avalanche upon the Immaculate, folding him and 
 the child in her extensive embrace, and half- 
 stifling, him. Being engaged is not all moonlight 
 strolls, poetic raptures, soft whispers beneath 
 lemon-scented blossoms, he discovered. Hapless 
 knight ! 
 
 “ Ach ! my good Herr Lestare, I joy me so,” 
 she cried, in English, used for the benefit of 
 Lettice, “zat my Lettchen should be your 
 bride! — you her bridegroom! No; zat is too 
 beautiful ! I congratulate tousand, tousand time. 
 And my linen zat you have brought with, and ze 
 144 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 needles ; would to Heaven zat I had also let bring 
 ze post bedstead ! And you shall be married 
 together soon, yes ? And I must have you for 
 supper to-night. No, you shall not dream of 
 going back to ze hot-hell to eat. It is your 
 betrothal, your Braut-nacht. We will drink 
 Hochheimer and push glasses. Yes? And ze 
 little, ze Angela, she will have a mutter now. 
 Ach ! my little, you shall have cakes. Ze supper 
 is brought up. Come in.” 
 
 The unresisting ‘‘bridegroom” and “bride” 
 were accordingly led, one in each of the Frau’s 
 kind hands, into the dining-room, where her 
 family were already gathered for the evening 
 meal. 
 
 “ My ladies and gentlemen,” said Frau von 
 Stein with a beaming face, to the horror of the 
 Immaculate. “ Permit that I introduce you to 
 Herr Vivian Lestare and Fraiilein Lettice 
 Marshall, betrothed.” 
 
 Then it was that Lester found his devotion to 
 the fair creature by his side put to a severe test. 
 All the ladies precipitated themselves en masse 
 upon poor little blushing Lettice, and over- 
 145 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 whelmed her with kisses and congratulations; 
 the men shook hands with her, and wished her 
 joy; the ladies also shook hands with the bride- 
 groom, wishing him joy. Then von Wilden, 
 without the slightest warning, clasped him in 
 a fraternal embrace and kissed him on both 
 cheeks. 
 
 The Immaculate did not swoon, neither did he 
 swear ; but the native Briton rose in revolt 
 within him. He blushed deeply and darkly, but 
 kept his dignity. “ Don’t be such an ass, von 
 Wilden,” he grumbled, with indignation not loud 
 but deep, freeing himself from the friendly 
 German’s arms, only to fall into those of de 
 Rolleau, whose ignorance of English made 
 Lester’s remark unintelligible to him, and who 
 therefore kissed him with effusion, to the im- 
 measurable delight and amusement of his 
 compatriots. 
 
 Hapless knight ! But one glance at sweet, 
 blushing Lettice atoned for the Franco- German 
 caresses ; he accepted the calmer congratulations 
 of the Swede and the Dane, men whom he knew 
 but slightly, with proper gravity and resignation. 
 
 146 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 O wert thou in the cauld blast, 
 
 On yonder lea, 
 
 My plaidie to the angry airt, 
 rd shelter thee. 
 
 And what are storm, misery, death itself, in 
 comparison with being publicly kissed by a von 
 Wilden and a de Rolleau ? 
 
 But at last they went to table, and acted like 
 ordinary, civilised, hungry humanity, until the 
 hock went round, when the whole company again 
 lost their reason, rose en masse, surrounded the 
 Brautpaar, and clinked glasses excitedly against 
 those of the newly-betrothed with fine disregard 
 of consequences. 
 
 What on earth will they do next ? ” the 
 Immaculate wondered, meekly removing the spilt 
 wine from his clothes with a serviette. The next 
 thing was for von Wilden to spring upon his 
 chair and begin to sing, ^^Wohl auf! nun 
 getrunken den funkelnden Wein,” in which they 
 all joined in parts. Lester looked at the exquisite 
 face at his side, more lovely than ever in its 
 smiles and blushes, and when she lifted her clear 
 grey eyes, smiling at him as if they two were 
 alone together, the old glamour descended upon 
 147 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 him, he forgot the whole world. But, alas ! not 
 for long. 
 
 Fraiilein Anna wished to know if Herr Lestare 
 had hunted the fox and eaten anything besides 
 beefsteaks during his English visit. He had not 
 shot the fox, but had had a splendid run of fifty 
 minutes. He could not tell if the fox had been 
 finally killed ; having been cannoned into a brook, 
 he was not in at the death. Fifty minutes to 
 catch one leettel fox ! Du meine Glite ! And 
 such a fall ! Herr Lester would hunt no more ? 
 Ach Himmel ! these mad English. They have 
 only two amusements ; one for fine days, when 
 they say ^We will kill something’; and one for 
 bad days, when they say ‘ We will kill ourselves.’ 
 It is done in fast trains, on jumping horses, 
 steeple-hunts, and the boxe. Then, when the 
 November fogs come, they all hang themselves.” 
 
 ^Ht is well arranged,” de Rolleau said, stroking 
 his beautiful waxed moustache, ‘^Without this 
 passion for killing themselves, how would the 
 English keep down their overflowing population ? 
 The Frenchman, on the contrary, a rarer, nobler 
 being, chooses amusements that preserve life.” 
 
 148 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ^‘That was well said, my friend,” added von 
 Wilden, ‘‘everything in Nature evolves from 
 itself what it needs for the purpose of sustaining 
 individual and generic existence. Thus the 
 Englishman, finding in himself a tendency to 
 increase in number beyond the capacity of his 
 foggy island to feed him, evolves an instinct of 
 self-destruction; while the Frenchman, fearing 
 lest he should, as is very probable, ultimately 
 become extinct, preserves his own life with the 
 greatest care, and develops a tendency to destroy 
 the national as well as the individual life of others. 
 But will this struggle for existence be crowned 
 with success ? Science informs us that such 
 struggles result in the survival of the fittest. 
 Therefore ” 
 
 “Ha!” cried de Rolleau, with difficulty 
 following von Wilden’s labyrinthine and 
 nasal French, “You will insult France, von 
 Wilden ? And I present ? I ask the ladies’ 
 pardon.” 
 
 “Ach! you are making mistakes again, my 
 children,” cried Frau von 'Stein. “M. de Rolleau 
 knows that Herr von Wilden regards France as 
 149 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 the foremost nation in the universe. Yes? Herr 
 von Wilden?” 
 
 M. de Rolleau’s moustache bristled, his eyes 
 glittered. 
 
 “ Pardon, de Rolleau ; I regard France as the 
 first nation in the world,” replied von Wilden 
 in French, “in vanity,” he added in his native 
 tongue, understood by the majority of the party, 
 but not by the Frenchman, who had mastered no 
 language but his own, obviously the only one 
 worth mastering. 
 
 De Rolleau bowed, smiled, twisted his spiky 
 moustache, and said that he cherished an unalter- 
 able friendship for M. de Wilden. Von Wilden 
 replied that M. de Rolleau enjoyed his highest 
 esteem. 
 
 “Vanity,” he added, “is a property inherent to 
 the stupid; its object is to prevent them being 
 crushed by the consciousness of their inferiority 
 and to rouse their aggressiveness against those 
 who despise them. It is like the thorns upon 
 certain plants in an early stage of growth, which 
 serve to defend them from the attacks of browsing 
 cattle.” 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Tres bien! tres bien!” said de Rolleau, 
 smiling. de Wilden speaks always in 
 
 philosopher.” 
 
 There was mischief in von Wilden’s eye, the 
 gleam of battle in de Rolleau’s ; the Swede and 
 Dane began to put in their oars. 
 
 Come,” cried the good hostess, we will see 
 what our good Herr Lestare has brought us from 
 England. Men have brought the things.” 
 
 The vestibule was piled with parcels ; two hot 
 men with trucks stood wiping their faces at the 
 door. The ladies hailed their parcels with loud 
 and voluble delight, de Rolleau was affected to 
 tears by the sight of his Parisian neckties. Ah ! 
 why was Paris so cold in winter? mused the exile 
 from the only habitable spot on earth. Von 
 Wilden was very critical over his books and very 
 exact in paying for them; when the Immaculate 
 said, “ Hang the odd shillings ! ” he thought what 
 a pity it was not to let this rich Englishman pay 
 the whole score. 
 
 What is the matter with you? We seem to 
 be strangers all at once,” the Immaculate asked 
 Amy, whose reception of a Parisian trinket he 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 brought her as a souvenir had been somewhat 
 chilling. “You reject this wretched thing with 
 scorn ? ” 
 
 “ Not scorn.” 
 
 “In short you reject it. Very well! ” 
 
 Then to Amy’s surprise, the courteous and 
 chivalrous Lester dashed the morocco case to 
 the ground, and turned angrily away. 
 
 “ I wonder why on earth I am such a fool,” 
 she mused. “ Is it because I have made the 
 Immaculate Mr. Lester angry?” The vestibule 
 was now empty, she sat alone under the swinging 
 lamp on the stairs and looked at the jeweller’s 
 case, which had sprung open and shot the 
 bracelet out upon the pavement, where it glittered 
 in the lamp-light. She could not bear to see it 
 there, ready to be trampled on by the first passer; 
 yet she had not the resolution to pick it up. 
 
 “ I would not have it because I care too much 
 for him,” she thought, “ and it is best so. I am 
 glad he was angry. He ought not to have been 
 angry; it was unkind. I wish I had taken it 
 quietly. I am glad I didn’t; I am glad he 
 brought it. It was most impertinent of him. 
 
 152 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Sometimes I think I hate him. We always 
 differed and disagreed, and now we have come 
 to the hating point. No doubt I hate him, there- 
 fore I dislike to meet him, and therefore I will 
 never meet him again. He does not hate me; 
 he only disapproves of me. As if it mattered.” 
 
 Did Lettice really care for Lester? How lovely 
 beyond her lovely wont she looked that night 
 with the flush of happiness and bashful tender* 
 ness upon her. 
 
 ‘‘Ah! great and glorious power of beauty!” 
 Amy thought, quite unconscious of her own, and 
 almost envious of Lettice Marshall’s. “ Still, 
 if only she loves him. I think Letty loves 
 him.” 
 
 So Frau von Stein and her pensionnaires 
 thought, when they observed the blushing and 
 sparkling of the pretty face that fascinated them 
 all. A beautiful poetic marriage, all love on 
 both sides, all — except the Dane, who was smitten 
 himself — thought, with quiet elation. This 
 betrothal was the most delightful, cheering 
 thing that had ever happened at Villa Dole’ 
 Acqua; it brought an atmosphere of love and 
 
 153 L 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 romance, youth and poetry, into the limited, 
 stagnant, invalid circle. 
 
 Something more than a conviction that she 
 was going to make a suitable match, and an 
 exultant feeling that she was leading captive a 
 man who, in position, mind, and person, was all 
 that a girl could desire, inspired Lettice. She 
 really loved this man, though she loved herself 
 better. Of the first clause Lester was assured, 
 of the possibility of the latter he could not 
 dream. Lettice was to him a celestial vision, 
 a flawless being; she was indeed not Lettice 
 at all, but an impossible creation of his own 
 imagination. 
 
 This dreamer walked home in his dream 
 beneath the stars, listening to the hushed song 
 of the unseen sea, and the faint whisper of the 
 night wind among boughs of myrtle and lemon, 
 with a look of supernatural exaltation on his 
 face. He had not gone far when he turned 
 and looked back. Lights were not out at 
 Villa Dole’ Acqua. That was Lettice’s window. 
 Perhaps she was at her evening devotions, — 
 overpowering thought! How dare he be present 
 
 ^54 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 even in imagination at that holy rite ? Yet she 
 was probably praying for him, unworthy him! 
 Sweet, sweet Lettice, pure pearl of stainless 
 womanhood ! And he had dared to raise his 
 thoughts to that height, nay, more, he had actually 
 been accepted there. She had stooped to him, 
 even him 1 The light went out. The golden head 
 now pressed the pillow. Happy slumber, rosy 
 visions, sweetest and purest 1 ” 
 
 He turned homewards, thinking of the evening’s 
 comedy, while striking a light for his cigar. 
 Von Wilden had excelled himself on the piano. 
 Then there had been tableaux vivants. Once, 
 happily seated by Lettice, Lester glanced 
 across the room. There sat Amy Langton, 
 looking very pale and tired, quite unlike herself, 
 her head resting against an inlaid cabinet, her hand 
 bandaged, the dog’s head on her knee. He had for- 
 gotten the bite ; he had not even learnt if it were 
 serious. The picture was distressing, a jarring 
 chord. But Lettice spoke ; it was forgotten in a 
 
 moment. Now it rose again, to be again dismissed 
 \ 
 
 in the exquisite tumult that fair vision evoked. 
 
 His face was exalted and spiritualised, his eyes 
 
 155 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 brilliant ; he was like an enchanted hero of old 
 romance, seeing visions unutterable. He might 
 wake at any moment from the magic trance ; but 
 he could never escape the fate to which he had 
 bound himself under the spell. 
 
 Lettice was considering her wedding clothes, 
 how many bridesmaids she would have, and 
 what they should wear. 
 
 “ Die Wahn ist kurz, die Reu ist lang.” 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 “ Went! du sie im Zorn ertappen konntest, da ware sie 
 am besten kennen zu lernen ; da springt der versteckte 
 
 “ Barfussele.” 
 
 inwendige Mensch heraus — ” 
 
 EXT morning the Immaculate took Angela 
 
 ” and the dog to Villa Dole’ Acqua ; the child 
 chattered as much as usual, but received fewer 
 replies. Her guardian was thinking of other 
 things ; he was no longer so much pleased and 
 amused by her pretty ways and caresses ; he was 
 beginning to think children on the whole rather a 
 nuisance. Some dim suspicion of this was quickly 
 manifest to Angela’s observant mind. Receiving 
 no answer to a five times repeated question, she 
 looked in her guardian’s face with the dumb 
 pathos of a slighted dog and sighed dejectedly, 
 relapsing into spiritless silence. Could this be 
 her Viviano, or had some wicked witch conjured 
 his soul out of his body ? — an event of probable 
 daily occurrence. Was Frau von Stein a witch ? 
 
 157 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Perpetua said she was a heretic, a heretic was 
 probably as bad as a witch. What was the good 
 of asking Viviano when his soul was gone away ? 
 She clasped the big doll from England closer, 
 kissed a little more paint off its cheeks, and asked 
 it instead, producing no change in its glassy 
 stare and fixed red smile. 
 
 They met Frau von Stein coming from her 
 poultry-yard with some eggs in her apron and a 
 large straw hat over her morning cap. 
 
 “ Frau,” asked Angela solemnly. “ Is a heretic 
 a witch ? Are you a witch ? ” 
 
 “ Du lieber Himmel ! no ; that is the witch,” 
 she cried, laughing and pointing to Lettice, who 
 was innocent of any language but her own, and 
 some wild fragments of French. 
 
 “Has she stolen Viviano’s soul?” she continued 
 anxiously. 
 
 “Ha ! ha ! Herr Lester, do you hear ze little ? 
 She would make a wit, she would poke a fun at 
 you ! ” cried the delighted Frau in English. 
 “ Yes,” she added in Italian, “ the witch, 
 Lettchen, has stolen away his soul.” 
 
 “There are no witches except in stories, 
 
 158 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Angela,” Lester replied. It is dangerous to jest 
 with this child, Frau von Stein. She’s so sharp.” 
 
 People don’t know when they are bewitched,” 
 observed Angela, submitting to the caresses of 
 von Wilden and the ladies on the verandah, but 
 slipping quickly past Lettice, who called her to 
 her side with a smile. She went unwillingly, 
 almost fearfully, suffered Lettice to kiss her 
 averted cheek, and wriggled quickly away. 
 
 This is naughty, rude behaviour, Angela,” her 
 guardian said. ‘‘ Go, carissima, and kiss the lady 
 and say good-morning in your best Englsh.” 
 
 I don’t like her,” moaned the child. She 
 beat me — hard.” 
 
 This is naughtier and naughtier. You know 
 that you deserved it. Oh, yes, I heard all your 
 naughtiness.” 
 
 Pardon, Herr Lestare, ze little tells true. Ach ! 
 Lettchen,” she began, lapsing into German, ^‘you 
 know you struck first and hard; then she bit 
 you,” said Frau von Stein. Our Lettchen has 
 her quick blood, who is worth anything without 
 that ? The child danced and fell against her, and 
 the hot coffee stained her dress and burnt her arm. 
 
 159 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 And Lettchen, you swung your hand round hard, 
 hard, — the dog saw and would have killed you, but 
 our brave Amy caught him by the throat. Then 
 this naughty, naughty Angela became like a mad 
 child and bit the lady.” 
 
 “ She struck hard,” sobbed the child, gathering 
 from this speech that her misdeed was referred 
 to, and creeping up to him to be comforted. 
 
 The Immaculate said nothing in any tongue, 
 but he thought in three. Lettice had vented her 
 anger upon a helpless child ; she had mis- 
 represented her violence to the child’s detriment. 
 Lettice was sitting smiling unconsciously by 
 his side, looking like a young angel. When 
 she observed the change on his face, concluding 
 that he was angry with Angela, some com- 
 punction made her draw the little girl towards 
 her. But Lester suddenly snatched Angela away 
 and set her on the other side of him. 
 
 “ My Lettchen,” said the good Frau in English, 
 “ ze little is scolded, while she did bite ; please 
 tell to our good Herr Lestare ze trute.” 
 
 “Oh,” said Lettice with her sweet smile; 
 “ don’t scold the dear child, pray ; it had better 
 i6o 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 be forgotten. She was very naughty; I was a 
 little sharp with her.” 
 
 Why did you strike her ? ” he asked in a tone 
 that chilled her. 
 
 Well, since you must know the whole history,” 
 she replied, Angela was naughty ” 
 
 ‘‘ Ach ! not naughty, she did eat nozing for joy 
 of Herr Lester’s return,” interrupted Frau von 
 
 Stein, she was agitate ” 
 
 Well, she was frisking about and knocked a 
 cup of scalding coffee over me. Before I knew 
 what I was about I had given her a little slap on 
 
 the side of her face ” 
 
 Ach ! my Lettchen, it was greater as you did 
 sink. Her ear and sheek was red like blode ; she 
 did wank, she did stagger, and zen she did jump 
 at you.” 
 
 “Yes; then she sprang at me — I was so 
 frightened — and nearly made her teeth meet in my 
 arm.” 
 
 “ I am very sorry. I am more sorry than I can 
 say. Is the wound healing ? ” he asked. 
 
 “ Wound? Oh, the mark soon went,” Lettice 
 laughed. 
 
 i6i 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “And the dog?” 
 
