The Quest of the Golden Girl: A Romance

ow. The violet eyes and the heavy chestnut hair rose up in moralising vision. Yes! G

ver? Well, I'm

control the expression of surprise which convulsed my

d Rosalind, a little surprised and a

," I prev

Rosalind; "you'll be all

s are of so extremely delicate a nature that I shall have very carefully to think out

on a man's hand, for which it was too conspicuously dainty. I slipped it on the little finger of my left hand, and, begging Rosali

nothing left for me but to dine also. So I dined; and when the courses of my dining were ended, I found myself in a mellow twilight at the Cafe du Ciel. And it was about the

s Hymn of the Daughters of Aphrodite, which you must t

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re our

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rp of

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beautifu

Aphr

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f the

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I cannot gratify the reader with a report of their conversation, for the excuse I had for listening was one that is not transferable. A woman's happiness was at stake. No other consideration could have persuaded me to means so mean save an end so noble. I didn't even tell Rosalind all I heard. Mercifully for her, the candour o

"Mayflower" on the following morning. Orlando, I could hear, wished to make more extended arrangements, and references to that well-known rendezvous, "Eternity," fell on my ears from time to time. Evidently Sylvia had no very saving belief in Eternity, for I heard her say that they might see how they got on in Paris for a start. Then it would be time enough to talk of Eternity. This and other remarks of Sylvia's considerably predisposed me towards her. Having concluded their arran

at?" he gasped, no littl

d, rapidly moving away. "Be

st faithful husband in the world. If she would only leave all to me, by this time to-morrow night, if not a good many hours before, he should be in her arms

my seat at the Cafe du Ciel. Orl

hurried out, almost b

the honour of drink

" he said; "what ha

"but I should like a drink, for all that, and if I may say so, y

ng of this ring is that your wife is here, and very wretched. By an accident I have been priv

need hardly say she will never know from me, I overheard, i

meanly availing myself of it in this narrative. I am well and gratefully aware that in this interview with Orlando my advantages were many and for

fight. The unexpectedness of my attack had, I realised, given me the whip-hand. So I judged, at all events, from the fact that he forbore to blu

wife all

me to say so, I think I understand more about the whole situation than either of you, bachelor thou

ting with his wife, and depicted, in harrowin

e repeated, as I finished; "and,

in the same way

a very tender

tle woman like that. But tenderness, gentleness, affection, even self-sacrifice,-these may be parts of love; but they are

he said pitifully; "she hasn

ve been talking to you as I am at this moment. If a woman like Rosalind, as I call her

, I love her. I have never been

; "may I tell you how it all

"it is a relief

mate question? Did you ever before you wer

ed indignantly, fl

ats will get sown some time, and one of the arts of life is to sow them at t

right," he replied,

se matters not all, but some, of the old theories are best. One of them is that the man who does

p at me, haggard

d right away into monogamy, man, unexperienced in his good fortune, hankers after polygamy, as the monotheistic Jew hankered after polytheism; and thus the monogamic young man too often meets Aphrodite for the first time, and makes future appointments with her, in the arms of his pure young wife. If you have read Swedenborg, you will remember his denunciation of t

orted. "After all, it was an ex

e realities of happiness; why should you trouble about its theories? They are for unhappy people, like me, who must learn to distil by lea

abstract; let us have another drink,

ia!" sighe

this, I may say, relying on your honour, that if you were to come to my hotel, I could show you indispu

ver recognised you just now," he

you are! It is rather too bad o

r to-morrow. I cannot let her go

can make use of them. How

nd the money passed ac

g we go and s

" he said hoarsely, pres

I said inwardly; "but I do

f that, a fear

confession by saying that she doesn't mind this, that, and the other, so long as you don't keep it from her; and no doubt she will mean it till you have confessed. But, however good their theories, women by nature cannot help confusing body and soul, and what to a man is a mere fancy of the senses, to them is a spiritual tragedy. Promise me to lie stoutly on this point. It is, I repea

ll lie," s

s," I said; "and G