A Woman-Hater

y furnished, with a broad balcony overlooking the Platz, and roofed, so to speak, with col

e reserved for males. Her voice was clear, loud, and rather high-pitched whenever she spoke to a person of her own sex; a comely English blonde, with pale eyelashes; a keen, sensible girl, and not a downright wicked one; only born artful. This was Fa

endowed her with a fair complexion, gray, mesmeric eyes, art, and resolution-qualities

g. Not that he disliked her by any means. But he was thirty-two, had seen the world, and had been unlucky with women. So he was now a divorce', and a declared woman-hater; railed on them, and kept them at arm's

oval, pure forehead, straight nose, with exquisite nostrils; coral lips, and ivory teeth. But what first struck the beholde

h, blushed pinky, blushed pink, blushed roseate, blushed rosy; and, I am sorry to say, blushed crimson, and even scarlet, in the course of those events I am about to record, as unblushing as turnip, and cool as cucumber. This scale of blushes arose not out of modesty alone, but out of the w

, and to show the male observer (if any) the amazing sensibility, apart from egotis

s all Greek, even to her hand, which was molded divinely, but as long and large as befitted her long, grand, antique arm; but her mind was Northern-not a grain of Greek subtlety in it. Indeed, she

hout external assistance. Accordingly, on a large stool, or little ottoman, at her feet, but at a respectful distance, sat a young man, almost her match in beauty, though in quite another style. In height about five feet ten, broad-shouldered, clean-built, a model of strength, agility, and grace. His face fair, fresh, and healthy-looking; his large eyes hazel; the crisp curling hair on his shapely head a wonderful brown in the mass, but with one thin streak of gold above the forehead

bibing his flatteries demurely a long time, she discovered, all in one moment, that they w

it, sitting he

"Does it never occur to you that only fo

ve it. I know it makes me awfully hap

"and, instead of dwelling on my perfections, whi

t th

hear them? Well, then,

a poor

be the

ho are always talking about them

t, and put on a cold look. She was not acc

n and her love. But he could not do it all in a moment, because his memory of his real life obstructed his fancy. Meantime he operated a diversion. He said, "Set a poor fellow an example. Tell me somethin

ng to frown him down with her black brows; but her sweet cheek would t

w-ever-did such a strangely assorted party as yours come to travel together? And if Vizard has turned woman-h

of them what?" said Zoe, prep

per

there is no getting hold of you. Well, never mind, I will set you an exampl

queen; thy ser

Mr. Severne,

rest me," was

to my interesting narrative, instead of-Well, then, it began with

statues of your ances

, and the Colosseum, and Trajan's Pillar, and the Tarpeian Rock, and t

commentator, she returned to her story, "Well, dear Harrington said 'yes' directly. So then I told Fanny, and she s

py g

us, and you should have seen his face. What, he travel with a coupl

s, plea

telling anybod

ng soul, up

d set me flirting, and how could he manage the pair? In short, sir, he refused to take us, and gave his reasons, such as they were, poor dear! Then I had to tell Fanny. Then she began to cry, an

is lik

know?" said

studied he

tle, because her secret meaning was, "You are always a

better to do-when you

f the room very soon, i

I am a fool to talk when

oor dear darling. I invited Fanny to stay a month with us; and, when once she was in the house, she soon got over me, and persuaded me to play sa

to tell you that two women w

we did, and felt guilty. He surveyed us in silence a little while, and then he said, 'My young friends, you have played your little game pretty well, especially you, Zoe, that are a novice in the fine arts

lous day.' In short, he enumerated our duenna's perfections till our blood ran cold; and it was ever so long before he would tell us who it was-Aunt Maitland. We screamed with surprise. They are like cat and dog, and never agree, except to differ. We sought an explanation of this strange choice.

Severne. "What on earth makes him so hard

stion again," said Zoe

t; I'll get i

im about it, I shall be

a respectful submission that disarmed her directly. She turne

arling fellow!" and with these three last words she rose and kissed the tips of her fingers, and waved the kiss to Vizard with that free magnitude of gesture which belonged to antiquity: it struck the Anglo-Saxon flirt at her feet with amazement.

mantic one,"

fewer new characters than this: there's a dark beauty, and

om;" and pointed to a chamber doo

rge was at that moment behind that very door, an

his remarks, but

-hater and a man-hate

f in England nine years ago. He has been traveling ever since, and where-ever he went he flirted; we gather so much from his accomplishment in the art; fluent, not to say voluble at times, but no egotist,

pet, and kept them there. "Do you think," said he, in a low, dejected voice, "it can be any pleasure to a man to relate the follies of an idle, aimless life? and to you, who have given me higher aspirations, and made me awfully sorry, I

the end of his pretty little speech, he raised two gentle, imploring eyes, with half a tear in each of them. To be sure, Nature assisted his art for o

grieved at the pain she had given, and rose to retire, for she felt they were both on dangerous gro

rtunity. He seized her hand, murmured, "Angel of goodness!" and bestow

ting into the room at the nick

ington into the window. Zoe, with no motive but her own

. The eagle eye of a terrible old maid had emb

with defense, at the window; Zoe blushing crimson, and newly started away from her too-enterprising wooer; and the tall, thin, grim old maid, standi