 “ The dog ? What did he do ? Something 
 dreadful, I believe ; but I vras too much occupied 
 with this little fury to see,” replied Lettice, 
 laughing. 
 
 “Ze dogue ? ” said the good Frau. “Ach 
 Gott ! zat could have been tragic. When he see 
 ze little beat, he spring out from ze verandah, 
 with fire eyes and growls like sunder. Amy in 
 one minute she has her hand on ze great black 
 troat, zen zere is a fight — du meine Giite ! a fight 
 with maiden and dogue. Von Wilden, he is zere 
 soon to help, but not until ze beast did bite ze 
 maiden. Herr von Wilden blinded ze beast, and 
 Miss Amy — I know not what she has done, but ze 
 dogue is her servant.” 
 
 “ I am glad I didn’t see it,” added Lettice, with 
 a shiver, “ I should have fainted.” 
 
 “ The dog might have killed you,” Lester said 
 with emotion. “ Poor little thing ! ” he added, in 
 Italian. “ If you are naughty, you must expect 
 to be beaten, Angela.” 
 
 “ Father never, never beat me,” whimpered 
 Angela. 
 
 162 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ‘^Ach! das Waisekind. Herr Lester, never, 
 never must you beat zis shild. It will have only 
 kindness,” commented Frau von Stein. 
 
 Spare the rod and spoil the child,” said Lettice, 
 in her musical voice. She is already ruined by 
 over-indulgence.” 
 
 I love not your philosophy. Miss Marshall,” 
 remarked von Wilden, who had been sitting 
 silently in the sunshine, with a philosophical 
 German book, containing sentences two pages 
 long, interminable mazes, with the verb at the 
 very end. While enjoying this mental relaxation, 
 he broke off occasionally to meditate upon the 
 possibility of excluding the perception of space 
 from the consciousness of infinity, and the prob- 
 ability of the on-the-point of being, or werdende, 
 having no continuity of essence with the being, or 
 geworden. While revolving these airy trifles, his 
 solid Teutonic brain was further occupied with 
 the study of humanity in the concrete, in the 
 specimens before him on the verandah. 
 
 ‘‘ I do not hold,” he continued, that the young 
 human intelligence can be well developed by the 
 principles of pain, terror, and disgrace, all of which 
 163 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 degrade the consciousness and lower the dignity of 
 humanity, and all of which should be reduced 
 as much as possible to a minimum in the common 
 consciousness of the race. Let us, therefore, 
 abolish punishment in the family and rear human 
 beings uncontaminated by fear and pain, when we 
 may safely abolish it in the State. How are 
 beautiful forms and colours developed, and ugly 
 or useless organs lost, in the natural and gradual 
 process of evolution ? The ugly and the useless 
 dwindle by disuse and become extinct ; the 
 beautiful or useful — and these terms are often 
 synonymous — on the contrary, develop themselves 
 by constant use.” 
 
 Soaring into regions of inpalpable ratiocina- 
 tion, he traced the development of a newt’s 
 foot into the human hand. “ So,” he con- 
 tinued,” we shall follow Nature in the artificial 
 process of developing an ideal Mensch from the 
 rudimentary being” — bestowing a prickly-bearded 
 kiss upon the rose-leaf surface of Angela’s cheek — 
 “ before us. We will cause her to lose, by disuse, 
 fear and its accompanying degradation, and to 
 develop to the utmost the opposite principle — 
 164 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 love, and all the elevating virtues of humanity 
 which spring from this one, so beautiful root.” 
 He maintained further that the civilisation of 
 different periods could be ascertained by an 
 enquiry into their views of a supreme ruling 
 power, or powers. Was the great First Cause 
 worshipped in terror, with propitiatory rites, as a 
 willing inflictor of misery, then were the worship- 
 pers very low in the scale. Was the Supreme 
 Ruler, on the contrary, revered and trusted as a 
 beneficent being, incapable of cruelty, then had 
 the worshippers reached a high point. 
 
 Whereupon the Immaculate was bound to 
 reply; the original subject of discussion became 
 gradually lost sight of; literally playing at hide- 
 and-seek behind the trees with Nep, metaphorically 
 circling the globe. Lettice listened with her 
 gentle air of appreciation, and laughed her musical 
 laugh occasionally, quite unconscious of what was 
 being said in laboured English. She was wonder- 
 ing if satin would still be worn by brides in a 
 year’s time, when she was to be married. Von 
 Wilden spoke English grammatically, with 
 idioms borrowed from every language he knew, 
 
 165 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and they were numerous. He habitually addressed 
 Lester as young fellow’’ and ‘^you rascal,” 
 under the impression that it was usual to do so. 
 He gave vigour to his conversation by such expres- 
 sions as Zounds,” Odd’s my life,” Crikey,” 
 
 Damme.” Again, he would address the Immac- 
 ulate as old cuss,” or old boss ; ” these 
 expressions, picked up from a smart American 
 youth, were his favourites. If Lester ventured 
 to hint that these terms were not heard in the 
 best English, von Wilden, reflecting that the 
 Immaculate was not noble, concluded that he 
 was most likely unacquainted with the aristocratic 
 use of the language. 
 
 The sunshiny morning having slipped imper- 
 ceptibly away, Lester, promising to appear at the 
 evening’s reception, took his leave. How different 
 to yesterday’s poetic exultation was to-day’s 
 dejection ! The serpent had appeared early in this 
 Eden. Angela trotted happily along, telling her 
 companion a long, unintelligible history, not 
 entirely founded on fact, about Nep, Perpetua, 
 Amy, and Sister Avis, when a cry and rush from 
 the child, a bound and whine from the dog, 
 i66 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 heralded Amy Langton’s appearance round a turn 
 in the pillared drive. 
 
 How is the hand ? ” the Immaculate asked. 
 
 Let me see it, pray. Are you quite sure that it 
 is not serious ? — have you had it cauterized ?” he 
 continued with profound solemnity. 
 
 She ungloved a pinky~v/hite hand, the back torn 
 in two or three places, already healing. The sight 
 produced a dismal howl and drooping tail from 
 Nep, who slunk away, looking like a limp roll of 
 black fur, and crouched behind a pillar, showing 
 nothing but the whites of his eyes. 
 
 Thank God, it is no worse,’’ exclaimed Lester 
 fervently. How brave of you. Miss Amy ! The 
 dog might have killed her. Warm-hearted people 
 are always warm-tempered,” he continued, as he 
 tied up the hand, And I am afraid that she is 
 not very fond of children.” 
 
 ^‘She is very young and not accustomed to 
 children,” replied Amy, rightly judging that 
 she ” indicated Lettice. 
 
 Having placed Angela in Perpetua’s hands, the 
 Immaculate, being in sore need of solitude and 
 time for meditation, set off quickly for a sail, 
 167 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 But soon after he reached the shore, he heard a 
 light patter of footsteps behind him, interrupted 
 by a little gurgle of laughter, and turning, saw 
 his small charge, clasping her doll and laughing 
 roguishly. She was going for a row, too, she said, 
 and, in spite of commands and remonstrances, 
 the small despot of five summers had her will. 
 The boat was soon gliding over the sea in the 
 sunshine, Angela, the dog and the doll in the 
 stern, the Immaculate, half amused and half 
 angry, pulling long strokes, and facing this curious 
 and contented trio. 
 
 The brightness and beauty, the refreshing 
 breath of the salt breeze, the noble amphitheatre 
 of hills retreating from the grand sweep of the 
 bay, their bases covered with oleander, aloe, 
 orange, lemon and myrtle trees, their higher 
 slopes with olives, pines and oaks, their bare 
 limestone tops, crowned with snow, piercing 
 an azure sky, together with the pleasantness of 
 shooting the boat with strong strokes over the 
 dancing wave, revived the Immaculate’s drooping 
 spirits. A British troopship, homeward bound, 
 stood in the offing, her white hulk azure with 
 
 i68 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 reflected blue ; English-built yachts sailed before 
 the light wind ; foreign coasting vessels, mostly 
 with lateen sails, flitted along ; sea-gulls hovered 
 like living foam-flakes over the waves. The 
 Immaculate shipped his sculls, hoisted a sail, 
 lighted a pipe, and steered. Angela put a lead 
 pencil into her own mouth and another into the 
 dog’s, and they smoked too. 
 
 When the boat touched the shore, at sunset, 
 the chocolate-box was empty and Angela sadly 
 indisposed. Lester, bearing a limp, dishevelled 
 scrap of humanity back to the hotel in his arms, 
 hoped that sea-sickness was not very bad for 
 children. Perpetua would probably scold him 
 roundly for letting her go in the boat ; but how 
 about von Wilden’s beautiful theories of freedom 
 and kindness ? Boating must evidently be given up 
 until Angela had evolved the quality of obedience. 
 For in the course of the afternoon, the doll having 
 fallen overboard, Angela sprang after it, and was 
 cunningly caught by Nep and held above water, 
 while the Immaculate, petrified with fear, had 
 brought the boat round and hauled the trio in, as 
 best as he could, while encumbered with the sculls. 
 
 169 M 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 What am I to do with the brat ? ” he asked 
 of Frau von Stein in the evening. 
 
 Ach, Gott ! Herr Lestare, you must loaf her 
 and be patient.” 
 
 All black misgivings and wretched doubts 
 vanished, all the old glaniour fell upon him 
 again, when he sat that evening by the side of 
 the exquisite creature pledged to him, gazing into 
 her beautiful eyes and hearing her occasional 
 musical monosyllables. There was a new some- 
 thing in her manner that took the edge from 
 the morning’s apprehensions and intensified her 
 charm, an innocent pleading, a tender reproach. 
 He handed her coffee and cakes, admired the 
 beautiful curves ot her lips when they broke into 
 soft smiles, the delicate tints of her cream and 
 blush-rose face, the trembling of star-like jewels 
 brought by him from Paris in her small polished 
 ears. 
 
 Von Wilden touched the piano with unusual 
 skill, gliding, as usual, into a Volkslied. 
 
 “ Ach ! wie ist’s moglich dann, 
 
 Dass ich dich lassen kann, 
 
 Hab dich von Herzen lieb, 
 
 Dass glaube mir.” 
 
 170 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 De Rolleau, touched by seeing the young 
 couple, and hearing von Wilden’s love-laden 
 music, thought of Paris, and dashed a tear of 
 sensibility, of which he was intensely proud, from 
 his dark eye. Consenting to sing to von Wilden’s 
 accompaniment, he gracefully approached the 
 piano, and, negligently tossing his hair from his 
 brow, and placing one hand with easy elegance 
 upon his hip, he began in a nasal high voice to 
 sing to an air of monotonous melancholy, 
 Ic-i bas tons les hom-mes pleur-ent, ” with a 
 pathos so profound that Nep, who had sur- 
 reptitiously accompanied his master, lying outside 
 the drawing-room door, and unable to suppress 
 his emotion, burst into a prolonged and heart- 
 rending howl, so dismal that it obliged several 
 people to bury their faces in their hankerchiefs, 
 Nep doubtless thinking that if all men wept, all dogs 
 were privileged to do likewise. Not so De Rolleau, 
 who, abruptly stopping his lamentations, uttered a 
 Sacre with more r’s in it than could be written 
 down in five minutes, and left the room. 
 
 Miss Ada P. Williss then brought out her banjo, 
 and sung a plantation song with a burden of Yah, 
 171 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 yah, yah, ” succeeded by ^‘Old folks at Home.” 
 The piano was then occupied by one of those 
 terrible social evils who play with great 
 execution. Her muscular exertion was enormous, 
 her arms were laden with bangles that clanked 
 like manacles, so that her listeners, especially 
 the Germans, returned fervid thanks when, 
 with a final bang on half the keys, she 
 rose. Von Wilden’s eyes glared fiendishly; he 
 muttered injurious observations in six languages. 
 The piece being attributed to Liszt, some 
 English person murmured Don’t Liszt,” the 
 meaning of which, after ten minutes’ deep 
 meditation, penetrated to von Wilden’s brain, 
 and resulted in an explosion of laughter just as 
 Frau von Stein was relating a pathetic anecdote 
 of ‘‘mine blessed Mann.” 
 
 Once more, in the quiet light of the eternal 
 stars, a dreamer walked home in a dream. All 
 the odorous air, blossoming earth, and hushed sea, 
 were again replete with poetry, love and beauty. 
 
 All lingering doubts and fears had been effectually 
 stilled by the touch of a talisman he carried, a 
 parcel of seductive toys, a peace offering from 
 172 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Lettice to Angela, now asleep in her cot, and 
 watched by Perpetua, who knitted by a shaded 
 lamp, and told her beads. Lester, his face full of 
 reverent tenderness, looked long and silently at the 
 rosy child, with her long, dark eye-lashes touching 
 her velvety cheek, her dimpled arms flung care- 
 lessly abroad among her curls. Perpetua had hung 
 a crucifix and a holy water vessel above the cot ; 
 she watched Veretico with jealous eyes, making the 
 sign that wards off the evil eye. His lips moved, 
 his hand was slightly raised, as if in benediction ; 
 he kissed the baby brow very softly and stole 
 away. 
 
 Perpetua rose, sprinkled some drops of holy 
 water over the sleeper, and made the sign of 
 the cross. 
 
 173 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 “ But there’s a tree of many a one, 
 
 A single field which I have looked upon, 
 
 Both of them speak of something which is gone ; 
 
 The pansy at my feet 
 Doth the same tale repeat ; 
 
 Whither is fled the visionary gleam. 
 
 Where is it now, the glory and the dream ? ” 
 
 HE romantic episode in the Riviera, flashing 
 
 unexpectedly into the murkiness of chill 
 January days, passed as quickly away, the glory 
 and the loveliness swallowed in the dead prose of 
 ordinary life. The Immaculate, who had then 
 dreamed of no such bright possibilities, felt, on 
 returning to England in the bitter wind of a 
 black March day, that orange groves, palms and 
 myrtles, their foliage stirred by the breath of 
 young romance, their branches swept by the 
 garments of beings of ethereal loveliness, were 
 but dreams. 
 
 Lettice had already declined from an ideal to an 
 
 174 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 erring creature, with frailties in place of perfections. 
 Compassion had succeeded to his early reverence 
 for her ; the selfishness, sharp temper, and flippancy 
 so manifest in her, were but partly atoned for by 
 youth and faulty education. Still he would mould 
 his ideal wife from this plastic young material ; 
 Love would chisel something lovely from such 
 unsullied youth. Yet he was sad, as he leant over 
 the boat’s side and saw the cold grey Dover cliffs. 
 Hapless Immaculate ! 
 
 Lettice would have been surprised, even 
 amused, at the concern her small frailties caused 
 him. A being so charming had a right to 
 frailties, she thought. That this unreasonable 
 man would think of her except with the blind- 
 est devotion, or that she had, or ever would 
 have, duties towards him, never struck her. 
 The Immaculate naturally fell in love with her 
 at first sight ; men always did ; as he was 
 agreeable and eligible, she accepted him. At 
 nineteen it was high time to marry ; re- 
 jecting suitors, she reflected, with a prudence 
 for which her adorer did not give her credit, is all 
 very well in early youth, while whole ranks of 
 
 175 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 men surrender at one glance ; but on the verge of 
 old maidhood no discreet girl should reject a 
 good offer. 
 
 But she reckoned without her host in assuming 
 that her will was to regulate Lester’s actions, as 
 she found before the brief Riviera days had passed. 
 
 Rocca Vecchia is a mediaeval stronghold on a 
 bare mountain crag, within a drive of Col Aprico. 
 There the Villa Dole’ Acqua circle picnicked one 
 day. Angela, having done her best to fall down 
 an oubliette in the gloomy ruin, the Immaculate, 
 catching her just as she was disappearing, had 
 forbidden her to leave his hand again. Lettice 
 and Amy wished to climb an eminence crowned 
 with pines, whence an extensive view, including 
 the hill-tops of Corsica, lying like purple gems in 
 the sea, was visible. Having reached this desired 
 spot, the two girls, with their knight and his two 
 pets, sat beneath the soughing pines, where it was 
 pleasant and airy on this sunny March afternoon. 
 Gum oozed from the bark of the wind-rocked 
 pines, filling the air with healthy fragrance ; down 
 through the dazzle of sunlight, over rounded, 
 verdured hills, out upon a sea in which every 
 176 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 imaginable jewel seemed slowly dissolving in a 
 flux of liquid gold, it was delightful to look; a 
 barren, castled crag on the right, a wood of 
 chestnut and oak flushed with russet buds, on the 
 left, limestone mountains rising precipitously 
 behind them, completed the picture. All this 
 beauty and repose made them silent, even Angela 
 and the dog. 
 
 Now I know what these sails remind me of,” 
 Lettice exclaimed, starting from a reverie, the 
 Lebenschiffe at Carrie’s wedding.” 
 
 Some boats were tacking, so that the sails, 
 broadside to the west, would be sheets of glory ; 
 then, at right angles to the first tack, they were 
 shadowy grey. 
 
 The Immaculate remembered the occasion. “ It 
 was our first meeting,” he said, you were then a 
 child with golden hair.” 
 
 ‘‘ That stupid man with his walnut-shell ships ! 
 And that boy whose candle went out ! He died 
 before the year was over,” Lettice said. 
 
 There must have been some devilry in it. 
 How little I then guessed that I was standing by 
 my fate,” said the Immaculate tenderly. 
 
 177 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Ah ! but our ships didn’t sail together,” 
 Lettice objected ; “ yours ran after Amy’s. Do 
 you remember, Amy ? ” 
 
 Amy had disappeared with the child ; they rose 
 and followed her. 
 
 As they were descending the hill-side, their 
 conversation fell on Angela. “ It is cruel to spoil 
 her so, Vivian,” Lettice said, “ she will have to go 
 out in the world and earn her bread. How will 
 she be fitted for roughing it ? ” 
 
 Lester’s face changed. “ Why should she rough 
 it ? ” he asked. 
 
 “ She has nothing,” Lettice replied, a little 
 frightened. 
 
 “ She has me,” 
 
 “ And at your death ? ” 
 
 “ She will not be forgotten.” 
 
 “ Adopted children are a mistake,” she said. 
 
 “ I am sorry you think so. I hoped that you 
 would have been a mother to this child,” he 
 added. “ The adoption was fully discussed at 
 the time, dearest. Your father approved. I 
 asked him to make it plain to you.” 
 
