Aurora Floyd

tly food in the loftiest saloons au premier, and with the most obsequious waiters to do us homage, and repress so much as a smile at our in

on at Meurice's. What was the use of his money, or his dogs, or his horses, or his broad acres? All these put together would not purchase Aurora Floyd. What was the good of life, if it came to that, since the banker's daughter refused to share it with him? Remember that this big, blue-eyed, curly-haired John Mellish had been from his cradle a spoiled child - spoiled by poor relations and parasites, servants and toadies, from the first hour to the thirtieth year of his existence - and it seemed such a very hard thing that this beautiful woman should be denied to him. Had he been an Eastern potentate, he would have sent for his vizier, and would have had that official bowstrung before

g his dinner, and starting for Doncaster by the express, Mr. Mellish drove to the Gloucester Coffee-house, and there took up his quarters, for the purpose, as he said, of seeing the Cattle-show. He made a melancholy pretence of driving to Baker street in a Hansom cab, and roamed hither and thither for a quarter of an hour, staring dismally into the pens, and then fled away precipitately from the Yorkshire gentlemen-farmers, who gave him

one of the chief consolations of his exile to remember that that gentlema

ttle table near the fire, making a pencil copy of a proof-engraving of one of Ros

fireplace - a sigh that was on the verge of a groan - and then held out his hand to Miss Floyd. Not to Talbot Bulstrode. He had vague memories of Roman legends floating in his brain, legends of superhuman generosity and classic self-abnegation, but he could not have shaken hands with that dark-haired young Cornishman, thou

ed the bright face before his eyes. Lucy Floyd came to his relief by carrying him off to introduce him to her mother, and kind-hearted Mrs. Alexander was delighted wi

his visitor's returning to town

en about me at this season, and it is the only time that Felden seems like an old man's home. Your friend Bulstrode stops w

aid before that love is a cowardly passion. It is like the toothache; the bravest and strongest succumb to it, and howl aloud under the torture. I don't suppose the Iron Duke would have been ashamed to own that he objected to having his teeth out. I have heard of a great fighting man wh

st to console his

did n't think this, the hypocrite, though he said it -"there are more women than one, my dear Mellish, and

stairs, who looks at you with two flashes of lightning, and rides so well; I love her, Bulstrode, and you told me that she'd refused you, and that you were going to l

f upon a chair, which creaked under his wei

s light. The spoiled child had been cheated out of that toy above all other toys, upon the possession of which he had set his foolish heart. It was as if he had bidden for some crack horse at Tattersall's, in fair and open competition with a friend, who had gone back after the sal

atthew Harrison, the dog-fancier, and this, the first disp

n the carpet in gloomy absence of mind, and who sighed heavily when spoken to, and was altogether far from pleasant company. Aurora's warm heart was touched by the piteous spectacle of this rejected lover, and she sought him out once or twice, and talked to him about h

hireman turned in his trouble. Did he know, or did he guess, by some wondrous clairvoyance, that her griefs bore a common likeness to his own, and that she was just the one person, of all others,

course you do; I believe she rejected Bulstrode about the same time; but some me

of thus! She turned upon Mr. Mellish with her fair cheeks flushed into a pale glow of anger, an

perception sharpened just then by that peculiar sympathetic prescience, that marvellous clairvoyance of which I have spoken; and in t

s quiet, uncomplaining patience; while he, who weighed fourteen stone, and could ride forty miles across country with the bitterest blasts of December blowing on his face, was powerless

ingers with blazing raisins, suffering his eyes to be bandaged at the will of noisy little players at blind-man's -buff, undergoing ignominious penalties in their games of forfeits, performing alternately innkeepers, sheriff's officers, policemen, clergymen, and justices in the acted charades, lifting the little ones who wanted to see "de top of de Kitmat-tee"

us bass, and weeping freely - he never quite knew why - behind his table-napkin. It was through an atmosphere of tears, and sparkling wines, and gas, and hot-house flowers, that he saw Aurora Floyd, looking - ah! how lovely, in those simple robes of white which so much became her, and with a garland of artificial holly round her hea

- when the elder guests had all retired to rest, and the lights, with a few exceptions, were fled, the garlands dead, and all but Talbot and John Mellish departed, the two young men walked up and down the

ou as a brother; she's better suited to you, twenty thousand times better adapted to you than her cousin, and you ought to have married her - in common courtesy - I mean to

s friend's hot grasp, and allowing Mr. Mellish to sway backward upon the h

clasping his hot hands and elevating his dim blue eyes to the cei

y Fl

the sweete

I ought to ma

less your soul! she never uttered a word upon the subject; but she loves you. Yes," continued John, pushing his friend away from him with both hands, and staring at him as if me

"you're worse than a fool, J

d, taking a candle from a table near the d

rough his curly hair, and stari

, as he thrust his own candle into the burning coals, ignoring any eas

y in the way. Mr. Tennyson's wondrous book had not been given to the world in the year fifty-seven, or no doubt poor Talbot would have compared himself to the knight whose "honor rooted in dishonor stood." Had he been dishonorable? Had he compromised himself by his attentions to Lucy? Had he deceived that fair and gentle creature? The down pillows in the chintz chamber gave no rest to his weary head t

trouble which must have grown out of his own vanity. What was he, that young ladies should fall in love with him? What a weak fool he must have been to have believed for one moment in the drunken babble of John Mellish! So

ssed with the gift of earnest belief; a man who took all blessings from the hand of God reverently, almost fearfully; and as he bowed his head at the end of that

to be false to him! He turned sick and dizzy at the thought; and even in that sacred temple the Devil whispered to him that there were still pool

nst the cold blue of the winter sky. The banker proposed that they should send home the carriages, and walk down the hil

rkshireman was an especial favorite; and Lucy was lost ami

eople," said Talbot, "that I forgot to tell you,

rightest glance. She was always please

lbot, "for there is rarely much to tell at Bulstrode. And yet

conce

r my cousin, Cons

es

and she, I believe, all-accomplished, and has gone to spend Ch

letter-paper, but the hand upon his arm did not tremble. Perhaps, had he

what is t

. Why do

e is as p

ing. "Tell me about your cousin, this Miss Tr

fore yesterday. My mother was

vorite of La

her likes her well enough; but Con

to arrive the day before yesterday. The letters from Cornwall

, de

tter from your moth

she never writes two days runnin

its natural hue during the whole of the homeward walk. She was ver

, Aurora," he said, as they

am

Mrs. Alexander, or Mrs. Powell. Let m

ith a mournful earn

is doctor? There are diseases that can not be ministered to. Let me al

u mean by this? What can

me alone, let me alo

from him, and ran up the staircase i

Lucy with a pale

said; "go to her, for Heaven'

oyd's room locked against her; and when she called to Auro

, and leave me to myself, unl