The Half-Hearted

ranger was tortured by the thought of airy downs and running rivers. The leaves in the Green Park were withered and dusty, the window-boxes in Mayfair had a tarnished look, and hor

n elegant if somewhat lanky frame, a cheerful countenance, and a great brown moustache which gave him the air military. But he was no soldier, being indeed tha

rfectly-fitting clothes. He had been deep in a review, but at the sight of the wearied giant in the corner he had forgotten his interest in the "Entomology of the Riviera." He looked something of the artist or the man of letters, but in truth he had no taint of B

and regarded his compani

al heat I ever endured! I can't stan

ry there are great, cool, deep woods and lakes and waterfalls, and we migh

glens and full brown rivers, and hillsides where there is always win

anner of speech, and a trick of cheerfully abusing

! But I think I am getting cool at last. I have sworn to make use of my first half-hour o

hideously sick of July in town. I know Mabe

ts, for George had been a famous cricketer, and annually went crazy with excitement at the Eton and Harrow match. She exercised a maternal care over him, and he stood in whole

t about Lewis Haystoun? He is home now, somewhe

k and shook therefrom certain newspaper cuttings. "The people I empl

d at Etterick shortly. The third recorded the opening of a bazaar in the town of Gledsmuir which Mr. Haystoun had patronised, "looking," said the fatuous cutting, "very brown and distinguished after his experiences in the East."-"Whew!" said George. "Poor beggar, to have such stuff written about him!"-The fourth discussed the possible retirement of

, John. Who's the f

n him and Lewie: they would not get on with each other. This Stocks is a sort of living embodiment

Haystoun at three garden-parties, and hinted the

this. I always thought Lewie the least impressionable of men. I wonder

he man. The ordinary smart, pretty girl, who adorns the end of a dinner-table and makes an admirable mistress of a house

nd his friends will have to bid him a reluctant farewell. Or, worse still, there are scores of gushing, sentimental girls who might

on't think he comes much. You pe

water. There is that idiot who goes off to the ends of the earth for three years, and when he comes back his friends get

riend's defection, were full of sad memories, much as

at school and college and couldn't make a better job of him than this! Do you remember, John, how we

p, but he was keen to get out of England and travel? Do you remember that last night at

, which he distributed, two to Arthur Mordaunt and one to Mr. Winterham. A close observer might have seen th

n there next week at Etterick. He says he is

ystoun's by no means legible writing. "I say, John, of co

the poor man as a defaulter, and ten minutes after he heaps coals of fire on our heads. There can

s nothing. He's rather famous now, you know, and we may expect to find him very dignified and

hat line. No, no, Lewie will be modest enough. He may have the pride of Lucifer at heart, but he would never show it. His f

but to the staid and rising politician he was not a person for serious talk. Hence, when he found him saying

ay," went on the young man. "He has got it in him to d

lk of your friends as if they

e the horrible suggestion of the adventuress. I suppose he'd be what you call a 'good husband.' He would become a magistrate and a patron of local agricultural societies a

in its simplicity, for it was at th

the women so?" asked

get a man really first-class he's so much better than all but the very best women that you've got to look afte

e of the Haystouns to di

kindly and good-natured, and he'd marry a girl to-morrow merely to please her. And then some day quite casually he would come across the woman who was meant by Providence for him, and there would be the devil to pay and the ruin of one

bic," said Arthur, still smiling, but

," said George, with an air of quotation. "At any rate, we're going t

age was free, and who respected few things indeed in the world,

the hall. They scanned carelessly the telegram boards.

good deal of diffe

lordship had reached the age of eighty-five, and had been long in weak health. He is succeede

d if Wratislaw gets the under-secretaryship as most people expect, then, with

ading some of the other telegrams, which were, as a rule, hysterical messag

e knows his own mind, which is rare enough. But it's too hot for serious talk. I suppose my seat is safe enough in August, but I don't relish the prospect of a three weeks'

s of the evening papers were plastered in a row on the pavement, and the glaring pink and green st

id George. "I shall w

that cool green Paradise of a glen. Think of it! Meantime I