 She replied that he had no right to burden her 
 178 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 with such a responsibility ; he was silent, 
 regretting that he had not better succeeded in 
 making her understand what she was doing at 
 the time of the engagement, 
 
 “ In accepting each other, surely we accepted 
 each other’s responsibilities,” he added, after a 
 time. Lettice replied, with flushed cheeks and 
 cold voice, that she could not and would not be 
 bothered with other people’s children. 
 
 At this stage they joined the rest of the party 
 and returned to Col Aprico, the Immaculate in a 
 high state of misery. It was hard upon Lettice, 
 who seemed not to have understood the position, 
 which he had so carefully explained to her 
 parents along with other matter-of-fact details. 
 He blamed himself for expecting so much of her. 
 But what could he do at this eleventh hour? 
 
 It was his last evening, spent at Villa Dole’ 
 Acqua, where supper was always a trial to his 
 feelings. Fraiilein Anna’s knife was constantly 
 disappearing between her charming lips ; Frau 
 von Stein too ostentatiously enjoyed her food 
 and too frequently used both knife and fork to 
 give point to her conversation ; the German- 
 179 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Swiss girl used hers as signalling instruments, 
 — and von Wilden ! — and de Rolleau ! But 
 people’s feelings must be respected. At all events, 
 supper at Villa Dole’ Acqua was a penance hardly 
 counterbalanced by the presence of Lettice. Yet 
 had she not been present, the pain would have 
 been less ; for these sins against refinement were 
 so many insults to that pure pearl of womanly 
 excellence, a view of the question that would have 
 intensely amused the fair lady herself. 
 
 To-night Lettice was pleased to manifest her 
 displeasure by a haughty and chilling manner, 
 receiving all his attempts at conversation with 
 crushing monosyllables. Her monosyllables were 
 a gift entirely her own ; with them she could 
 assent, dissent, kindle to enthusiasm, chill to 
 despair, enchant with rapture, or crush with 
 disdain ; compared with the heavy ordnance of 
 conversation, these monosyllables were as a 
 needle-gun of delicate precision and long range. 
 The needle-gun soon silenced the Immaculate’s 
 fire, reducing him to deepest gloom. But the 
 table penance once over, he forgot everything save 
 the necessity of loving Lettice and being a little 
 i8o 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 loved in return. Therefore, when they left the 
 dining-room, he took a shawl from the vestibule, 
 folded her in it and drew her silently, irresistibly, 
 into the verandah, using sufficient gentle force to 
 take away the young lady’s breath — figuratively, 
 not literally — and to impress her with a wholesome 
 conviction that he was not to be trifled with. 
 A silken thread was not for her; she must 
 master or be mastered. Foolish youth ! Drawing 
 her hand through his arm, he made a beautiful 
 tender little apology for his rough words at Rocca 
 Vecchia, and immediately lost his temporary 
 ascendancy over her, winning scorn and wrath 
 instead. 
 
 She shed a few tears ; he thought himself a 
 brute. He succeeded, however, in drying the 
 tears and in rivetting his bonds more firmly than 
 ever. Then he spoke gently of his promise to 
 the dead, sacred, impossible to break, a promise 
 given when he was unfettered by other ties. 
 He knew that he had asked and expected too 
 much of her, perhaps he ought to not have 
 asked it ; but it was now impossible to go back. 
 ‘‘Dearest,” he added in his velvety voice, “help 
 
 l8i 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 me bear this burden. It is very sweet to me. 
 It may be even sweeter to you one day. The 
 child is dearer to me than anyone on earth — 
 except yourself. She will wind herself round 
 your heart one day.” 
 
 ‘‘And that is why I hate the brat,” the fair 
 damsel reflected ; but she only said that she 
 would think it over. 
 
 It was enough for the Immaculate that Lettice 
 was gracious again, and assented to tender 
 nothings he said about their approaching parting 
 and future meeting, and listened contentedly to 
 other agreeable trifles. What could be more 
 delightful ? Young lovers strolling among moon- 
 lit orange and myrtle trees in an Italian garden, 
 within sound of the sea. The very birds nestled 
 among the foliage might have envied the young 
 human pair. Von Wilden, looking at the moon, 
 an eclipse of which was due, caught sight of them 
 and murmured some of Ruckert’s love-lyrics 
 instead of measuring the eclipse, which was just 
 beginning, thinking possibly that love-making 
 was more amusing than astronomy. Frau von 
 Stein, peeping through the half-drawn curtains, 
 182 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 was quite sure of it. What did the Frau care 
 for the moon ? She cared much for humanity, 
 also for German propriety, which exacted a 
 watchful gaze on the most intimate moments of 
 a Brautpaar such as now moved in the soft odours 
 and tender moonlight of that orange garden. 
 
 When the Immaculate bid his friends at Col 
 Aprico good-bye, affectionately kissed by Frau 
 Von Stein — but not a second time by von Wilden 
 and de Rolleau — receiving a cordial hand-clasp 
 from Amy Langton, with a frank, See you 
 again soon,” and a polyglot valediction from the 
 remaining ladies, he thought that friendship was 
 a beautiful and pleasant thing, pleasanter and far 
 more restful than love. Recreant knight ! 
 Heretical Immaculate ! No longer can he be 
 called perfect. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 “ A little child, a limber elf, 
 
 Singing and dancing to itself, 
 
 A fairy thing with red round cheeks, 
 
 That always asks and never seeks, 
 
 Make such a vision to the sight 
 As fills a father’s eyes with light.^’ 
 
 N a warm, still June afternoon, Lester and 
 
 his little ward, just set down from a hansom, 
 and followed, of course, by Nep, were walking 
 slowly on the hot flags, now beginning to cool 
 in the shade, by the trees clustering round the 
 little Church of the Angels. 
 
 wish you had a half-holiday every day,” 
 Angela said in her best English. ‘‘I want to see 
 ze beasts again, and give buns to ze bears.” 
 
 “We can go on some Sunday. But would 
 you not rather see your friend Miss Amy than 
 the lions and tigers?” 
 
 “ I sink I would yike bose at one time.” 
 
 The relation between these two human beings 
 
 184 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 was daily becoming closer and more delightful. 
 As Angela absolutely declined to stay away from 
 Lester at Croft Hall, for the present they 
 occupied some sunny bright rooms near one of 
 the Parks, where the Immaculate spent much of 
 his time. It was pleasanter than the solitude of 
 chambers. He wrote and Angela played with her 
 dolls in the same room, each having come to a 
 mutual understanding of the wants of the other. 
 The child took an interest beyond her years in 
 all he did. When he went to the House of 
 Commons, she understood that he was busy per- 
 suading people to build better houses for poor 
 people, to prevent women and little children from 
 working too hard, and to see to the defences of 
 Great Britain, 
 
 Soon after her arrival in England, Angela had 
 contrived to fall dangerously ill, of an illness which 
 nearly proved fatal. All through one night, when 
 she was thought to be sinking, Lester held the 
 moaning half-conscious child, who turned and 
 clung to him through it all, in his arms. Not till 
 then did he imagine how much a child can be 
 loved, though it is scarcely necessary to observe 
 185 N 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 that the Immaculate, perfect at all points, proved 
 himself a first-rate father and a matchless sick 
 nurse. As for Miss Angela, she could not have 
 hit upon a better way of endearing herself to him 
 than this little excursion deathwards; it was a 
 stroke of genius. The closer she twined round 
 his heart, the more surprising Lettice’s aversion 
 for her appeared to him. 
 
 At first he waited for an invitation, which never 
 came, to take the child to see Lettice. Then he 
 asked leave to bring her, when Lettice was 
 
 anything but gracious. Once Mrs. Cecil 
 
 Langton openly said it was a pity the child had 
 not been removed by her illness ; whereupon 
 Lettice laughed her musical laugh, and observed 
 that she had yet to run the gauntlet of half-a- 
 dozen infantile maladies. At which observation, 
 Lester’s face changed ; he said nothing but 
 
 thought much. In proportion as Lettice was 
 
 jealous of the child, she grew exacting to him ; 
 absolute homage was what she demanded. Blind 
 Immaculate ! no suspicion of her jealousy crossed 
 his mind. But once, when severely scolded for not 
 appearing at the Marshalls’ in the height of 
 i86 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Angela’s illness, he was provoked into saying that 
 a child’s life was more important than a woman’s 
 whim. 
 
 ‘‘Has it come to this?” cried Lettice, bursting 
 into tears. “ Men always change, but I did not 
 think you would cease to love me so soon.” 
 
 “ And I did not think,” retorted the Immacu- 
 late (whose virtues appear to be on the decline), 
 for he was too indignant to be touched even by 
 tears, “ that a woman could be so selfish as to 
 grudge anything to a dying child.” 
 
 “ You knew I was selfish, and yet you loved 
 me,” she replied with tearful reproach. 
 
 “ It is because I love you so truly, that I want 
 you to be unselfish,” he returned gently. 
 
 “ If you really loved me you would be content 
 with me. If I were unselfish and prim and good, 
 I should be somebody else. Why did you choose 
 me if you wanted somebody else ? You had 
 better have left me alone.” 
 
 “ Do you really think so ? ” he asked, with a 
 very grave face. “ Is it your wish that we 
 should part ?” 
 
 Lettice was startled. She was not quite as 
 187 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 hard as she seemed. Annoyed at his absence for 
 the sake of a sick child, she had not realised, 
 though she had been told, that the little thing was 
 in danger. In reproaching him for his pre- 
 occupation, she expected passionate excuses for 
 his negligence instead of grave rebuke for her 
 selfishness. She wanted blind adoration ; it was 
 painful to find that a man could love her 
 and still retain possession of his senses ; still 
 more painful to discover that he was ready to 
 take her wild words in earnest. A pitiful look 
 came over her sweet face ; she turned to 
 him with a gesture that went to his heart. 
 “ Vivian,” she cried, “ you are not going to 
 leave me ? ” 
 
 This brought him penitent to her feet. He had 
 been a brute, everything that was bad. She, 
 startled from her self-absorption by fear of losing 
 him, was sweeter to him than she had ever been ; 
 glamour once more fell upon him ; how had he 
 been found worthy of the love of so exquisite, so 
 peerless a being? Yet she was a constant 
 tribulation, perplexity, and cross in his life ; and 
 yet, before the poetical episode at Col Aprico, life 
 
 i88 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 was more blessed than he knew, or than it would 
 ever be again. 
 
 “ Gliick ohne Ruh, 
 
 Liebe, bist du,’’ 
 
 said Goethe, who ought to have known, con- 
 sidering his experience. 
 
 On that night Lester came to the conclusion 
 that Lettice and Angela could not live under 
 one roof; yet he was bound to both. To keep 
 Angela vv^ould be to cherish a source of constant 
 dissension; to send her away would be cruel, 
 the child was too young to be given to strangers ; 
 besides, he had the usual masculine prejudice 
 against boarding - schools. Revolving these 
 thoughts as they walked, he looked down 
 upon the upturned face of his little ward, and 
 met her innocent smile of perfect childish 
 confidence. He pressed the tiny hand in his 
 own, thinking that if, instead of duty, it were 
 choice, the exquisite grace and capricious beauty 
 of Lettice would have small chance against 
 Angela’s innocent loving confidence. Perhaps 
 poor Lettice’s jealousy was justified after all. 
 
 ‘‘Not at home,” said the maid who opened 
 i8g 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 the door of No. g, with a smile for Angela. 
 
 ‘‘ No one at home?” he asked. 
 
 Miss Grace is at home, but she sees no one.” 
 
 ‘^But Amy, where is Amy?” asked the child, 
 eagerly. 
 
 Miss Amy is engaged, Miss.” 
 
 ‘‘Say her Angela is come,” said the child, 
 bounding into the hall in perfect certainty of 
 a welcome. 
 
 “ Come back, Carina,” the Immaculate said 
 in Italian, “you are rude.” 
 
 “The drawing-room is empty, please go in, 
 sir,” the maid said. “Miss Amy is in the study. 
 When she hears who it is, she may like to see 
 Miss Wingrove”; so he followed the child into 
 the familiar friendly room, in which he had not 
 been for ages. 
 
 It is not to be supposed that a being so 
 beautiful, so pleasant, and so courteous as the 
 Immaculate was anything but a social success. 
 He went much into society before his engage- 
 ment, and as much as circumstances would 
 permit afterwards. But the Marshalls were not 
 in any set he cared for. His people had, of 
 igo 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 course, called on Lettice; Lady Evelyn Lester, 
 an aunt, had done more, but with little success ; 
 she could not understand being patronised and 
 snubbed by her nephew’s fiancee, an underbred 
 girl of nineteen. 
 
 Poor Vivian,” his family said, when the 
 engagement was alluded to. One would have 
 credited him with better taste.” 
 
 Protected by the Not at home,” Amy had 
 chosen to work in the pleasant drawing-room 
 by the open window. While writing there, the 
 short, imperious rap of the postman had been 
 heard; she had run out into the hall, taken a 
 letter from the box, and read it more than once. 
 When Angela and Lester came in, she was 
 sitting upon a low seat, with the letter in her 
 hand, and an expression of supreme emotion 
 in her face. Raising her eyes at their entrance, 
 she regarded them with a moved and pre- 
 occupied gaze. Sitting thus, in a thoughtful 
 posture, every curve and line of her figure 
 expressing the emotion visible in her face, 
 afternoon sun lighting her bright hair, the simple 
 folds of her dress falling gracefully round her, 
 191 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 she was an impressive and unforgettable picture. 
 To the Immaculate it was a new revelation of 
 Amy, filling him with some awe and much trust 
 and admiration. Our prophetess has grown 
 into a beauty,” he thought, while some seconds 
 passed, during which she held both from 
 addressing her by that look in which they had 
 no part; then her face changed; Angela sprang 
 to her neck ; the Immaculate apologised for the 
 intrusion. The child chatted gaily in her 
 own Italian, pulling Amy’s face down to her 
 and making conversation impossible for some 
 minutes. Graceful and agile, perfectly dressed 
 in white, with all proper finishings and refine- 
 ments, Angela was slighter and taller since her 
 illness, having shot up, and grown pale and 
 large-eyed. 
 
 ‘‘Do you think she is quite strong?” her 
 guardian asked, taking the small wrist in his 
 fingers and saying that it grew daily more 
 slender. He was comforted by the assurance 
 that she was only out-growing the chubbiness 
 of infancy, and showed every appearance of 
 improving health. Presently he burst out in 
 192 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 French with, ‘‘ Somebody dislikes children, 
 especially this one.” 
 
 ‘‘ Somebody is only a child herself. A time 
 will come when she will turn to them.” 
 
 So that one need only wait?” 
 
 Quite so. Besides, where there is real and 
 true affection, dislikes and different tastes are 
 trifles.” 
 
 ‘‘ Real and true affection.” He looked at the 
 unconscious child in silence for a few moments, 
 and Amy was seized with a fear lest further reve- 
 lations should come. “ I must say one thing,” 
 she added quickly; ‘‘Somebody is the only 
 creature who should be aware of these things.” 
 
 “ I acknowledge the rebuke.” Yet he had 
 not told her, and had scarcely dared tell himself, 
 the real trouble. But he was hurt ; he felt, with 
 the unreason of his sex, that Amy had lost interest 
 in him and repulsed his confidence. 
 
 “Do you remember a Kempis?” she said, 
 gently, “ Nothing is hard to Love.” 
 
 He remembered a Kempis, also Coleridge, 
 
 “ And then he knew it was a fiend, 
 
 That miserable knight.” 
 
 193 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “After all,” he added, “There is something 
 better than Love, Duty.” 
 
 “ Something of importance has happened to 
 you to-day,” the Immaculate said presently. 
 
 “ Yes,” she replied, colouring, “ of great 
 importance.” 
 
 He rose, and went to a table to look at 
 some flowers. “She is going to be married,” 
 he thought. “May I congratulate you?” he 
 asked, returning, after a short silence, with the 
 utmost propriety and equal to all convention- 
 alities, as usual. 
 
 “ It certainly is a subject for congratulation, 
 Mr. Lester. The struggles, uncertainties and 
 disappointments of my profession are at an end.” 
 
 “Ah!” he thought, most mournfully,” she has 
 come to her senses at last; the true woman is 
 awake — too late.” 
 
 “I am so glad for my mother’s sake. You 
 know our narrow circumstances; I shall be able 
 to help her substantially now. I have told no 
 one yet. The engagement is but just completed.” 
 
 “ Thank you,” the Immaculate returned with 
 a dejected air, “ I am so glad to be the first to 
 194 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 hear it.” Yet he looked singularly wretched. 
 
 Only a woman,” she continued, a woman 
 who has gone through such struggles as I have, 
 can quite sympathise with me. Men take these 
 things as matters of course; to women it is a 
 great thing, a new life.” 
 
 “ Surely it is new life to men, perhaps even 
 more so than to women,” he objected with great 
 humility. Well, I congratulate you with all 
 my heart. I cordially hope that you will be 
 happy.” 
 
 I shall be, I must be, happy. Filled with 
 such duties and responsibilities, life cannot fail to 
 be happy. I am very happy already.” 
 
 The Immaculate’s beautiful face was grey and 
 anxious ; he wondered why he felt so wretched. 
 Was it because he knew that no one was good 
 enough for her? Is it — pardon my curiosity, 
 dear prophetess — ” he asked, has it been long 
 on the — ah — under consideration ? ” 
 
 ‘‘ About three months — not longer.” 
 
 ‘‘Ah!” Many obscure things now became 
 clear to the Immaculate, one of them, that he had 
 made a serious mistake three months ago, when 
 
 195 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 he might have won a prize — but this he quickly 
 banished. ‘‘ I thought,” he remarked weakly, ‘‘ I 
 thought there was a something. You will not,” 
 he added in a choking voice, you will not forget 
 old friends, I hope ? ” Poor faultless knight ! 
 His beautiful dark eyes were very wistful as he 
 looked up. 
 
 ‘‘Mr. Lester! Do you know me so little as 
 to ask ? I never forget friends, old or new, do 
 I Angela?” taking the little girl, who had been 
 looking at pictures till she was tired, on her knee. 
 
 “ Fagon de parley, Miss Amy. One asks because 
 one wants to be re-assured. When does — h’m! — 
 it take place ? ” 
 
 “ Almost immediately. In a week or two, I 
 suppose,” she replied carelessly. “ But tell me of 
 yourself. What you are writing — thinking — doing ? 
 We hear whispers of a Private Bill.” 
 
 “You are too good; my affairs will wait,” he 
 returned, with deeper and deeper melancholy. 
 “ Who — who is he ? Do I know him ? ” 
 
 “ Of whom do you speak ? Do you mean the 
 Secretary ? Because she’s a woman. They are 
 all women.” 
 
