April Hopes

sage of an express-wagon load of trunks through Cavendish Square, and commenting the fact with the tacit reflection that it was quite t

is it,

ing, I think, and t

't see them at all. Which way were they going?" Mrs. Pasmer dramatised a careless

part of the room. "They are coming

r maid in the kitchen, and then the maid came in to ask if she should say the ladies were at home. "Oh, certainly," said Mrs. Pasmer, with a caressing politeness that

el

laugh first, and then Boardman with his twinkli

said the former, addressing his solicitude to Mrs. Pasmer. "I tried to find out from, Mrs. Saintsbury, but s

sible of the young ceremony they threw into the transaction. To be cosy, to be at ease instantly, was Mrs. Pasmer's way. "We've not only survived, we've taken a new lease of life fr

ring. "I really believe i

h enraptured," c

"Yes, indeed," and

s the crowning glory of the whole affai

t all," sa

dden transformation of all that disheveled crew around th

g,' Mrs. Pasmer!" im

Irving in the 'Lyons Mail' was nothing to it. We thought we had walked directly over fr

ted the young man. "Could you recognise an

and began grabbing for the spoils from the heads a

s friend's broad shoulder,

ttle black eyes at him, w

ardman!" sai

it," said Mavering, pus

oardman might be glad of the distinction; and now Boardman looked as if he were

o easily killed,

e evening. "I thought we should never get out of the Hall; but when we did get out of the window upon that tapestried platform, and down on the tennis

was rather nice

she looked at Mavering. "Is that t

e wasn't in the spread, and of course he doesn't lik

prettier than that pavilion at the bottom of the lawn, and the little tables scattered

deny that. We did have th

erself in a ready adhesion, "that depends a go

u," said

ied his friend. "Except himself-he

ming very stiff and cold. She wondered what that meant, and whether she disliked this little Mr. Boardman, or whether she was again trying to punish Mr. Mavering for something, and, if so, what it was. Had he offended her in some way the other day? At any rate, she had no right to show it. She

ruck in, with the coolness that always astonished Mrs. Pasmer, and as if

ents going to the rac

y everybody

" queried

roke in. "Don't you know? The Un

er together on Class Day?" she asked herself. She felt herself, in spite of her efforts to keep even with them; left behin

t this time; and we should sen

also that they were not of the crew; and she s

going," continued the young man, speaking with his eyes on Mrs. Pasm

, n

he urged: "I wish you'd

uld think you might look after each other. At any rate

vering, as if for the pleasure he found in fenc

mer, dropping her outspread

into it," laughed Mavering; "and he's going

tradict his friend's words. "How splendid!" she cried. "I had, heard that a great many Harvar

expectations a little, and he stole a

t tone about the fires, and the fights, and the d

ng him unavoidably the advantage of the cares

Boardman, "we have to

rd men go into them the better. And how splendid it is to have them going into politics the way they are! They're going into politics too, aren't they?" She looked from one young

the f

y men do in England," said Mrs.

ven't got such a comple

d Mrs. Pasmer, who had heard of it, bu

crew will beat this time

tell you t

ring. "To be sure they will beat. And you ought to be there to see it. N

me, but there seems to be nobody left; and one can't stay quite alone, even if you

ear, and he said it was charming. The only trouble is it's so far. You're pret

ite a new pla

y it isn't like the hotel life anywhere else; it's ch

she asked deferentially, and under correction, if she were hazarding too much, "to see somebody besides

e everywhere," said the young man

and out of the hotel in Rome. We were sure they were English. And they were

ering. "How is it, Boardman? Do

d Mrs. Pasmer, explaining with a prompt effect of having known all alon

ney would do it," sa

ess and compliment, telling him she should look out for his account of the race with the greatest interest, and expressing the hope that he would get as far as Campobello during the summer, Mavering found some minutes for talk with Alice. He was graver with her-far graver than with her m

e of difficult engineering had been quite successful, "Mrs. Saintsbury

omething about them," sai

gone bac

my mother. I shall be going home myse

u spend the s

I always like

'll come as far as Campobello-

will promise anything. Well, I'll come to Campobell

s they made their way across the square together. She had now

h him!" said Mrs. Pasmer. "He hardly comes up to his

s very pleasant,

ppose he'd have felt that it w

int

! Did you like that kin

't noti

y, very

e has rather

go to the race? Do you think he meant it? Do

ything; or, if he did, I t

that must be what Mrs. Saintsbury

say things they don't mean, or don't kn

It's the only way," she added, as if it were her own invariabl

ng men had fatigued her. In the midst of her yawn her daughter went out of the room, with