ghly, she stalked erect into the room, and said,

d scarlet, and hung her h

nite, "you know you are always welcome. Where ever have

n reply: "I was not far

es, Fanny had fight in her, glided instantly to he

erne, with a horrible smile, "wha

waited Mr. Severne's reply for

h a sort of cheerful readiness, as if he were delighted at her deigning to qu

lushed again at such

Maitland; "you were admi

self-it will be

r wonted fires;" and, though she was sixty, she disliked to hear

t it, you had better ask her

ed the ingenuous youth. "She w

hless, but soon recovered, and said, bitterly, "Evidently not." With this sh

" (sh

unt." (

e can leave off smoking

in no hurry to bring abou

ys Fanny, with vast alacr

ured Zoe, in a re

balcony. "Here's Aunt Maitland wants to know if you ever leave of

I do-at meals and prayers; but I always sle

has something very particular to s

something disagreeable. Tell her I

id, "He says he shall be smoking

The young ladies instantly stepped out on the balcony, and got one on each side of Harrington,

to talk to me about?" said H

Zoe who

onduct." Then she put her head on his shoulder, as mu

id Harrington Vizard. (Puff!) At which comfortable repl

ome out again, and Fanny must stay with her. Fanny felt sure ennui would thaw that resolve in a few ho

that is nothing. If I was the man, I'd hav

r ears and made you cry," sa

ard, walked with him, talked with him, and made himself so agreeable, that Vizard, who admired him greatly, said to him, "What a good fel

d: there are so few things that interest ladies. Unless you can talk red-hot religion, you ar

only looked shy. I know 'em.

erhaps it may not be

ikely," said the

y; but, meeting with an old college friend-what a tie college is, isn't it? There is nothing like it; when you

true," said

you of late years, I should feel awfully shy of bo

why you should

't mind telling you that I have never been at Homburg without taking a turn at the tab

want? That is t

"Well, let me see, you can't back yo

t so much left. Just let me see." He took out his pocket-boo

yes;

hree hundred. But I will telegraph Herries,

ht," sai

He handed Severne the three hundred pounds. The young man's eye flashed, and it cost him an effort not to snatch them and wave them over his head with

Vizard, with similar i

rne's conversational powers rela

n't be good for much till you have lost that three hundred. It will be a dull evening for me without you: I know what I'll do-I'll t

timation. They found Fanny and Zoe seated, rather disconsolate, in the apartment Zoe had formally reno

ress, selecting dress, trying dresses, and changing dresses, for the next three hours."

ng it, he observed an English gentleman, with a stalwart figure and a beautiful brown beard, st

ered the hotel, and the next minute the wai

unty is large, and they lived too many miles apart to visit; but they met, an

balance us," said he: "we are terribly overpetticoated, and one of them is an old maid. We generally dine at the table-d'hote, but I have ordere

said Lord Uxmoor, "I

ng alone, for my hens will be sure to cackle mal 'a propos, and spoil some famous melody with talking a

s one eccentricity, having met him only on county business, at which he was extra rati

words, they parte

anny Dover, fair and bright, in Cambridge blue, her hair well dressed by Zoe's maid in the style of the day. Lord Uxmoor rose, and received his fair country-woman with respect

hite satin that glinted like mother-of-pearl, its sheen and glory unfrittered with a single idiotic trimming; on her breast a large diamond cross. Her head was an At

ow when Vizard introduced him in an off-hand way, saying, "My sister

so fortunate," sa

w you waltzing with Lady Betty Gor

ed. "Uxmoor, were you walt

high an authority fo

chronicle, Vizard turned sharply to her,

and said, "Now, Harrin

te," said Vizard, "

shed high, and the wat

That Lady Betty Gore is as heartless a coquette as any in the c

ss creature. He did not mean her to understand what was passing in his mind; he did not know how subtle and observant the most innocent girl is in such matters. Zoe blushed, and drew away from him.

Zoe's agent. She signaled Severne, and when he came to her she sa

I hope you will have a plea

not comin

d he, sor

th a deal of quiet point, more,

g more attractive," said she, tu

nd and Vizard. Severne availed himself of this diversion, and fixed his eyes on Zoe with an air of gentle

om "The Golden

ar I may not pull through. But perhaps that is through being so hipp

graph

.

id Ned; "my heart

ear Ned." But Fanny stood her ground. "Go to 'S. T.' to-morrow mo

elegraphed!"

again-not," sa

ding Zoe; and, besides, he saw Uxmoor, with his noble beard and brown eyes, casting rapturous glances at

swer, in spite of her wishes. She said,

" said

"She means 'go;' but

al dignity. "It is my habit." And the

ompany her-on a single evening! Then first she discovered that it was for him she had dressed, and had, for once, beautified her beauty-for him; that with Fanny s

one man in a million could go to a sick friend that night, when he might pass the evening by her side, and visit his friend early in the morning. Best loved is best served.

ral timid overtures on his part, she assisted him, out of good-nature, She knew by report that he was a very benevolent young man, bent on improving the home, habits, wages, and comforts of the agricultural poor. She led him to this, and his eyes s

rne. She was not an angel. She had said, "Go to your sick fr

ues, and said he was an excellent match, and all she-Barfordshire pulling caps for him. Severne only sighed; he offered no resistance; and at last she

said he, eagerly

ed rather rapidly,

er their heads coming home, the party proved to be only thr

said, rather timidly,

you hated music

e, bluntly; and everybody saw what had

rriage, Fanny and Severne in another, and himself and a cigar in the third. Severne sat gazing piteously on Fanny Dover, but never said a word. S

r, I am ve

s you

say that. It is

have I to do with

he caught Fanny's white hand and kissed it with warm but respectful devotion. Indeed, he held it and kissed it again and again, till Fanny, though she minded it no more than mar

you care for her, come and look after her yourself. Beautiful women with money won't stand neglect, Mr. Severne; and why should they? They are not like poor me; they have got the game in their hands." The train stopped. Vizard's party drove to the opera, and Seve