 196 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The Immaculate’s brain turned like a humming- 
 top. “ Who are all women ? ” he gasped faintly ; 
 ‘‘there must be a man somewhere, even in a 
 marriage.” 
 
 “ But what marriage are you thinking of, Mr. 
 Lester?” Amy cried in desperation. “Are you 
 alluding to your own ? ” 
 
 “ I was speaking of yours.” 
 
 “ But why should you begin to think of such an 
 improbability all at once, a propos of nothing ? I 
 spoke of a Private Bill.” 
 
 “ I was thinking of your future husband.” 
 
 “ As if people could marry Private Bills ! 
 If you think I am going to be married, Mr. 
 Lester, you are mistaken. I was referring to 
 my engagement as assistant surgeon to the New 
 Hospital for Women in Great Windsor-street.” 
 
 “ Well ! I am — ” cried the Immaculate, with a 
 shout of laughter. 
 
 197 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 “ oh, and is all forgot now, 
 
 Our childhood’s innocence, 
 
 Our school-day loves, the friendship, 
 
 No change could recompense?” 
 
 T T was now five years since Amy Langton had 
 ^ been banished from her mother’s house by the 
 fraternal decree, five industrious, eventful years, 
 during which she had scarcely even been in the 
 neighbourhood. It was impossible to re-visit the 
 scene of old troubles and joys without some 
 elation. In the meantime she had reached the 
 ambitious summit, which in old days had seemed 
 but a far-off dream, she had assaulted and carried 
 the out-works of the medical profession. To her 
 family she was still “ that Amy,” that inconvenient 
 and uncomfortable member of the family, whose 
 proceedings were a constant annoyance to right- 
 minded people. 
 
 On her return to England in April, when she 
 198 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 had been admitted to the old home in Angel Road, 
 she had set to work in good earnest to obtain 
 professional employment. A plate inscribed 
 
 “ Amy Langton, M.D., Consulting Physician. 
 
 Hours 9 till 5,” 
 
 had been set up in a house in town, in 
 which she had a small consulting room on 
 a third floor. Here she found ample leisure 
 for study, especially of chimneys, but few patients 
 and fewer fees. But she lived on hope and went 
 to and from Angel Road with a cheerful spirit and 
 undaunted courage, until the want of rent for the 
 room and the near prospect of the hospital 
 appointment led her, in the beginning of June, to 
 remove her plate and her presence. 
 
 Grace had permanently left Angel Road, which 
 she had not revisited since leaving it to become a 
 novice, until her return from the Riviera, when 
 she spent a few days there. Before taking final 
 vows she had been visited by her mother, her 
 sisters, and Cecil : Cecil had not opposed her 
 desire after the first ; he thought that, if Grace did 
 not intend to marry, her best plan was to immure 
 
 ^99 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 herself respectably for life. He therefore bid his 
 sister farewell with gentlemanly composure, 
 reflecting, as he handed his weeping mother into a 
 cab, ‘‘At least one of them is off our hands,” 
 
 Not that his sister’s care and maintenance in any 
 way depended upon him, each having her own tiny 
 private fortune ; being “ on his hands ” consisted 
 apparently in sharing his mother’s roof with him, 
 — for this occurred before his marriage — and being 
 ready to perform those thousand and one little 
 services sisters are so ready in giving and brothers 
 often so careless in receiving. 
 
 Julius had been less tolerant. He disliked 
 conventual life, looking at sisterhoods, from a 
 medical point of view, as hotbeds of hysteria and 
 mental and bodily weakness. He therefore did 
 his best to dissuade his sister from the religious 
 life ; but the more he argued the more firmly 
 was Grace set upon it, her principal aim 
 being to mortify her “ vile body.” Still Julius 
 considered Grace’s errors respectable; he had 
 never been in open rupture with her as with 
 Amy. Julius was known to be the writer of 
 that clever pamphlet on London water, illustrated 
 
 200 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 by cuts of creatures revealed by the microscope in 
 those crystal deeps. He had just begun that 
 series of papers on the perils of adulterated food 
 and the diseases hidden in milk, which resulted in 
 the starvation of many worthy people, who, 
 finding danger lurking in every drop of water, 
 milk, and in all foods, lived entirely upon eggs, 
 oysters, and salads, with Rhine wine imported 
 straight from the growers. His article upon the 
 methods of cooking wines for export, with that 
 on sewage contamination of oysters and water- 
 cress, deprived those unfortunates of their last 
 support, and resulted in the untimely death of 
 many. 
 
 “ And yet,” Mrs. Langton would plaintively say 
 in moments of confidence to her stepson, though 
 all pretty, your sisters never marry, and the 
 youngest is twenty. Of course, Steven, no one 
 expects Grace to marry ; nuns never do. At 
 Coldwell they see nobody but their assistant 
 priest, who could not possibly marry them all ; 
 and their priest, Grace tells me, is married. Nor 
 could one expect anything from Amy ; although, at 
 one time, I had hoped — but he is engaged to 
 
 201 
 
 o 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 / 
 
 Lettice Marshall. But I did think that the others 
 would do something.” 
 
 “ Do something ? ” echoed Stephen ; “ I 
 
 thought you disliked ” 
 
 “ In the marriage way, Stephen. They are 
 both handsome girls and not at all clever, and 
 they are not even too religious ; indeed I often 
 have to insist upon Georgie’s going to church on 
 Sunday. One of them plays, the other sings ; 
 they know nothing and have no opinions whatever. 
 I do all I can for them. They make their own 
 dresses at home ; we save in every way to go into 
 society. ‘ Do marry those girls, mother,’ Cecil 
 says, or Julius begins, ‘ Mother, when are those 
 girls going to marry ? ’ — Imagine ! four unmarried 
 daughters ! I try to bear it, Stephen ; no doubt 
 it is a just punishment for my sins. They say it 
 is catching if one goes off.” 
 
 “ Well,” he returned, “ we have had one 
 marriage. Let us hope it may be catching.” 
 
 “ Cecil’s marriage is out of the family,” said the 
 much-enduring mother. “ For a son is not 
 
 married from one’s house, nor does his wife 
 provide for him. EverythiBg is falling, and what 
 203 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 we should do without your generous help, 
 Steven, I cannot think.” 
 
 I wish it were more,” the head of the family 
 replied, but of course I must think of my 
 children. Steenie will be going to Cambridge ; 
 Jack’s Eton bills are not small — Well ! you know 
 all the expensive items. And I hope your 
 dividends will go up again before long.” 
 
 It was after this conversation that Mrs. Langton 
 returned to Angel Road to receive the announce- 
 ment of Amy’s appointment in the following 
 terms : — It is the crown of success. Labour 
 and competence without struggle. All my 
 patients will be women ; I don’t like attending 
 men. Mrs. St. Luke would never have accepted 
 me, for all the governors and trustees in the world, 
 if she had not been convinced of my capacity. 
 Mother, dear, do be glad. You need not leave 
 this house. I can guarantee the rent for you 
 now,” she added. 
 
 Yet Mrs. Langton wept on hearing of the 
 appointment, because, she said, it seemed to make 
 the thing more real. Her child was now fairly 
 committed to this career ; there was no longer 
 203 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 any chance of her withdrawing in disgust. “ She 
 will be shut up in a horrid place full of sick people 
 and smelling of oiled silk and drugs, and never 
 see any society,” she observed to Georgie in 
 confidence. “ Just as she is beginning to be 
 really pretty and to take an interest in her dress ! ” 
 “It is a pity, mother, but it might be worse, 
 and she will be at least provided for, ” replied 
 Georgie. “No one could possibly dream of 
 marrying so clever and strange a girl as Amy. 
 What can she talk of ? What can she do ? She 
 has no time to learn tennis” — then new; golf was 
 scarcely known out of Scotland, ladies’ cricket 
 and bicycling still in the womb of time — “She 
 reads no novels but old ones ” — Ibsen was then 
 unknown, Zola young — “ She dislikes gossip ; she 
 won’t listen to risky stories and jokes. She is 
 always so particular and prim with men. She 
 can’t flirt. She knows nothing of the peerage or 
 society scandals, or the private life of literary 
 people and actresses. And of china and chiffons 
 she knows nothing and cares less. What is the 
 use of alluding to jokes out of the last burlesque to 
 her? She objects to talk of causes celebres, 
 204 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 especially divorce cases. As for music, she didn’t 
 even know that Usignuola had run through two 
 husbands’ fortunes and been divorced. Now, 
 mother, what could a man say to Amy ? Nature 
 intended her for an old maid. Let us be thankful 
 that she is so comfortably shelved.” 
 
 ^Wou talk very fast, my dear,” Mrs. Langton 
 observed, ” and I am never quite sure whether you 
 are in earnest or jest.” She admitted that her 
 child’s pecuniary help was timely, though it was 
 painful to take it from a daughter. 
 
 But you don’t consider the pleasure and pride 
 of helping, mother,” Amy replied. 
 
 The first thought of Amy’s heart was to fly to 
 Louisa Stanley, and discuss — for of course she 
 knew — the delightful news. She watched Louisa 
 as we watch some rare and exquisite blossom, 
 knowing that it must soon fall, trying to prolong 
 its frail existence to the utmost. Louisa had 
 inspired the enthusiasm of her life and fallen a 
 martyr to it ; she had fed her with bright 
 hopes and noble dreams ; she had given her a 
 home and affection when her own cast her out. 
 If Jonathan’s love v/as passing the love of women, 
 205 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 many women’s friendship far overpasses the love 
 of men. 
 
 Louisa’s rooms were usually full of girl 
 students ; to-day she was found alone, busy 
 drawing diagrams for her student friends. 
 
 So glad you came. I’ve been longing to talk 
 it over,” was Louisa’s first word. 
 
 Pray talk,” said Amy, wondering why Louisa’s 
 delicate face became crimson. But Louisa went 
 on drawing in silence, with a changing colour. 
 
 I wonder how you will like it ?” she asked after 
 a time. 
 
 How can you wonder ! The conclusion is 
 foregone.” 
 
 “ I hope you will like him, Amy,” with another 
 wave of colour and a furtive glance. 
 
 But who am I to like ? ” 
 
 Well ! — thie — happy events.” 
 
 Happy, indeed. The star of the Langtons 
 certainly is in the ascendant now. My sister Georgie 
 and Charlie Lovelace are finally engaged and the 
 wedding day fixed, after five years of flirtation — 
 philandering. Algernon writes to tell us that he 
 has found a gold mine, after all his failures and 
 206 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND . FRIENDS 
 
 losses. Julius has an appointment that has never 
 
 been given to a man of his years before ” 
 
 ‘^And Amy has an appointment that has never 
 been given to a woman of her’s before. All is 
 coiileiiv de rose. I am glad Georgie’s marriage is 
 settled. I had heard that Mr. Lovelace was 
 engaged to Lettice, and poor Mr. Lester left to 
 wear the willow. I am sorry for our Bayard, 
 Amy. He will never be happy with Lettice.” 
 
 Oh ! marriage is such a lottery, Louie. What 
 a mercy that you and I have never been tempted 
 to draw a number ! ” 
 
 The numbers are not all blanks.” 
 
 Nearly all. Ever}^ day I am more convinced 
 that advanced women must not marry. How 
 many a fine capacity has been smothered in 
 domestic frivolities! With advancing years I 
 approach your views of celibacy.” 
 
 My views 1 ” 
 
 Have you forgotten your order of secular 
 celibates devoted to science ?” 
 
 “ I remember talking a good deal of nonsense 
 at odd times, Amy,” replied Louisa, with a quaint 
 little smile. 
 
 207 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ But this was one of the few sensible things 
 that you ever said. Just as a woman’s mind is 
 developing and she is making progress, some 
 horrid man comes and she throws everything 
 to the winds for him. In four years she can 
 talk of nothing but babies, servants, and 
 clothes.” 
 
 “ No, no. Look at Mrs. St. Luke.” 
 
 “ An exception. Let us found a society for the 
 suppression of matrimony among the ! ” 
 
 “ The Blues ? ” 
 
 “ Yes, the Blues.” 
 
 “ Impossible.” 
 
 “ Why ? ” asked Amy, half laughing, half 
 serious, and expecting some merry quip from her 
 friend. 
 
 “ Because Edward Graham and I are going to 
 be married next month,” replied Louisa, dropping 
 her pencil and looking up. “There ; the murder 
 is out,” she added, laughing. 
 
 “ You going to be married ! ” cried Amy. 
 “ How dare you ? ” 
 
 “ What woman dare I dare,” she replied, “ I 
 am my own mistress.” 
 
 208 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 And therefore you are going to take a master. 
 I could not have thought this of you.” 
 
 Tears came into Amy’s eyes when she remem- 
 bered how short Louisa’s time was, and that 
 another hand than her’s would smooth the rough 
 path to the grave for her — or leave it rougher. 
 
 “ Well ! ” she sighed at last, I suppose it must 
 be borne. This flood-tide of marrying must at last 
 subside. As I am already engaged for two 
 weddings next month, perhaps you will fix a 
 blank day for yours.” 
 
 ‘‘You may see another before long,” said 
 Louisa, laughing. 
 
 “ What ! are there any more fools left ? ” 
 
 “ Only Lettice and our Bayard.” 
 
 Amy rose and went to the windovv^, where she 
 plucked a few geranium leaves and looked out. 
 
 “ Lettice is so young,” she said. But she was 
 thinking of her two grand friendships, both 
 broken. 
 
 209 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 ‘‘To the lists his steed might bear him, 
 
 He might cry to the knights amain, 
 
 ‘ Let him for the fight prepare him, 
 
 Who charges my love with a stain ! ’ 
 
 “ Oh ! then they would all be silent, 
 
 But a cry from his soul would dart, 
 
 Alas ! he must plunge his lance-point 
 In his own accusing heart.” — Heine. 
 
 TT was mid-July ; London was hot and dusty, 
 ^ trees in the parks were dusty and dark, the 
 very sunshine seemed jaded. The prose of 
 existence weighed heavily upon the Immaculate ; 
 his life was like a London July; Lettice took no 
 interest in anything that he cared for; he could 
 not be interested in anything that pleased her. 
 Literature, art, public life, the relation of men to 
 each other and to the Unseen; none of these 
 things ever concerned Lettice. Save her beauty 
 and grace, there was not a breath of poetry 
 about her, all was flattest prose. Her lover 
 
 210 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 longed, amid the prosaic turmoil of town and 
 toil, for the green pastures and still waters of 
 poetry, the poetry of life. 
 
 While he walked and mused, a face flashed out 
 from the crowd of carriages, a face full of beauty 
 and intellect, young, smiling, a poem in itself. It 
 was Amy Langton’s; yet she, too, was tired and 
 hot, and thinking of green pastures. The air 
 instantly lost its heaviness, sunbeams their lurid 
 tinge, the jaded crowd jostling on the hot pave- 
 ment, the wheels and hoofs clattering on the road, 
 were purged of prose for the Immaculate. To 
 him it was like the song of a wood-bird on the 
 outskirts of a dreary town. 
 
 Later in the day he was dropped from a hansom 
 at the Marshalls’ house at Netting Hill, where he 
 found the drawing-room empty, though the dinner 
 hour was striking. An envelope lay on the writing 
 table, folded in the newest style and addressed in 
 Lettice’s large girlish writing to Mrs. Fitzwilliam ; 
 it had been placed there on purpose to attract his 
 attention, by the wilful beauty, who resented his 
 earnest and repeated desire that she should give up 
 this fascinating but rowdy woman, of whom he 
 
 2II 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 had only that day heard contemptuous mention at 
 a club. Some music stood on the open piano, a 
 duet for baritone and soprano voices. It was 
 marked C. Lovelace, and some mischievous hand 
 had scribbled beneath ‘‘ and Letty ” in pencil. Yet 
 Lettice did not care to sing duets with her 
 betrothed. Among the few books in the room 
 were some he had given her with an affectionate 
 request to read them for his sake. The leaves 
 were uncut, except where he had marked passages 
 for her attention. The fly-leaf of one bore a 
 caricature of himself in wig and gown. Lettice’s 
 needlework lay just as she had thrown it aside. 
 He liked her to work ; it was a domestic, feminine 
 occupation. How wonderful and graceful was 
 the way in which the delicate fingers wielded the 
 tiny tool ! He took the work in his own hands 
 and tried clumsily to hold the little shining needle 
 in his fingers, which seemed so awkward and 
 immense in contrast with her’s. 
 
 Then Lettice appeared, in white muslin and 
 fresh moss-roses, all smiles and graciousness. 
 She had refrained from entering the drawing- 
 room before for three reasons : first, because she 
 
 212 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 wished to avoid a lecture, as she styled her lover’s 
 innocent endeavours to improve her mind ; 
 secondly, because she wanted him to have full 
 leisure to observe her note to Mrs. Fitzwilliam and 
 the music that testified to a recent duet with Mr. 
 Lovelace ; and, thirdly, because she believed wait- 
 ing to be a wholesome discipline for lovers and 
 good training for the severer restraints of married 
 life. Her favourite theory, that coolness on one 
 side kindles love on the other, had proved its truth 
 in an unexpected manner. Lester, outwardly as 
 devoted now as ever, had lost that enthusiasm 
 which she confessed had bored her, with the 
 result that he had acquired a new worth in her 
 eyes. 
 
 To-night she was dressed to please his taste; 
 she even had a rose-bud for him, which he 
 accepted with due gratitude but no emotion. He 
 looked reflectively upon the exquisite face, so near 
 the flower she was fastening in his coat and so like 
 it, and received her bewitching up-turned glance 
 with no more emotion than if she had been a 
 tailor measuring him. He was wondering how 
 many such smiles and roses had been bestowed 
 213 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 upon Mr. Lovelace. So grave and intent was the 
 look in his dark eyes that poor little rose-leaf 
 Letty was frightened. 
 
 What is the matter ? ” she asked. If you 
 look so grave, I shall think that you are cross 
 because I kept you waiting.” 
 
 Not cross, dearest,” he replied, taking the 
 hand that was still busy with the coat, I was 
 thinking- ” 
 
 But Letty’s father coming in just then, the 
 Immaculate’s thoughts remained untold. Major 
 Marshall received him with cordiality, proud of 
 the sight of his daughter’s frail and delicate beauty, 
 set off by the tall, knightly looking man with dark 
 eyes and irreproachable bearing. That he had 
 been in the army and still retained his brevet rank, 
 was all known to the world of this gentleman ; 
 but everybody acknowledged that, whatever her 
 faults, Mrs. Marshall was a long-suffering woman. 
 The Major now had business in the City, about 
 which only one thing was certain, namely, that 
 its profits were not. The Marshall brothers 
 were fast young men, one in the army, one an 
 emigrant, the youngest in a Government office, 
 214 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and living under the paternal roof. This young 
 man followed his father, and was soon followed by 
 his sister, Mrs. Cecil Langton, who was on a long 
 visit with her children. 
 
