The Short Works of George Meredith

did himself the honour to call on Mr. Beamish. Addressing that gentlem

h of your prohibition, I shall presently depart in compliance with it. I could indeed deplore the loss of the passion for play of w

ll crisis, I apprehend,

ast splinter. It is now'-the duke fetched a tender groan-'t

d cheerfully. 'There was no

To her it has been a new world. But she is beginning to find it a narrow one. No, no, she is not tired of my society. Very far from that. But in her present station an inclination for such gatherings as you have here, for example, is like a desire to take the air: and the healthy habits of my duchess have not accustomed her to be immured. And in fine, devote ourselves as we will, a term approaches when the enthusiasm for serving as your wife's playfellow all day, running round tables and flying along corridors before a knotted

re threaten us less ter

er she shall visit the Wells for a month, and I fear

I would not,'

hall have found her feet... and there is ever a penalty to pay for that. Ah, Mr. Beamish, pictures are ours, when we have bought them and hung them up; but who insures us possession of a beauti

n as we ourselves become quit o

, eternal pleasure, is one of the wonders. I

lace of worship once, I passed a Puritan, who was complaining of a butterfly that fluttered prettily abroad in desecration of the Day of Rest. "Frien

g people is, that they miss their pleasure

H

had caught your butterfly, and you could neither let i

uncommon observation. The young, have an edge which they are desirous of blunting; the old contrariwise. The cry of the young for pleasure is actually-I have studied their language-a cry for burdens. Curious! And the old o

ou for practical advice,

ative is, a garter and the bedpost. When we have come upon crossways, and we can decide neither to take the right hand nor the

ly. If I allow it, so innocent a creature in the atmosphere of a place like this must suffer some corruption. You should know that the station I took her from was ... it was modest. She was a

ple of a young lady uncorrupted by this place-of which I would only

some ill-requiting rascal: I remember to have hear

pu

without the loss

dence. The more brightly shine her native purity, her goodness of heart,

d her comeliness,' observ

interfere, I guarantee her Grace against any worse harm than experience; and that,' Mr. Beamish added, as the duke raised his arms at the fearful word, 'that shall be mild. Play she will; she is sure t

fair Chloe, and from an enthusiast; a brune? elegantly mannered and of a good landed family; th

she paid all his debts; a mountain of bills, with the lawyers piled above-Pelion upon Ossa, to quote our poets. In fact, obeying the dictates of a soul steeped in generosity, she committed the indiscretion to strip herself, scandalizing propriety. This was immediately on her coming of age; and it was the

ion for play?' i

of the other passions. She lives, and I believe I may say that it is th

ay be

is matter to break her heart. He has been the Count Caseldy of Continental gaming tables, and he is recent

a vi

edemption of our sex-has offers. Her incomparable attractions of mind and person exercise the natural empire of beauty. But she will none of

onfined to love and lovers, happy or unhappy. He wished his duchess, he said, to be entertained upon gayer topics: love being a theme he desired to

nd touched the guitar, and danced, danced like the silvery moon on the waters of the mill pool. He concluded by saying that she was both humane and wise, humble-minded and amusing, virtuous yet not a Tartar; the best of companions for h

duke; 'all honours, the foremost place, and

lease, duke,' s

not be in safer hands. I am heartily bounders to you. Ch

verentiall

, no wanton prattler of the ch

hat I have dubbed Alonzo,

etter. Alonzo: h'm!

hich unceasingly he carve

r their affections, and be warmer to the second flame than to the first. I put you on your guard. He follows he

be running home

amish, nothing desirable will you have which is not coveted! Catch a prize, and you will find you are at war with your species. You have

he champion wrestler challenges a

, say. Is there any tale we could tell her of this Alonz

estimable youth, as shown by his devotion to a peerless woman

rage her rather to advance his suit. The silliness of a young man will be no bad spectacle. Chloe, then. You have set my mind at rest, Beamish,

and the apothecary, who were to balance or cancel one another in the opposite nature of their supplies, and the haberdasher and the jeweller, with whom she was to make her purchases. For the duke had a recollection of giddy shops, and of giddy shopmen too; and it was by serving as one for a day that a certain great nobleman came to victory with a jealously guarded dame beautiful as Venus. 'I would have cha