The Short Works of George Meredith

uilty of running up to London early next day, and remaining absent until nightfall; and he did the same on the two following days. When he presented himself at Lady Camper's lodge-gates, the aston

Time by various aggressive movements. Fearful of not being understood, owing to the rarity of the occasions when the squat plain squad of honest Saxon regulars at his command were called upon to explain an idea, he re-cast the sentence. But, as it happened that the regulars of his vocabulary were not numerous, and n

to the festive life he led, was due his entire ignorance of his daughter's unhappiness. She lived with him, and yet it was in other houses he learnt that she was unhappy. After his last interview with Lady Camper, he had in

in love, as the General knew from experience-and surrounded by uncut sporting journals of past weeks, which dated from the day when his blow had struck him, as accurately as the watch of the drowned man marks his minute. Lady Camper had gone to Italy, and was in communication with her nephew: Reginald was not further explicit. His legs were very prominent in his despair, and his fingers frequently performed the part of blunt combs; consequently the General was impressed by his passion for Elizabeth. The girl who, if she was often meditative, always met his eyes with a smile, and quietly said

charms withdrew the gastronomic Gottfried Baerens from his devotion to the well-served City club, where, as he exclaimed (ever turning fondly to his wife as he vocalized the compliment), he had found every necessity, every luxury, in life, 'as you cannot have dem out of London-all save de fema

is usual calm and happy curiosity, he perceived that it was composed of pen-and-ink drawings

y slightly enlightened. His heart beat still with befitting regularity. But the second and the third sketches betrayed the terrible hand. The distant view of the city of Wilsonople was fair with glittering domes, which, in the succeeding

a military gentleman in undress occupied the box. Not a

incredulous. He remembered too we

tions: on the fourth page was the outline of a lovely feminine hand, holding a pen, as in the ac

urth page, having these very words in his mouth, as the accu

l inspire terror. The senses of General Ople were struck by the aspect of a lurid Goddess, who penet

was ladylike eminently, and it involved him in a confused mixture of the moral and material, as great

succession on the Pollingtons, the Goslings, the Baerens, and others, early though it was, and the lords of those houses absent amassing hoards; and to the ladies everywhere he displayed the sketches he had received, observing, that Wilsonople meant himself; and there he was, he said, pointing at the capped fellow

is miraculous what eyes she has at her time of... I

truck; the knowing that he was absolutely bare to this woman, defenceless, open to exposure in his little whims, foibles,

duct; he danced about for sympathy, he had the intensest craving for sympathy, but more than this, or quite as much, he desired to have the powers of his enemy widely appreciated; in the first place, that he might be excused to himself for wincing under them, and secondly, because an awful admira

yship's hand,' he was especially fond of

, for he could not imagine an inventive malignity capable of pursuing the theme, he spoke of

he General knew Lady Camper to be returning to England, he expected that she was anxious to exc

cognizable immediately. So li

red, like a weak-chested patient's coug

ss shadow of a young man on horseback is beheld galloping toward a gulf. The sole inh

y a troop of shadows to the sentry-box. The officer within says, 'I say I sho

are prostrate. 'I was saying, I assure you that nothing but this gentl

ents of shadows hurry to him to show him the standard of his country trailing in the dust; and he is maliciously made to

ained scenes between W

ighbour, and tells her of

whether she is a 'female,' t

with his head bent, just as the Gene

mouse-pony f

tree, that she

discerned in an arm-chair winking at a couple too plainly pouti

e's courtship of the Moon, and ended with his 'saying,' in his peculiar manner

nt with the Lady Moon? Con

elligence to a degree that sustained him in animated dialogue with each succeeding sketch, or p

the Moon that she

nks" for a handsome piec

parently telling some

"Bijou! bi

speech; and he began to grow more and more alarmi

ness left that leavened the lump; henceforth he must walk abroad with this distressing image of himself before his eyes, instead of the satisfacto

ng louder than a hum at neighbours' dinner-tables. He looke