 After the uncomfortable dinner, ong fameal,” 
 as Major Marshall said, Lester found Lettice in a 
 low chair, reading in the fading light. When he 
 appeared, the book vanished among the folds of 
 her dress. 
 
 Spoiling your eyes, Lettice?” he asked, 
 drawing a chair to her side, A pity to spoil any- 
 thing so bright. You might find them useful some 
 day.” 
 
 They were only intended for ornament,” she 
 replied, with the gay insolence that became her so 
 well, I never mean them to be useful.” 
 
 Not even for wool-work ? And novels ? ” 
 
 Making out that I read nothing but novels ! ” 
 she pouted. 
 
 Do you ever read anything more solid, 
 dearest ? ” 
 
 Now you are going to lecture me in words a 
 foot long. Do you take me for the House of 
 Commons? ” 
 
 215 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ You don’t look like it,” he replied with 
 admiration ; “ more like a House of Uncommons ? ” 
 
 “ I like you when you talk nonsense,” she 
 returned. 
 
 “ Thank you, dearest ; then I’ll never talk sense. 
 But promise me that you will look into the books I 
 sent you. You gave me an inch, so I take an ell.” 
 
 “ I have read every word of them, you teasing 
 man ! But I am not going to stand an 
 examination upon them,” she pouted. 
 
 “ Oh ! ” he said. He looked grave and hurt. 
 
 Then lights were brought in and he had to leave 
 his chair, which was in the way. It was some 
 minutes before he resumed his seat and con- 
 versation. “ I found something about Balzac the 
 other day and cut it out for you,” he began. “ It 
 will explain why I wanted you not to read that 
 novel. If you really wish to study his works, you 
 will find ‘ Eugenie Grandet ’ pleasanter and more 
 suitable.” 
 
 “ Oh ! I don’t want any more French ; I am 
 reading such a pretty thing of Loulou’s; the 
 heroine is like a serpent.” 
 
 “ Do you like Loulou’s works, Lettice?” 
 
 216 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Better than French. Vif, you have frightened 
 me from French,” she replied with a frank smile. 
 
 How lovely she was in her soft cloudy muslin, 
 her pretty white hands clasped in her lap, her 
 graceful head resting against the high-backed 
 chair, with the lamplight falling on the golden 
 hair and fresh rosebuds. But why should the 
 Immaculate sigh and say to himself, Poor 
 child ” ? 
 
 Then Arthur Marshall lounged in, wrapped in 
 cigar-smoke. “ Are you people going to sit 
 looking it each other all the evening ? ” he asked, 
 subsiding in an easy chair and yawning. His 
 mother roused herself from a gentle doze and asked 
 him if he would like a rubber with his father. 
 
 The governor is in his den,” he replied. “ I 
 say, Letty, you might amuse a fellow.” 
 
 Then Lester, who had had enough of being 
 amused, perhaps, suggested music, and Lettice 
 rose and went to the piano, her dress sweeping 
 something from her chair to his feet that he picked 
 up and tossed savagely away. It was Balzac’s 
 ‘‘ Scenes de la Vie Parisienne.” 
 
 During the music the Major came in ; brandy in 
 217 P 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 his eye, brandy in his talk, brandy in his gait. 
 His wife looked keenly at him ; at last Lester 
 understood the family phrase, ‘ the governor is in 
 his den.’ He looked from the father to the fragile 
 creature at the piano with an extreme pang of 
 pity. 
 
 While he was getting his hat and coat in the 
 hall, a white figure flashed down the stair and 
 beckoned him into the dining-room. It was 
 Lettice, drooping, penitent, lovely. She looked 
 down for a few moments and then faltered, I 
 didn’t read much.” 
 
 He did not reply ; her humiliation pained him 
 too much. 
 
 You are angry,” she said, leaning her face 
 against him to hide her tears. He put his arm 
 round the pretty, frail thing, but said nothing. 
 
 You are so high-flown, Vif. Men never believe 
 women. Mamma always fibs to papa, and Carrie 
 to Cecil, and nobody minds. I wish you would 
 not take things so seriously.” 
 
 I can’t help it,” he gasped ; then they stood 
 in silence a moment, she with her flushed wet 
 face and tumbled golden hair pressed against him, 
 218 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 he a little stiff, almost as if he shrank from her. 
 At last she lifted her face with something of her 
 old winning confidence ; You still love me ? ” 
 she asked, tenderly. 
 
 He wished her good-night, and went. Lettice 
 threw herself on a sofa and sobbed in her childish 
 way. The angrier he is, the more I care for 
 him,” she thought. 
 
 “And this,” he reflected, as he drove away, “is 
 the creature I worshipped.” 
 
 Passion rarely turns to indifference, the rebound 
 is generally hate. Presently he dismissed his cab 
 and strolled down to the Embankment, whither 
 he often repaired, sometimes to study the wrecked 
 humanity there, sometimes to meditate. 
 
 A flowing river impresses the imagination, 
 disposing the mind to contemplation of the 
 abstract ; it makes the tangled web of individual 
 joys and cares vanish and give place to that 
 varied, many-hued tissue, the great vesture of 
 human life, woven at the loom of time by fate, 
 fortune and natural law, and guided by an 
 unknown purpose to an unknown end. But 
 the Thames — the Thames, which has seen the 
 219 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 tragedy and comedy of so many centuries ! — 
 so much human emotion has mingled with its 
 waters through all the ages, the wonder is 
 that it does not arise, itself a soul, and tell 
 its secrets and mysteries. Glory of stars 
 above, dark mystery of waters below, light 
 airs in young trees, chimes floating from 
 the clock-tower visible above the majestic pile 
 along the waterside ; all soothed, all tended 
 to that intense species of reverie in which 
 thought is too keen and rapid for words. 
 
 Presently, while pacing beneath the trees, after 
 a cigar and much thought, Lester became inter- 
 ested in a man sitting on a bench in an attitude of 
 extreme dejection, and sat by him, arousing no 
 responsive interest. It was a sodden, nerveless, 
 hopeless face, that changed not at all when 
 speaking in reply to the Immaculate’s civil 
 remarks. No; he was not going home ; he had 
 no home, no friends, nothing. He was a French 
 polisher once. 
 
 “ When did you eat last ? ” Lester asked, 
 pained by the utter gloom of the dull voice and 
 duller eyes. 
 
 220 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Don’t know. But I know I was jolly drunk 
 last night. No baccy, thankie. I haven’t so 
 much as a pipe.” 
 
 “ Here is one,” said the Immaculate, after a 
 short, severe struggle with his feelings, because it 
 was a black and beautiful briar-wood pipe, the 
 result of time and judicious smoking. “ Cheer 
 up ! Tell me what you are going to do. Here’s 
 a light,” striking a match. 
 
 The man lighted the pipe and smoked ; his face 
 changed. “ You ain’t a Holy Joe,” he said, 
 turning to look at him, “ I’m blowed if you’re 
 not a bloomin’ young toff.” 
 
 “ A man,” he replied, gently, “ like all men, 
 knowing something of misery. Tell me all about 
 yours.” 
 
 “ I worked for a large firm, good wages, nice 
 little ’ome — nice young wife — she died ! One 
 little gell left, three year old. Grew up pretty, 
 and a style with her, I tell yeh, a style. She — 
 she went — wrong ” 
 
 “ Ah — ah ! ” Lester’s hand went out with his 
 heart and his voice, and gripped the workman’s 
 firmly and warmly. " And then you lost heart,” 
 
 221 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 he said, “cared for nothing, took to drink. No 
 wonder ! — no wonder ! I have a little girl, too ; 
 she is five.” 
 
 “ You’ll come home with me and have supper,” 
 he said later, after hearing a long, long story. 
 “ Then you shall have a ticket for a lodging. To- 
 morrow we’ll see about work.” 
 
 Of what subsequently passed between the 
 sodden, starved tramp and the bloomin’ young 
 toff there is no record. But it is known that 
 some months later a French polisher showed 
 his mate a blackened briar-wood pipe he did 
 not use. 
 
 “ He’d a polished it hisself,” he said, looking 
 tenderly at it, “ but ’twas the ’and-grip as fetched 
 me. 
 
 222 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 “ How sweet are looks that ladies bend 
 On whom their favours fall, 
 
 For them I battle to the end, 
 
 To save from shame and thrall — ” 
 
 ESTMINSTER is a place to think in, to 
 
 ^ ^ dream in — if one happens not to know it 
 too well. Thorney Isle, lonely and desolate, but 
 visited at dead of night by an Apostle known only 
 to the ferryman, when the first Saxon Church 
 there was hallowed twelve hunded years ago, 
 Thorney Isle has seen the pageant of England’s 
 growth in those centuries ; through it has 
 throbbed, as through the main artery to a 
 heart, through the Abbej^, the Hall, and St. 
 Stephen’s, the strong deep pulse of a nation’s life. 
 
 For a young woman still capable of enthusiasm, 
 like Amy Langton, it was a great moment 
 when she climbed for the first time to the 
 Ladies’ Gallery of the House of Commons, 
 
 223 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and looked down upon the assembled legis- 
 lators. What if the walls which rang with 
 the eloquence of Pitt and Fox, and witnessed 
 the long strife of the Civil War, are there no 
 more ? Historic unity is unbroken ; the mantle 
 of old association has fallen upon the newer 
 building. 
 
 After all, is not the floor of the House like some 
 gay listed ground of old, the members like mail- 
 sheathed knights with silken scarves and drooping 
 plumes, waiting, with beating pulses and lance in 
 rest, the herald’s signal to charge ? Does not 
 the Speaker’s silence say, like the herald’s trumpet 
 and voice, “ Brave knights, there is glory to win. 
 Gallant knights, do your devoir. Strike for your 
 ladies and do valiantl}^ Life is only once to lose, 
 but glory never dies ! ” For gay balconies lined 
 with ladies there was the gallery cage; for the 
 applause of multitudes the pressmen’s reports. 
 But every knight might have his own lady in his 
 heart. All save one, who 
 
 “ Perforce must plunge his lance-point 
 In his own accusing heart.” 
 
 So greatly was she impressed by this, it was 
 224 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 distressing to Miss Amy Langton to hear Mrs. 
 St. Luke’s careless observations on the expressive 
 stammer of one honourable member, the part 
 played by another’s eye-glass in the legislation 
 of his country, the strange adventures of another’s 
 hat, the expression latent in yet another’s hand- 
 kerchief. Strange and wonderful it was to reflect 
 how great a part these harmless looking people in 
 chimney-pot hats and ugly garments were playing. 
 
 “ Who is that dark young man on the Govern- 
 ment side ? ” asked Mrs. St. Luke, the well-known 
 first woman physician. 
 
 “ That,” she replied, with a flush of pride, “ is 
 the man you were speaking of, the member for 
 Dalesby.” 
 
 “ To be sure, the writer of ‘ Some Cankers in 
 Civilisation.’ Engaged to Mrs. Fitz-william’s 
 protegee, fast little Lettice Marshall, poor man ! 
 We shall hear some exalted sentiments from that 
 young gentleman, Amy, if he says anything. And 
 when the breach of promise is before us, we 
 shall hear, but not from him, all the old cheap 
 pleasantries on our poor sex, and all the old 
 namby pamby sentiment. And I prophesy that 
 225 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 twenty years from this year of grace, 1879, the 
 same stale jokes and the same cheap twaddle on 
 the same subject — one which the average male 
 cannot take seriously — will be uttered in this 
 same place.* This Mr. Lester looks as if he had 
 just stepped out of a mediaeval romance. Female 
 Suffrage would be to his advantage.” 
 
 “ He is against the Cause, and his political 
 economy is unsound,” returned Amy, with deep 
 gravity. 
 
 The business transacted below was not of ab- 
 sorbing interest ; it had something to do with 
 herrings. Then an honourable member got on his 
 legs to ask why a British general with a tiny force 
 had been defeated in Africa ; he heard that Govern- 
 ment intended to know the reason why. Another 
 asked if Government knew that a perverse sub- 
 ject had had the audacity to starve ? Government 
 promised to look into it. Honourable members put 
 interminable questions upon every conceivable 
 subject ; an excited Irishman got out of order ; 
 an honourable member appealed to the Speaker 
 so informally that he was himself called to order. 
 
 * Fulfilled in February, 1897. 
 
 226 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 All in vain did the Speaker, contrary to his usual 
 silence, maintain that the honourable member who 
 had appealed to him was in order, and signify that 
 he should continue his observations ; cries of 
 order,” interruptions from honourable members 
 calling him to order for every word, and each 
 called to order by others, produced the effect of 
 a general mellay, amid which, ever and anon, 
 rose the voice of the Speaker, like the herald’s 
 trumpet and crying of the rules of the 
 tourney. Some honouable members coughed, 
 some laughed, some talked. There were cheers, 
 counter cheers, ironical cheers. In ’79 the 
 Closure had not been adopted. Mrs. St. Luke 
 was delighted. We have come in for the rarest 
 fun,” she whispered. 
 
 But what is it all about ? They all seem bent 
 on a row. Who is offended ? ” Amy asked. 
 
 Gradually the storm subsided, the Speaker 
 confirmed the remarks of an honourable member, 
 to the effect that the excited Irishman had put 
 himself out of order by addressing the leader of 
 the House instead of the chair, and that by some 
 fatality every member who attempted to call any 
 227 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 other to order had himself fallen out of order ; 
 somebody apologised to somebody; everybody 
 appeared satisfied, peace was restored, when it 
 occurred to a distinguished honourable member 
 on the Opposition benches that the excited 
 Irishman’s remarks had been received with 
 derison, and that excited Irishmen’s remarks 
 usually were received with derison on the Govern- 
 ment side. So there was a second row. 
 
 “ The debate will be tame after this,” ladies 
 whispered in their cage. 
 
 At last the repeal of the Breach of Promise 
 of Marriage Act was moved. On one side, the 
 undesirability of seeking balm for broken hearts in 
 the shape of hard cash, on the other, the necessity 
 of chastising heartless betrayers amusing them- 
 selves at the expense of women’s happiness, 
 prospects, and even reputation, was set forth. 
 Then a plain, common-sense speaker described the 
 Act as “ a law to oblige a man who has made a 
 mistake to render two people miserable for life.” 
 Many other sensible and calm things this man 
 said — that such actions were resorted to only by 
 the mercenary and the unworthy; that those 
 228 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 whose hearts were really hurt would not expose 
 their wounds to the public gaze ; that no modest 
 woman would let her name be dragged through 
 Courts of Justice ; that the law was a snare into 
 which unsuspecting men were driven by wily 
 schemers. 
 
 It was said in return that this last was an 
 abuse such as all things are liable to ; that the 
 action was usually forced upon women by 
 relatives ; that the law did not seek to give balm 
 for wounded affections, but compensation for 
 ruined careers ; that a jilted woman rarely has a 
 second chance of marriage, which, in many cases, 
 means livelihood ; and that working women throw 
 up their employments on the prospect of marriage, 
 and, even if not unable to resume them after 
 breach of promise they at least lose time and 
 credit. He also commented on the inconstancy 
 of his sex and the necessity of punishing 
 triflers with female affections. Both gentlemen 
 spoke without passion or levity, and in a tone 
 of which even the Immaculate approved ; so 
 that the debate promised to be very dull. 
 
 Then a melancholy person with a forlorn 
 229 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 bachelor air, spoke of the perils of the unprotected 
 male in a world consisting chiefly of powerful and 
 scheming females, most of whom made it their 
 business to marry ; remarks which commanded 
 the sympathetic attention of the House. Justice, 
 he said, was not to be obtained in a court con- 
 sisting entirely of male creatures, when the 
 complainant or the defendant was of the softer 
 sex ; the difficulty was increased tenfold when 
 the female complainant or defendant was possessed 
 of personal charms, and what woman ” he 
 pathetically asked, ‘‘ is not ? ” (Hear, hear ! 
 Cheers and laughter.) ‘‘ What chance of justice ” 
 he demanded would a man have against a 
 not absolutely hideous person in petticoats and 
 tears?” Therefore, he required the abolition of 
 the process on account of its injustice. 
 
 This was promptly met by a spirited champion, 
 armed with statistics of damages granted to men ; 
 he made fun of the honourable member of bachelor 
 aspect, and said nothing in particular in an amusing 
 way. 
 
 The next speaker said that public opinion kept 
 gentlemen from breaking engagements, while the 
 230 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 lower classes worked too hard to have time to 
 indulge in fine feelings. He thought it an 
 interference with the liberty of the subject to 
 investigate these private matters. He spoke of 
 the cruelty of reading love-letters in Court. 
 
 What honourable member ” he asked with 
 emotion, would care to have his own amatory 
 effusions confided to the public ear ? ” (Hear, 
 hear ! ) Someone replied that it might improve 
 their style. (No, no ! Hear, hear ! Laughter.) 
 
 Then rose a shrewd and worldly member, who 
 had never been in earnest about anything, not 
 even about dinners or bets, and who had a com- 
 mand of measured speech and a fund of humour. 
 Honourable members chuckled or laughed out- 
 right while he darted shafts of bright-pointed 
 sarcasm at every weakness of the frailer sex, for 
 whom he appeared to have an amused, half- 
 tolerant contempt. There was not a smile in the 
 Ladies’ Gallery ; the honourable member for 
 Dalesby scowled savagely at him. He pictured 
 man a great-hearted, generous Samson, per- 
 petually victimised by the wiles of astute and 
 scheming Delilahs. He maintained that the 
 231 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 process for breach of promise gave more 
 power to the already too-powerful woman. 
 He quoted Samson Agonistes with a humorous 
 application. He called upon the laws of his 
 country to defend weak Man against strong 
 Woman. Then he descanted on the love 
 of change natural to man, which led him to 
 make many essays in courtship before finally 
 deciding on a wife. He appealed to honour- 
 able members to consider the ease with which 
 man was ensnared by bright eyes and pink 
 and white faces. “ Shall a man,” he asked, “ pay 
 so great a penalty for the folly of a moment ? ” 
 
 “ Yes,” replied the member for Dalesby, catch- 
 ing the Speaker’s eye, “ He shall suffer for the 
 term of his natural life.” 
 
 For men, he maintained, were fickle by nature 
 they were heartless and selfish in their dealings 
 with women. He said hard things of Milton, 
 maintained that his poetry, happiness and 
 moral dignity were all marred by his want of 
 chivalry. He censured the cowardice of those 
 men who trifle with the affections of women — 
 beings more emotional, more dependent upon 
 232 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 affection for happiness than men; beings con- 
 demned by nature to weakness and suffering, 
 and less able than men to resist the pain of 
 betrayal ; beings whose reputation was so 
 susceptible of stain, and so often tarnished even 
 by a broken contract ; beings whose affections 
 were purer, more constant and more unselfish 
 than those of men. Men made such promises too 
 lightly. In the higher classes he thought honour 
 and deference to public opinion were a check ; in 
 the lowest he would recommend kicking ; but in 
 the middle classes, the action for breach of 
 promise was the best check. He warmed to his 
 work, words came readily, previous speakers, 
 especially, the last flippant man, were severely 
 handled. Presently the word honour set him on 
 fire; he quoted from Burke’s lament over the 
 ashes of dying chivalry, the chastity of honour 
 that felt a stain like a wound,” finishing with a 
 glowing peroration on that burning theme. 
 
 It was spirited ; it was a surprise and a success ; 
 it carried hearers with it, proving that he could 
 interest people and make them listen, that he 
 could be savagely sarcastic. The velvety voice 
 
 233 e 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 / 
 
 could ring ; it could rise and fall, penetrate and 
 persuade. 
 
 To a young woman in the gallery, it proved 
 that there was only one man in the whole world, 
 and that she loved him with all her heart. 
 
 “ For he is worth it,” she thought, gladly and 
 proudly. 
 
 234 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 “ But for loving, why, you would not, sweet, 
 Though we prayed you, 
 
 Paid you, brayed you 
 
 In a mortar — for you could not, sweet/’ 
 
 OW, Vif, let us talk it over. You may 
 
 smoke — do what you like, only do not, 
 
 my dear, dear boy, do not throw your life away 
 on — a mad punctilio ! ” 
 
 ** Dear Aunt Evelyn, you are most kind ; but 
 Fm old enough and bold enough to take care of 
 myself.'’ 
 
 Lady Evelyn Lester had been a beauty; she 
 resembled the Immaculate, her godson ; she 
 was handsome still. 
 
 It is useless to tell you,” she continued, ‘^that 
 a career is before you. That Loughborough will 
 one day be in office, that not only he, but all of 
 them, have their eyes upon you. But I will say 
 this, would any girl with a grain of self-respect 
 
 235 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 like to know that she was married, not for love, 
 but loyalty ? 
 
 ‘‘No lady that I am acquainted with will ever 
 know any such thing/’ 
 
 “Vivian, this marriage will be wretched; she 
 will be wretched ; your ways will be misery to her. 
 If she cared for you it would be different. But 
 she does not. Would she have refused to go 
 with you and our party the other night on the 
 plea of a headache, and then have appeared with 
 the Fitzwilliam clan, flirting with that wretched 
 young Lovelace ? Of breeding I will say nothing. 
 But does such conduct argue love? In public, 
 before your eyes ! Such a marked insult.” 
 
 “This is painful,” he replied, “No more, 
 pray.” 
 
 “ You poor dear boy. How I should like to 
 ship you somewhere across the world, and keep 
 you there, till she has run away with somebody 
 else.” 
 
 Hapless Immaculate ! Having lunched with 
 his relations, he dined at Netting Hill, bearing a 
 bouquet of white moss roses for Lettice, some of 
 which he was allowed to place in her hair, thinking 
 236 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 how well in her simple white dress her girlish 
 grace and pure colouring harmonised with the 
 pure white roses in their cool sheath of green. 
 
 On turning from this delightful task, Lester 
 bent over a vase ot crimson and yellow roses, 
 inhaling their scent. It is coals to Newcastle, 
 to give you flowers, Lettice,” he said. ‘‘ You 
 breathe flowers. Perhaps a secret sympathy 
 attracts like to like.” 
 
 She smiled with conscious power and secret 
 amusement. Lovelace had given her the roses. 
 
 Then they dined with the usual discomfort 
 peculiar to that house, and Lettice resigned 
 herself to a dull evening at home with her future 
 husband. 
 
 “You were very good about the other night,” 
 she said, when they were sitting apart together in 
 the last sunbeams, while Mrs. Marshall discreetly 
 dozed on the sofa. Major Marshall was in his 
 study, and Arthur dining out. She spoke almost 
 tenderly ; Lester was touched. “ I felt so sure 
 that you had good cause for changing your mind,” 
 he replied, intending no sarcasm. 
 
 “ Poor Chari — Mr. Lovelace, how all this 
 
 237 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 jealousy would amuse and flatter him ! ” Lettice 
 said. 
 
 “ He shall enjoy the flattery no longer,” he 
 exclaimed with a subdued fierceness that frightened 
 her. “ Do you know, Lettice, that gossip links 
 his name with yours ? ” 
 
 You make so much of things. And you are so 
 cross and unkind to-night,” she pouted. “ And 
 after I have been so nice to you, and said I was 
 sorry ! ’ 
 
 The Immaculate had turned away, he was 
 looking thoughtfully out of window. “Thanks, 
 dearest,” he replied, “so that is at an end. Now 
 I am going to speak to you very seriously,” he 
 said later, after a very solemn pause of apparent 
 reflection. 
 
 “ I knew you were going to worry me to-night, 
 the moment I saw your grave face. You are 
 getting tired of me, Vivian, and you want to 
 quarrel and part us — just like a man— so selfish ! ” 
 
 Tears rose and streamed over her face, but 
 quite becomingly. 
 
 “ This is unjust,” he returned, with affected 
 indifference, “ I seek no quarrel, dearest. I 
 238 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 always was, and always will be, true to you.” 
 
 “ Then why are you so cross and hard ? ” she 
 sobbed. 
 
 Come now, “ let us have done with misunder- 
 standings and be at peace, Letty, dear. As 
 your future husband, I have rights ; those rights 
 I mean to insist upon.” 
 
 “ Oh ! ” returned poor little Lettice, awed by 
 his cool manner and devoured by vague terror, 
 “ You frighten me so — you are so much cleverer, 
 stronger, and older ” 
 
 “ — Dearest, I only wish to protect and cherish 
 you,” he said, gently. “ Those ai'e the rights I 
 insist upon ; sacred, precious rights, Lettice, 
 believe me.” 
 
 These words were not without effect ; she was 
 both abashed and comforted by them, and looked 
 up at him with a smile of confidence and real 
 affection shining through her tears, which, of 
 course, had to be kissed away. 
 
 “ I don’t know how you came to choose me, 
 Vivian,” she murmured humbly, after these 
 interesting rites. 
 
 “ But I have chosen you ; and you have accepted 
 
 239 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 me. So all we have now to do is to consider our 
 duty to each other.” 
 
 “ Duty ! oh ! Vif ! you speak so like a sermon,” 
 she said, looking so charming and so pitiful, that 
 he could not help kissing the fragile hand he held 
 in his. 
 
 “ Supposing you were my wife now, don’t you 
 think we should get on better ? ” he asked. 
 
 " No ; I don’t want to be married yet.” 
 
 “ Let us try the experiment of marrying, at all 
 events. Say this day month, Lettice.” 
 
 “ Oh ! I can say nothing ; Mamma must 
 manage that,” she replied, appearing to yield in a 
 cloud of blushes, but secretly convinced that 
 Mamma would soon put a stop to such nonsense 
 as that. 
 
 “ You shall never regret it, Letty dear,” he said 
 with earnest tenderness, after another caress. 
 
 “To think that I should go so near to loving a 
 man ! ” Lettice was musing, as they sat hand in 
 hand, in the silence that followed. 
 
 At this interesting moment the door opened, and 
 Mrs. Cecil Langton came in. Mrs. Marshall 
 awoke and exclaimed at the darkness ; the lovers 
 340 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 moved apart ; Vivian obeyed an injunction to ring 
 the bell. Letty went to the piano and began 
 strumming, regretting her too great lenity towards 
 her lover. ‘‘ It will never do to be in love with 
 one’s husband,” she mused. 
 
 Then Lester drew a chair to Mrs. Marshall’s 
 side and told her of Lettice’s consent to his proposal. 
 Mrs. Marshall objected, and talked of trousseaux, 
 invitations sLnd guests ; but Lester pleaded so 
 earnestly that she might be married anyhow, even 
 in sackcloth, so long as she was married quickly, 
 that Mrs. Marshall gave in, a happy inspiration 
 showing this to be a brave way out of trousseau 
 difficulties. 
 
 Tea and lights followed ; Mrs. Cecil Langton 
 was pouring grievances into her mother’s ear, 
 and Lettice pouring out tea, when a man entered, 
 unannounced ; it was Mr. Lovelace. Mrs. Marshall 
 shivered ; Lettice was delighted ; to see these two 
 men before her and play them off one against the 
 other was just what she had been longing for. 
 
 Now there will be some fun,” she thought. 
 
 Lovelace took a seat by the tea-maker with an 
 air that made the Immaculate’s blood boil. The 
 
 241 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 new-comer lounged at his ease in a deep chair, 
 yawned, and addressed his remarks wholly to 
 Lettice, who had plenty of smiles for him, and 
 thought it a good opportunity to put Lester on 
 the rack. 
 
 The latter glared savagely at his rival, and then, 
 turning his back on him, addressed his con- 
 versation to his hostess, who was too frightened to 
 listen, while the Immaculate was wholly pre- 
 occupied in remembering that he had forgotten to 
 insist upon those pre-conjugal rights of which he 
 had spoken, Lettice’s unwonted sweetness having 
 beguiled him from the subject. He felt all the time 
 through the back of his head the glances and 
 mutual smiles passing between Lettice and Love- 
 lace. “ What jolly tea you make ! ” was one of 
 this amiable gentleman’s harmless remarks, to 
 which the tone and the look gave weight. 
 
 Mr. Charles Lovelace was used to confine his 
 admiration to the objects of other people’s ; the fact 
 of a woman’s being admired by another man, were 
 she dull as a wet day and ugly as a railway station, 
 was enough to make him desire her affections. 
 This was the secret of his five years’ philandering 
 242 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 with Georgie Langton. Georgia attracted a con- 
 tinual stream of worshippers ; no sooner did one 
 try to bring things to a climax than Mr. Lovelace 
 appeared with an intimation that the property was 
 booked. The adorer driven away, Mr. Lovelace’s 
 affection cooled, till a new one appeared, when 
 the old game was played again. 
 
 Lettice shared this charming weakness. Having 
 heard of Lovelace as the lawful spoil of Georgie, 
 she at once felt the necessity of winning him. 
 So this pretty pair were pitted against each 
 other in a sort of duel, each bent on capturing 
 the heart of the other for the refined amusement 
 of throwing it away. The presence of Lester 
 stimulated the good Lovelace to renewed 
 ardour, while a rumour that Lovelace was now 
 formally engaged to Georgie had the same effect 
 on Lettice. 
 
 The Immaculate affected not to observe 
 Lovelace, when that amiable person was 
 warbling duets with Lettice, and bending, 
 being short-sighted, over the golden head in 
 which Lester had just placed the moss-rose, 
 in a way that made the latter green with 
 
 243 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 indignation. But in truth he could see and 
 feel nothing but those warblers, and the sight of 
 Lettice’s sweet face raised to the ardent glances 
 of Lovelace at last became so intolerable that he 
 left the room and went out into the smoky strip 
 of back garden, where a feline concert was going 
 on, to calm his emotions and bring himself to 
 think gently of Lettice. How sweet she had been 
 in those few twilight moments ! Was that, too, 
 only a piece of coquetry ? 
 
 When he returned, Lovelace had taken his 
 leave, highly gratified with his evening’s amuse- 
 ment. Mrs. Marshall was gone to bed with some 
 slight ailment, Mrs. Cecil Langton again in the 
 nursery ; Lettice was alone, half triumphant, half 
 frightened, and ostensibly engrossed in needle- 
 work. 
 
 “ Well, Vif ! ” she said airily, “ You soon got 
 tired of my society.” 
 
 He looked grimly upon her half saucy, half 
 shrinking and wholly charming face, as he replied, 
 “ On the contrary, I had too little of it to be tired.” 
 
 “ You were horribly rude to poor Mr. Lovelace,” 
 she pouted. 
 
 244 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 I felt rude. Had I remained in sight of that 
 conceited and insufferable ass, I should have had 
 to smash him to atoms.’’ 
 
 She laughed a delicious laugh of amused triumph. 
 
 ‘‘ When you promised to be my wife just now,” 
 continued Lester with an intent gaze, that she 
 attributed to admiration, I almost thought that 
 you loved me.” 
 
 Really ? ” responded Lett ice with a pretty 
 curl of her lip. 
 
 ‘‘ But when I saw you with that — that — un- 
 speakable ass,” he went on with gathering indig- 
 nation, “ nothing could keep me from thinking 
 that your feeling for him at least appeared similar 
 to your feeling for me.” 
 
 ‘‘ You suggest that I care for him ? ” returned 
 Lattice with sudden anger. ‘‘Ah! perhaps you 
 feel that he is more fitted to win hearts than some 
 people.” 
 
 “If I, who have every reason to believe the 
 contrary,” here his gaze became so intense that 
 Lattice shrank under it, “ cannot refrain from 
 unjust suspicions — what wonder that people 
 couple your names ? ” 
 
 245 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ‘‘ Who cares if they do ? ” she retorted, watch- 
 her victim’s writhings with complacency. 
 
 I care. Therefore I insist upon your giving 
 up his acquaintance.” 
 
 “ Do you insist upon anything else ? ” she asked, 
 with a teasing smile, and a delightful conscious- 
 ness of power. 
 
 ‘‘ I insist upon your dropping Mrs. Fitz- 
 william.” 
 
 And you think I am so simple as to give in to 
 your insistings ? Up in the clouds as usual, Vif. 
 What do you know of women ^ ” 
 
 All that I know of women depends on you,” 
 he replied, turning pale. Women have great 
 moral power over men, Lettice ; a man’s estimate 
 of the sex depends on his wife ; his own moral 
 status on that.” 
 
 “ What dry stuff you talk to-night ! ” she re- 
 turned, suppressing a yawn. 
 
 Will you do this for me or will you not ? ” he 
 asked. 
 
 “ I will not.” 
 
 ‘‘ If you refuse me this one favour now, how 
 will you learn to obey me as a wife ? ” 
 
 246 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ‘‘Just as if I had the smallest intention of obey- 
 ing you as a wife ! ” 
 
 “Yet you have promised to become my wife 
 this day month — “ 
 
 “ — Indeed, I promised nothing of the kind. 
 Silence doesn’t always give consent/’ 
 
 “ Won’t you promise now? ” in a pleading voice. 
 “ Not L” 
 
 “ My dear child, will you speak seriously ? “ 
 
 “I don’t know that I will,” she replied lightly, 
 holding her work to one side to study its effect, 
 and thinking how desperately in earnest her victim 
 was. “If you don’t like me, Vif, you can leave 
 me.” 
 
 “ Do you mean that ? ” he asked in a stifled 
 voice, “ Are we really to part ? ” 
 
 “Just as you like. What do I care ? ” 
 
 “ I cannot think that you love me, Letty,” he 
 replied, his large dark eyes luminous with emotion, 
 his features full of pathos. 
 
 She longed to throw her arms round his neck 
 and protest that she loved him with all her heart ; 
 but vanity and the coquette’s wayward desire to 
 play her fish as long as possible, restrained her. 
 
 247 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Everything I do offends you and sets you 
 preaching ; you expect me to be as dull and dreary 
 as yourself,” she complained, " What a pity you 
 didn’t fall in love with a prim girl like your 
 paragon, Amy. I like fun and pleasure and a 
 little quiet flirtation.” 
 
 His cheek flushed. “ We have made a 
 mistake,” he replied. “ I see that it is not in my 
 power to make you happy. But I will not make 
 you miserable ; you shall have your freedom, 
 Lettice, if you wish it.” 
 
 “ Thanks. I always meant to take it,” returned 
 Lettice, drily. 
 
 “ Must we part then ? ” he asked in a tremulous 
 voice. 
 
 “ If you like.” 
 
 “ Will you not — change a little — for my 
 sake ? ” 
 
 “No; I won’t. And I won’t be teased any 
 longer. If you don’t like me you can leave me,” 
 she replied with sudden temper. 
 
 He was standing very stiffly before her, not far 
 from the door ; had he been farther from it their 
 fates might have been different. As it was, he 
 248 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 bowed, turned and went, with a brief farewell 
 that took her completely by surprise. 
 
 But when the door had closed upon him and 
 she found herself alone in the dimly-lighted room, 
 the full meaning of the scene flashed through her. 
 
 He is gone ! Oh ! Vif ! ” she cried, springing 
 to her feet. 
 
 It was real love now, or at least as much of it 
 as her weak and wayward heart was capable of. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 “ The fraud of man was ever so 
 Since summer first was leavy.” 
 
 T T was long before the earliest time at which 
 Lettice was accustomed to rise, this variable 
 hour depending more on the prospect of occupa- 
 tion agreeable enough to woo her from her pillow, 
 than on the state of the dial. Unable to rest, 
 she rose and dressed with unusual care, in the 
 secret hope that Lester, after passing a night of 
 misery and despair, would rush distracted to the 
 house and implore forgiveness. So she made 
 herself as beautiful as a young angel, and looked 
 as fresh as a rose, saying to herself over and 
 over again, “ He will come back — he will come 
 back.” 
 
 She waited at home all day, making four or five 
 different and enchanting toilettes, and changing 
 her mood from anger to tenderness, from tender- 
 250 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 ness to hope, and thence to anger again 
 as many times. Presently, as the afternoon wore 
 on, she took a sheet of paper and scribbled 
 hastily, 
 
 “ Dearest Vif, 
 
 ‘‘ Come back to 
 
 “ Your brokenhearted 
 
 ‘‘ Letty.” 
 
 “ Well, that ought to fetch him ! ” said her 
 sister, coolly looking over her shoulder. Letty’s 
 pride and shame were blazoned in her face as she 
 tore the note to atoms. 
 
 At last a letter came by special messenger. 
 ‘‘ I knew he would write or come ! ’’ she cried, 
 with a flush of triumph, “ I knew it.'’ She began 
 to consider how soon it would be prudent to 
 forgive him before she opened the letter. It was 
 a thick packet, but the thickness was made up 
 of her photograph, a tress of her hair, and some 
 half-dozen faded flowers, each bearing a date 
 and inscription, From her hair,” ‘‘ She gave 
 me this in the garden,” Under the orange 
 trees — moonlight.” The sight of these petrified 
 her, and she read with amazement : 
 
 251 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ Dear Miss Marshall, 
 
 “ That you should have told me to leave 
 you is naturally most painful and distressing to 
 me. But, as you so justly said, I could never, 
 with my tastes and views, which I am now too 
 old to change, make your life happy, or even 
 endurable. I have the consolation of knowing 
 that my disappointment will be the greatest relief 
 to you and the only foundation for your future 
 happiness, which I sincerely hope will be very 
 great. I trust that you will continue to regard 
 me as a friend, and will give me the privilege 
 of rendering you any service in my power. 
 Shall I return the letters yon did me the honour 
 to write, or shall I destroy them ? 
 
 “ With every good wish for your happiness, 
 “ I remain, dear Miss Marshall, 
 
 “ Very truly yours, 
 
 “ Vivian Lester.” 
 
 Mortal chill fell upon Lettice as she read ; all 
 was over, she felt ; never, never would she care 
 for anything again. Poor crushed roseleaf ! 
 
 The next day, when Lettice and her sister were 
 walking in Kensington Gardens, who should 
 252 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 approach them but Mr. Lovelace. It was a purely 
 accidental, and therefore doubly charming, 
 meeting, at which Letty flushed deliciously, while 
 Lovelace looked as only Lovelaces can. Soon 
 after he joined them, Mrs. Langton and her child 
 became conveniently invisible. 
 
 Poor Mr. Lovelace had ever had a pious horror 
 of domestic bliss. But he could not bear the 
 thought of losing Georgie, though the horrors of 
 a purely domestic life were now pressing close 
 upon him, and the iron of prospective matrimony 
 entering his soul. Georgie now represented duty 
 instead of delight to him. In this mood he met 
 Lettice, who had never looked more lovely, he 
 thought. The slight pallor caused by her trouble 
 heightened the delicacy of her beauty ; she was 
 tremulous, wistful, yearning for sympathy ; she did 
 not attempt to conceal the pleasure she found in his 
 society ; her heart was sore, her wounded vanity 
 needed balm. She had not yet told her parents 
 of the breach with Vivian ; Carrie had laughed at 
 her fears, not having seen Lester’s final letter. 
 Lettice felt that she must be pitied or die. 
 Lovelace saw that something was wrong; he 
 
 253 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 listened to vague hints of tyranny ; he was ready 
 to protect her against the whole world. Letty 
 was misunderstood and unhappy. She was 
 told that somebody understood her ; she burst 
 into tears. His vanity and pity were both 
 touched. 
 
 ‘‘ Letty,” he murmured tenderly, “ I have 
 always adored you.” 
 
 Now Letty ’s vanity was touched; her self-pity 
 overflowed in fresh tears. “ Don’t tempt me,” she 
 whispered. 
 
 He looked volumes, but said nothing for a few 
 moments, while he wondered what were her 
 expectations and mused upon Mrs. Fitzwilliam’s 
 hints of a rich and doting godmother. Marry 
 me^ Letty,” he said softly at last, when they 
 paused beneath an elm. 
 
 She bent her eyes to the ground. What a 
 vengeance this would be on that hard-hearted 
 Vivian ! Her breath came quickly ; the hand 
 Lovelace had taken fluttered like a small bird in 
 his. Hush, I am engaged,” she faltered. 
 
 ‘‘ Engaged ! ” echoed Lovelace with an energy 
 engendered by opposition, And to whom ? To 
 
 254 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 a tyrannical prig, who undervalues and misunder- 
 stands you.” 
 
 But you — you too are engaged.” 
 
 “ Dearest Letty, I was,'" he replied, impressively. 
 
 On the Tuesday before Georgie Langton’s 
 wedding-day, a small party, consisting of Louisa 
 Stanley, the Immaculate, who was an old friend 
 of Mr. Graham, Edward Graham himself, who 
 may be remembered as Louisa’s distant and silent 
 adorer, and Amy Langton, drove to a secluded 
 London church in the forenoon. Here Louisa 
 and Mr. Graham were married very dismally. 
 The Immaculate was always turning up as an old 
 friend of somebody ; on this occasion, Louisa’s 
 brother being on foreign service, he came in 
 handy both as groomsman and to give the bride 
 away. The grace and propriety with which he 
 performed these functions may be imagined. 
 
 They were signing the register in the vestry, 
 when Amy gave a faint shriek and dropped her 
 pen. 
 
 “ Come Amy,” remonstrated the bridegroom ; 
 ‘‘you’ve no right to these weaknesses; it’s not 
 your show this time.” 
 
 255 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The Immaculate made no observation what- 
 ever ; he stood with an absolutely unmoved 
 countenance and heavenly demeanour, awaiting 
 his turn to sign. Louisa peeped over Amy’s 
 shoulder and exclaimed in turn, when she saw 
 what she had been too agitated to perceive when 
 signing herself, namely, the signatures of the last 
 couple married — 
 
 Charles Lovelace, 30, and Lettice Marshall, 21 
 — parentage and circumstances correctly given. 
 
 Crimson and tremulous, Amy finished signing, 
 and the Immaculate, advancing with his accus- 
 tomed grace and a smile like the Heathen 
 Chinee’s, took the pen with the observation, 
 ‘‘Their carriage drove off as we arrived,” and 
 wrote his name in his usual neat and legible 
 hand. 
 
 “ Friends of yours ? ” the clergyman asked ; 
 “ Married by special license. The bride scarcely 
 looked twenty-one, I thought.” 
 
 “ I must go home and break it to Georgie,” 
 Amy said in the church porch later to Louisa. 
 
 “Poor Georgie. In all seriousness I am 
 grieved for the insult to your sister.” 
 
 256 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The bride and bridegroom drove away ; Amyl’s 
 heart sank ; she was near tears. 
 
 “ Courage ! ’’ said the Immaculate, drawing her 
 hand within his arm, “ Graham is a good fellow 
 and Algerian winters will prolong her life.’’ 
 
 “ I know,” she replied. But what shall I do 
 without her ? Then — Georgie ” 
 
 “ I congratulate your sister on her escape, 
 As for me, I was recommended to resign, or 
 rather told to send in my papers, a week ago. 
 I thought Lovelace was probably on promotion.” 
 
 When Amy reached Angel Road, she found the 
 girls at home and in the highest spirits ; they 
 came into the hall and asked her a thousand 
 questions: — ‘'How did it go off?” “Was 
 Louisa very nervous?” “You look as if you 
 had been to a funeral, Amy.” “ Only think ! 
 It makes her miserable even to look at weddings,” 
 laughed Georgie. “ She is as white as a sheet ; 
 one would think she had been married herself. 
 Why, Amy, you are not going to faint ! Fetch 
 some water, Lucy.” 
 
 “ No, I am not going to faint.” 
 
 “ Then you are going to be married yourself,” 
 
 257 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 cried Georgia triumphantly ; “ But hear my news 
 
 first. Here is a telegram from Algy. He will be 
 here in time for the wedding. Isn’t it delicious ? 
 Think of old Algy ! Do you suppose that he will 
 have a great bushy beard, wear no waistcoats and 
 eat with a clasp knife, and walk about in big boots 
 and a flannel shirt ? How will Charlie like 
 him ? Why, Amy, you don’t seem glad ! ” 
 
 Dear Georgia,” she replied, I have heard 
 bad news. No ; it does not concern Algy.” 
 
 ‘‘Then it concerns me,” cried Georgia, the 
 brightness fading from her face. “ It is Charlie ! ” 
 
 “ He would never have made you happy.” 
 
 “ What do you mean ? ” Georgia cried, in a 
 discordant voice. 
 
 “He married — Lattice — this morning.” 
 
 “Oh!” Georgia shrank as if she had been 
 struck, and turned pale as death. 
 
 “ Mamma had set her heart upon it,” she 
 said, after a pause; “Thank you. Tell the 
 others.” 
 
 “ Dear Georgia ! ” Amy said, caressing her. 
 
 “ Look here, Amy,” said Georgia, taking the 
 water Lucy had brought, and drinking it with a 
 258 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 smile, I drink to the health of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Lovelace. Who gave the bride aw^ay ? I would 
 have done it with pleasure, and the bridegroom, 
 too, or any other rubbish I was tired of.” Then, 
 in a shaky, hesitating voice, Did they look very 
 happy, Amy ? ” 
 
 didn’t see them. Mr. Lester did. He 
 thinks you had a lucky escape.” 
 
 Much obliged to the Immaculate. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Lovelace ! — the blushing bride ! Will they 
 send us cards and cake? Ought I to write and 
 congratulate them? You see they are both such 
 — old friends.” 
 
 A few minutes later Mrs. Langton came in with 
 a cheerful, “Well, Amy, how did it go off? 
 Where is Georgie again ? Does she think all 
 those dresses will be ready by Thursday at this 
 rate ? ” 
 
 259 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 “ I could not love thee, dear, so much, 
 
 Loved I not honour more.” 
 
 HE bright sweetness of September lay on the 
 
 ^ country ; slopes dipping down to the river 
 Dale showed a pale gleam of harvested fields; here 
 and there a spot of vivid orange or gold glowed 
 like a flame in dark thick foliage. Far away to 
 the east, the strip of sea visible from Baron’s 
 Cleeve looked like a still cloud of azure air, the 
 pale sky, stainless overhead, darkened into purply 
 mist on the horizon. An exquisite hush had 
 fallen on weary Nature; it was a time for quiet 
 musings and peaceful dreams, a pensive time, 
 grave not sad. The garden terraces at Baron’s 
 Cleeve glowed brighter than ever as if with 
 a last supreme eifort ; myrtles were still in 
 bloom, fruit hung rich in orchards and on 
 walls, late roses exhaled the last sweetness of 
 summer, a Virginia creeper twined among ivy 
 
 260 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 on the grey stone house had changed to fiery red 
 in the last few days. 
 
 Here Amy Langton was snatching a brief 
 holiday before the winter work. She was very 
 tired; the romance of daring an unusual life in 
 the teeth of opposition had evaporated with the 
 novelty of it, leaving a barren stretch of grey, 
 uninviting duty behind. Life seemed nothing but 
 perpetual labour, all illusions and loveliness 
 crushed beneath the grim monotony of work. 
 Everybody experiences such moods at times. 
 
 Amy had now no family life, she never could 
 have one ; there were other, more congenial 
 daughters in the home in which she had felt 
 herself so superfluous. Sitting on the terrace 
 that afternoon, she thought and thought of these 
 things, while she wrote to Louisa one of those 
 long feminine letters that sometimes astonish the 
 male mind. She wrote on till shadows lengthened, 
 sunlight softened, and swallows twittered in airy 
 squadrons over the water in the valley below. 
 Then she heard the sound of wheels on the gravel, 
 Steven’s whistle through the house, her brother’s 
 deep voice and his wife’s clear laugh in the hall. 
 
 261 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 A moment later there was a quick, light step on 
 the terrace, at which her eyes turned to fire, her 
 face to crimson, the whole world from greyness 
 to glory. 
 
 The Immaculate would have been more or 
 less than human had he not known that his 
 unexpected appearance had produced all that 
 radiance and agitation in the face before 
 him. But he only said, as he clasped the 
 hand offered him, “ I drove over with your 
 brother to dine. They said I should find 
 jou here.” And she only replied that she was 
 glad, and that the afternoon was pleasant. Then 
 he took a seat near her, bent towards her, his 
 hands clasped lightly in front of him, and watched 
 her with kindling eyes, while she folded her 
 closely- written foreign sheets, put them in an 
 envelope and addressed them. 
 
 “ I need not ask to whom,” he said, when the 
 superscription was begun. 
 
 “ Indeed, I hope you would not be so rude,” 
 she replied ; “ we could never again call you the 
 Immaculate.” 
 
 “ Do I deserve it ? Am I indeed such a prig?” 
 
 262 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 “ I decline to gratify a morbid vanity by a 
 denial. You need not look so pathetic 
 about it.” 
 
 “ Can I help it when you are so severe ? 
 Dr. Amy,” he added, after some happy, 
 silent minutes, “ do you remember our last 
 holiday at Baron’s Cleeve ? ” 
 
 Quite well. Have you a foreign stamp ? ” 
 
 ‘‘Two pennies and a half-penny, if they will 
 serve.” 
 
 “ Thank you ; plenty of room.” 
 
 “You would have nothing to say to me, then. 
 Well ! it had to be put up with. It was hard, for 
 I always was attracted to you. Your friend- 
 ship has been and is the most precious thing in 
 my life ; but — ” 
 
 “ — I am glad, so glad, and proud too. I always 
 liked you, even when you scolded me most. Your 
 errors are so respectable, so venerable — precious 
 heirlooms from your forefathers, dear Mr. 
 Lester.” 
 
 Come, come, come ; ‘ venerable errors ’ ; you 
 are too severe, dear prophetess.” 
 
 “ Hit back, then. Have your revenge.” She 
 263 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 laughed ; he looked grave, wistful, a little 
 bewildered. 
 
 They were on the same terrace on which they 
 had so often met on sunny afternoons, where 
 she had thrown roses at him, where he had 
 appealed to her to give up her profession. They 
 remembered it all. She was sitting in the shadows 
 of the fig-trellis, some late rose petals had fallen 
 on the turf, a sunbeam gleamed through the trellis 
 upon her hair. 
 
 “ Dearest prophetess,’’ the Immaculate said 
 with a tremble in his beautiful velvet voice, and a 
 still flame in his beautiful pansy eyes, “ this friend- 
 ship, this beautiful, precious friendship — is — on 
 my part — something more. It is love.” 
 
 She covered her face with her hands. He 
 thought — or was it the effect of a quivering sun- 
 beam through the fig-trellis ? — still he thought 
 there was something like a sob in the quick 
 breath. 
 
 ‘‘ No,” she said at last, Not love, Vivian, 
 never that, between us.” 
 
 ‘‘Yes Amy, that, always that, dearest; nothing 
 less. Take it, darling, take it and keep it for ever 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 and ever.” As he spoke, he slid softly, — and, of 
 course, with perfect grace — to one knee on the 
 turf at her feet. Their faces were quite close, the 
 beating of their hearts was audible to each. The 
 Immaculate was really too beautiful for words. 
 Surely none but a fiend could resist him. Was 
 Dr. Langton a tigress ? Was her heart made of 
 cast iron or Portland stone ? At this enchanting 
 moment, these verses floated through her mind, 
 
 “ All thoughts, all passions, all delights. 
 
 Whatever stirs this mortal frame, 
 
 Are all but ministers of love 
 
 And feed his sacred flame.” 
 
 They carried her in spirit to a sunny morning in 
 the Riviera ; she heard the hum of bees in thyme 
 and the soft wash of blue waves on the hidden 
 shore. She choked down a rising sob, and 
 murmured, It is September. In January you 
 adored Lettice Marshall. In August, only a 
 month ago, she was your promised wife.” 
 
 ‘‘ Nay ; that was — illusion — not love.” 
 
 ‘‘This, too, is illusion,” said the fiendish young 
 female, austerely, “ Ah ! now, don’t spoil our 
 beautiful friendship, Vivian. What a tale I heard 
 under the olives that evening, and what an awful 
 265 S 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 cold I had next day ! ‘Not only the most 
 beautiful but the best of her sex.’ I couldn’t 
 rise anywhere near to the level ; couldn’t enter 
 into the raptures in the least. I was held a 
 publican and sinner.” 
 
 “ What a — what a — -fool I was ! ” muttered the 
 Immaculate, using a quite unpresentable word, 
 “ Darling, listen ” 
 
 — “ I am listening. I listened then. I listened 
 in the cage in the House of Commons, and I 
 heard all the fine things you said about men’s 
 levity and their light way of promising marriage.” 
 
 “ True. But I’ve eaten a peck of salt with you, 
 dearest. I’ve studied your character thoroughly. 
 Haven’t you refused me already, years ago, on this 
 very spot ? But I must confess this. That old 
 illusion didn’t last. That box on the ear — and 
 the dog s bite — you remember ? Poor little 
 Angela ! — killed it. It was all struggle and duty 
 after that.” 
 
 “ Oh ! Oh ! Our perfect knight, our Immaculate, 
 telling such — such awful — lies ! ” 
 
 “Oh! Not lies! the illusion returned and re- 
 turned, the charm of beauty and grace and 
 266 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 supposed love ; but it always had to be wooed 
 back. Forget it, dear. Try to love me a little ; 
 be my wife, be Angela’s mother.” 
 
 ‘‘ It will not do, Vivian ; we should not even 
 agree in educating Angela. Dear, I am no fit 
 wife for you, I could not devote myself. I cannot 
 give up my profession. My interests would clash 
 with yours. My profession ” 
 
 — “ Ah ! but love is better. Try to love me, 
 my own prophetess. If devotion, if love can make 
 happiness, mine must and will make you happy, 
 dearest.” 
 
 ‘‘ Is happiness the best thing, or duty, Vivian ? ” 
 
 ‘‘ Love is both. My life, my happiness, the 
 child’s — all is in your hands.” 
 
 In this strain the Immaculate pleaded long and 
 beautifully, and one cannot help thinking that it 
 must have taken a heart of adamant or of a 
 demon, to resist such ideal love-making from 
 such an ideal lover. Yet this young savage, — to 
 her lasting discredit, one thinks — accomplished 
 this dreadful feat. 
 
 She had devoted her life, she said, to a serious 
 study of one of the most noble arts and crafts ; 
 
 267 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 she was bound to pursue it ; her mother looked to 
 her — after so much vexation and disappointment 
 — for help. “ Think,” she added, “of the degraded, 
 stunted, wasted lives of innumerable middle* 
 class women, who cannot possibly marry, 
 purely because there are not enough men to 
 marry them all. Think of the immense difficulties 
 and obstacles that a few women have surmounted 
 in the task of opening up new lines of usefulness 
 to these women and removing the stigma from 
 female erudition and labour. Picture the great 
 mass of hopeless, superfluous spinsters ‘ withering 
 on the stalk.’ Think of the complex tangle 
 of misery and vice resulting from wretched 
 marriages, from the union of men and women 
 without one taste or aim in common. Dear 
 Vivian, think of the wretched marriage from which 
 you have just escaped, and consider if this is a 
 time for women to snatch at personal happiness, 
 when they have gone as far, suffered as much, and 
 made others to suffer as much, as I have. I can- 
 not, I must not, dare not, give it up, my friend. 
 Choose another wife. You are young, you are 
 — attractive. You need a different kind of wife.” 
 
 268 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Poor, dear Immaculate; he knew it was 
 useless to say more ; so he thought a great deal 
 instead. 
 
 The terrace was quite in shadow before they 
 left it, the distant sea a cloud of softest rose, over 
 which flitted a crimson sail ; the scent of fig 
 leaves, roses and over-blown myrtle on the 
 parapet mingled with mignonette and almond 
 of clematis from below; the hushed air had a 
 sparkle of coming frost in it; the purple-misted 
 hill-tops touched a pale, translucent sky; all the 
 west was crimson and gold. Robins sang their 
 cheery good-night, grasshoppers chirped faintly, 
 swallows clouded the flushed sky in twittering 
 masses. The rejected and the rejector strolled 
 amicably back to the house in the crimson glow. 
 
 269 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 ‘‘ For Love in sequel works with Fate 
 To draw the veil from hidden worth.” 
 
 IFE is not long enough to chronicle all the 
 
 Immaculate’s virtues and excellencies ; it is 
 fatiguing to have to observe that he bore his 
 refusal in the most perfect manner, dined with the 
 family immediately after as if nothing had 
 happened, made himself as agreeable to all mem- 
 bers, including the schoolboys home for the 
 holidays, as usual, and sang charmingly to Mrs. 
 Langton’s accompaniment ; while the stony- 
 hearted fiend who had repulsed him, instead of 
 tearing her hair, smiting her breast, and wearing 
 sackcloth in remorse, selected her favourite frock, 
 dressed her hair with the greatest art of which she 
 was capable, and wore a string of pearls round her 
 neck. What devilry might be hidden under these 
 tactics, no one knows. They were not wholly un- 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 noticed by the Immaculate, who probably drew 
 his own conclusions. 
 
 “ Have you any objection to my marrying your 
 stepsister, Langton ? ” he casually asked his host 
 that night over a cigar. 
 
 “ Certainly not ; nothing would give me greater 
 pleasure. But you know Amy takes herself and 
 her physic very seriously. She is going to save 
 society by the practice of medicine. And she 
 is a really sensible woman, and probably knows 
 best what she and the rest of them are fit for, as I 
 often tell her mother, who can’t make her out. My 
 wife backs her up through thick and thin, she 
 goes solid for female emancipation ; though, as 
 Mrs. Langton rules despotically over everyone in 
 this house, I don’t know what she is to be emanci- 
 pated from. But do you think Amy cares for 
 you, Lester ? She is simply immense about men.” 
 
 “ Your sister,” the Immaculate replied, 
 tranquilly, “ has already done me the honour of 
 refusing me twice. I hope I am not vain, 
 Langton, but I can’t help thinking these facts im- 
 pressive,” he added, with a smile of deadly 
 meaning. 
 
 271 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 The pair seldom met after this idyllic episode. 
 Once, in the course of a Parliamentry enquiry, by 
 commission, into the condition of East-end needle- 
 women, there was a public meeting in connection 
 with it, several ladies being on the platform, aS 
 well as the member for Dalesby and his uncle. 
 Lord Loughborough. The well-known face and 
 figure of Mrs. St. Luke, M.D., appeared there 
 amongst those of younger medical women. 
 
 “ I say, Vif,” the uncle whispered to him, “ these 
 women do the thing deuced well ; so quiet and 
 business-like. But Mrs. St. Luke is a veteran 
 speaker.” 
 
 “ After all, why should they not ? Who has 
 a cooler, clearer head than Aunt Evelyn ? ” the 
 nephew replied. 
 
 Lady Evelyn was her brother’s right hand ; she 
 coached him, prompted him, suggested things to 
 him, was worth, he sometimes said — but not to 
 her — ten secretaries. It was, “ Evie, I want 
 collieries got up,” or “ I want the whole history of 
 Cyprus by to-morrow night.” “ Get me a precis of 
 Derby’s administrations,” or “ Evie, just get 
 up Irish land tenures,” or “ What the dickens am 
 272 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 I to say at this Conservative meeting ? ” “ Let 
 
 me have ‘Peace with Honour’ in five epigrams 
 at once, my dear.” 
 
 She never failed him ; these things kept her 
 young and preserved her beauty. Her ungrateful 
 brother sometimes asked what women could want 
 with the franchise while they had such powers 
 and opportunities as these ? Besides, he would 
 add, to clinch the matter, he had no franchise ; 
 why should women want what was denied to 
 peers of the realm? This dreadful man seldom 
 met women upon platforms ; but the question 
 under present discussion almost excused their 
 presence even to him and his fastidious nephew. 
 
 Presently Mrs. St. Luke whispered something 
 to a young woman at her side, who rose and left 
 the platform, returning shortly after with a bundle 
 of papers. She was tall, she walked well, with 
 an air of distinction, taking her publicity as a 
 matter of course, without a grain of self-con- 
 sciousness. 
 
 “ Who is that young goddess ? ” Lord Lough- 
 borough whispered, and his nephew pencilled a 
 name printed on the programme. Miss A. 
 
 273 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Langton, M.D. The name was just then spoken 
 by the Chairman, who called on her to read her 
 report ; upon which, still keeping her eyes on 
 her papers, she stood up in her place and began 
 without agitation or self-consciousness, the usual 
 “ Mr. Chairman, etc, ” read out her paper very 
 calmly, and sat down again. At all the “ Hear, 
 hears ! ” groans, “ Shames ! ” and cheers, she 
 waited till the tumult subsided, and went 
 steadily on. This little experience was very 
 good for the Immaculate’s morals. 
 
 “ After all,” his uncle said later, “ the Queen 
 beats the lot at public reading and speaking.” 
 
 “ And us, too,” added the perfect knight. 
 
 The exchange of a bow and smile, and an effort 
 by the Immaculate to find her cloaks and cabs, 
 comprised the whole personal intercourse between 
 these lovers ; officially, the member for Dalesby 
 had to question the accuracy and call for the veri- 
 fication of some of Miss Langton’s facts, which 
 was all done decently and in order. 
 
 Who could imagine that, when this tall young 
 woman was worried and over-tired, oppressed by 
 London fogs, depressed by the ills and sins 
 274 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 of poor humanity, she was in the habit of 
 calling up the memory of a sunny terrace on a 
 still September afternoon, scent of fig-leaves, 
 myrtle, mignonette, and roses, sound of twittering 
 swallows, robins’ song and grasshoppers’ chirp, 
 and with them a velvety voice, passion-thrilled, 
 dark eyes, love-lighted, and words such as are 
 spoken once, forgotten never ; or that the 
 member for Dalesby, under similar circum- 
 stances, summoned the same scene to his reveries, 
 substituting a woman’s voice, clear and pure, but 
 deepened with feeling, and dark spiritual blue 
 eyes, lighted by holy fire, for his own. Something 
 else filled his reveries, — a hand scarred by a dog’s 
 bite, the face of a tiny dark-eyed girl nestled 
 beneath the intellectual face with sapphire eyes. 
 Who could imagine that, after such reveries, 
 earth to each seemed sweeter, heaven nearer than 
 before ? 
 
 It was in the short, befogged days of late 
 November that Amy Langton dined one night at 
 Angel Road to meet the Australian brother, 
 Algernon, whose wealth had proved to be largely 
 based upon imagination. , They met seldom ; 
 
 275 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Amy was always immersed in business, Algernon’s 
 stay in England was only for a holiday. Julius 
 was dining at home, too ; the brothers and sister 
 stayed chatting until midnight. Then Algernon 
 and Amy drove away together, Julius being bound 
 in another direction. 
 
 The foggy day had given place to a clear, 
 starry night with a sharp frostbite in the air. 
 It was pleasant to roll over the dry roads in the 
 keen night, Algernon praising the Southern Cross 
 and the brilliance of Australian skies, Amy vaunt- 
 ing Italian moonlight. But what is that sudden 
 splendour in the north ? An Aurora Borealis ? 
 No; for the leaping light is mingled with clouds 
 of rolling smoke ; the streets are red with it. 
 
 “ It is a fire,” the brother said, “ somewhere by 
 Cromwell Road. Amy, I must see that fire. You 
 won’t mind dropping me and driving on alone, 
 will you ? ” 
 
 “ Certainly not.” 
 
 Algernon alighted and melted into the crowd, a 
 brown-bearded, brown-faced, athletic Australian, 
 good at need. 
 
 The streets were soon dark streams of 
 276 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 rushing humanity, with here and there a swifter 
 central current of strong horses, tossing eager 
 heads, with jingle of harness and rattle of engines, 
 amid a galaxy of brazen helmets glittering in the 
 fitful lustre. The Australian, following the 
 stream, was soon borne on the human surge to 
 the source of this sinister splendour, a mansion, 
 two mansions, near Cromwell Road. The first 
 was well alight before an engine arrived ; it was 
 practically gone, almost gutted, in half-an-hour ; 
 the houses on either side were burning. The lion- 
 like roar of the flame was emphasised by cracking 
 timber, crashing masonry, amid popping, like 
 single shots, human cries, orders, the steady thud- 
 thud of engines and hiss of rushing water. 
 Engine after engine clattered up ; a moving 
 splendour of brazen helms flashed here, there and 
 everywhere ; from roof to pavement axes glittered 
 in the flame, as this and that source of peril 
 was hacked away; ladders shot up, the fire- 
 escape did duty ; buckets and hose rained till the 
 streets ran red with flame-reflecting water, and the 
 surging crowd was swept back by the streams 
 directed upon them. 
 
 277 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Sometimes a groan rolled heavily over the 
 crowd, when inmates or firemen were seen in 
 danger ; then a cheer thundered up when the 
 danger passed. 
 
 The fire was eating its savage way through 
 Number Seven, the house next to Lord Lough- 
 borough’s, that in which the fire began. The 
 lower stairs were gone. Some women servants 
 and children asleep on the first floor had been 
 roused at the first cry of fire and taken out safely, 
 but a boy of seven was missing. The fire-escape 
 was planted against the house, a fireman climbed 
 up and returned empty-handed. 
 
 “ Let me go, Fireman. I know he is there,” 
 cried a young man in evening dress, pushing the 
 man aside and springing up the ladder, which was 
 now swathed in smoke. He disappeared through 
 a third-floor window ; several seconds elapsed, 
 during which the burning second floor gave way 
 with a crash, a volume of flame shot up above it, 
 the outer wall yielded, and, after tottering a 
 minute, crashed in, the fire escape with it, just 
 as the young man re-appeared, carrying some- 
 thing white, and greeted by a loud roar from the 
 278 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 raging fire, in which a deep low groan from the 
 crowd was swallowed. 
 
 The window at which the man appeared was 
 next the house corner ; the fire had not yet 
 reached it, but was advancing with every second. 
 The corner stood like a tottering tower by a 
 chasm of raging fire, that leapt high above it 
 and poured sparks and flaming brands upon 
 it. The young man was out on the balcony 
 in front of the window ; he was seen to tie his 
 burden — poor little distraught Harry, whom he 
 found crouched in a corner, numb and idiotic with 
 terror — to a sheet, which he let down, shouting 
 for a mattress to break his fall. A mattress was 
 held by many willing hands ; the child was 
 dropped and caught; then the young man fell 
 back, half over the balcony and partly propped 
 by the house wall. 
 
 “Jump,” they shouted from below; but he 
 neither moved nor answered ; he had been struck 
 by a piece of charred wood carried up by the 
 fire-draught like a scrap of paper and dropped. 
 
 “ A ladder ! A rope ! The fire-escape !” cried 
 confused voices. The fire had licked up that 
 279 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 part of the balcony that was over the flames ; the 
 metal rails hung down, twisted like a wisp of 
 straw. 
 
 “ Throw a rope with a block,” one of the 
 brigade in command ordered. It was done ; the 
 block caught and ran down, but the man remained 
 motionless and helpless. The fire crept nearer ; 
 the corner tottered. 
 
 ” Will no one fetch him ? Is he dead ? Will 
 the rope bear ? ” was heard in several voices. 
 Hose were directed in many streams on the doomed 
 corner, the crowd was scourged back by the hose 
 in readiness for the expected crash, when, with a 
 wild cry of “ With him or for him,” a tall young 
 woman dashed through hose-streams, policemen 
 and firemen, caught the rope, swarmed up it 
 like a cat, and reached the tottering balcony in a few 
 seconds. Snatching the rope up, she passed it 
 round the man’s body, bound it firmly, and tried 
 to lift him over. He fell, helpless but not 
 senseless, into her arms, just able to second her 
 efforts by throwing his weight here and there ; she 
 got him over the balcony without a jerk ; the 
 rails gave and bent in the strain ; flames leapt 
 280 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 upon them, quenched again and again by the 
 water. 
 
 “ Now let go of me,” she said to the da^ed, 
 exhausted man, who obeyed, swung free with a 
 cry of agony, then sank swooning, as she paid the 
 rope out from her torn hands, the top rail 
 escaping the strain, as she leant back against 
 the wall, bracing her feet against the bottom 
 rail. Many willing arms supported the mattress 
 held to catch the injured man ; the boom of 
 a mighty cheer rolled round, when he was safely 
 received and quickly borne off, just as a gust 
 of flame parted the rope that lowered him and 
 a volume of smoke whirled round the corner, 
 concealing the young woman in its black heart. 
 Silence of horror fell upon those below ; a big, 
 brown-bearded man who had been lending a 
 useful hand, shouted in a loud hoarse voice, 
 “Jump, Amy, jump, for the love of Heaven ! ” 
 
 Area spikes, hot and hissing from water, were 
 under the mattress held for the other two, and 
 which had been hurried away with the injured man 
 upon it. The sheet that had lowered the child, 
 black, wet, and scarcely discernible, was snatched 
 281 T 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 by firemen, held aloft and firmly supported, 
 in time to catch the girl, who saw, when the 
 smoke eddied away from her, that the man she 
 had rescued was safely out of the way. Then 
 she jumped, was caught on the edge of the sheet, 
 bounded up, turned over in the air and fell, 
 knocking a fireman down under her. By the time 
 she struck the fireman in her fall, all behind her 
 was one mass of flame, and the corner of the 
 house gone. From the time the rope was thrown 
 over the balcony rail to the man’s complete 
 rescue, five minutes ; to Amy’s fall, seven. 
 
 Both were burnt and bruised, but poor brave 
 Bayard had a broken leg as well ; the blow on his 
 head had only stunned him. Julius helped to set 
 the limb and waged a life-long war with his sister 
 upon the causes that left a slight lameness, so 
 beautifully managed by the Immaculate that it 
 was converted into a grace, lending new distinction 
 to his carriage. Julius managed his sister’s 
 sprained ankle and serious burns better. The 
 lovers wrote to, and heard of, each other, but did 
 not meet until both had recovered. 
 
 “ You must marry me now, dearest,” th§ 
 382 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 Immaculate said on that august occasion. “ I 
 am your Frankenstein. You gave me life ; I 
 demand happiness.” 
 
 “ But honour and duty come first. I cannot 
 give up my calling. As for love — ” 
 
 “ My brave, beautiful prophetess, when I saw 
 your face through the flames — ‘ An angel yet — 
 yet a woman — ’ ” Can we blame our proven, 
 perfect knight if his voice failed him here and 
 tears sprang unbidden ? — Amy, I am not the 
 hide-bound, prejudiced ass I was. Love has 
 taught me better, a woman’s love, a woman’s 
 heroism. Dear, I will never hinder you ; only 
 give me the privilege of helping.” 
 
 ‘‘ Oh ! but I am not the wife you need — not the 
 helpmate,” she faltered. 
 
 “Just the wife, no other. As for obedience? 
 Why not obey each other ? ” 
 
 “ My own dear Bayard,” she murmured 
 humbly, as she glided into his tenderly passionate 
 embrace ; “ my peerless, perfect knight ! ” 
 
 If the marriage proved a happy one; if the 
 Immaculate became a statesman, lawyer or 
 scribbler of renown ; if his virtues, cleared and 
 283 
 
SWEETHEARTS AND FRIENDS 
 
 settled by the ferment of youth, mellowed with 
 years; if he and Amy became less dead-sure of 
 their own opinions, and more tolerant of other 
 people’s ; of the manner in which he helped her 
 to reconcile her wifely and professional duties, 
 and to further the improvement of her sex ; no 
 authentic record is as yet discoverable. 
 
 But it is certain that Amy’s husband never 
 forgot the cry that rang through the roaring 
 flames surrounding him of 
 
 “ With him or for him ! ” 
 
 R. W. Simpson & Co., Ltd., The Richmond Press, Richmond and London 
 
BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 
 
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ATALANTA. 
 
 Iproaramme for 1897**8. 
 
 ** * • • • • 
 
 TN the Programme for the New Volume of Atalanta, 
 •j* which commences with the October number, published 
 September 25th, the Editor has secured the co-opera- 
 tion of many leading authors and artists, whose endeavour 
 will be to maintain to the full the high position which the 
 Magazine has always acquired. As heretofore, the Magazine 
 will be printed on 
 
 THICK ART PAPER 
 
 of the highest quality, in order to give the best result to 
 the illustrations, which have always been a feature of 
 Atalanta. 
 
 In the literary department the Editor purposes breaking 
 new ground by giving prominence to well-known writers 
 of the new school, who have already gained a well-merited 
 position among the leading authors of the day. The two 
 following serials have been chosen : — 
 
 THE YOUNG PRETENDER. 
 
 By NORA VYNNE, Author of “A Man and his 
 Womankind,” &c. 
 
 A NORTHERN JULIET. 
 
 By NORA HOPPER, Author of “Ballads in 
 Prose,” “Under Quicken Boughs,” etc. 
 
 To the many literary and artistic readers of Atalanta a 
 series of interest will be : 
 
 FAMOUS GIRLS OF TO-DAY. 
 
 By LAURA ALEX. SMITH. 
 
A TALANTA PROGRAMME — continued. 
 
 Another series will be critical estimates and biographies of 
 
 LIVING POETS. By KENT CARR. 
 
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 be dealt with, under 
 
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 By ALEXANDER JAPP, LL.D. 
 
 An illustrated series of Norse Legends entitled : — 
 
 TALES FROM THE SAGAS. 
 
 By NORA HOPPER. 
 Papers of interest to poetical students : — 
 
 LOVE SONGS OF ALL NATIONS. 
 
 By L. ALEXANDER. 
 
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 series has been provided in : — 
 
 PRACTICAL PROFESSIONS FOR WOMEN. 
 
 By ruth young. 
 
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 Atalanta, and this year will be devoted mainly to : — 
 
 THE ROMANCE OF GREAT FAMILIES. 
 
 By GERTRUDE OLIVER-WILLIAMS. 
 
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 several short Stories will also be a feature of each 
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