A Pessimist in Theory and Practice

play. Not that we care so much for the society: the Princess has seen the vanity of that and been bored with it, and the rest of us are very

ewhat dangerous if you get spoony and forget to look where you are going. The Princess, it is needless to say, never commits this folly: she always has he

you remember

blood because his ink had given out. As a servant looks to the hand of his mistress, so am I to watch your dark blue eye for direction and approval. De

enough. Now you will have an opportunity to put it

, and thy slave obeys. Bid me leap from yon

go into the house? We are not re

we might be. I expect

out your affection for me and anxiety to serve me, and when I want something definite of you, you go off into the Byronic, or the Plato

ursers of my too exuberant fancy, locked them up in the barn, begged the lady's pardon as usual, and composed myself into an attitude of respectful and devout attention, as if I were in church. I

far as is necessary for your guidance: then perhaps you will have sense enough not to go gaping about, but

fter you promised!

do; let my hand be."-I was merely pressing it a little, I assure you, to testify my gratitude for this unusual consideration: I don't know when she ever owned to doing a thing for my sake

merciful-for my sake first, and then, if he is worth it, for his own. Don't grind him up to

now of the motives and intentions of a woman like me? Poor child, if I were to put them before

at I don't often deserve it, or that it is not good for me. In fact, I've given her occasion, from her youth up, to get her hand in; and admiration of her skill binds up the wounds, so to speak, with which my whole moral nature is scarred at least sixteen deep.

and gracious, and will make the first stages of his return to t

e talked of staying bu

innocent. He will stay

er you notic

ears old? Have you never

eming to take a hand in the game. I strew ashes on my head like what's-his-name, and sit down in the dust at your feet. Forgive a penitent de

urse I must be occupied. I shoul

dn't be half or a quarter hidden from the eye. But the supposition is imp

erable manners yet.-Well, I might get plenty of men from the houses around. But they are tiresome-staler than you, my Robert, though

so for years. Everybody about the house knows

the next few days. You will have to be in constant attendance.

s on that. O confound it, I'v

t will Mr. Hartman think? You must put on your prettiest behavior, B

those dudes rolled into one. I'll order some new clothes when I

ough now, pet? How is

When you treat me thus for an hour,

. Hartman with Jane. Mabel is mostly occupied with the children; we will all look after her, of course. And there will be mixing and change

at school to Plato and Confucius, and in training to succeed them both. Do you know, Princess, if yo

or Robert. You may have to do that sort of dying before long. You must be ready to be dropped when the time comes to change the figures. N

ering, regardless of the moans of her victims as they writhe on the bloody battlefield. O, I'm used to being shoved aside, and feeding on my woes in silent patience. The flowret

if I were you, and quickly, lest you horrify some one e

ts, after you and the rest have turned in, and often in the daylight. You and Jane can't atte

perfectly natural about it: you have known and cherished me from infancy, and so forth. Not a word, of course, about our compact, and these rehearsals, and my coaching you-O you great booby, were you capable of blurting that out? If you do, you'll spoil all, and I'll never forgive you. Remember now:

dy it nights and mornings. But Mabel might find it in my clothes: she is welcome to my secrets, but this is not mine. I might have it printed in cipher; but then I should be sure to lose the key. O, confound it all, I'll have to chance it: I'll be sure to slip up somewhere, and then there'll be a row. Well, why borrow trouble? Let's gather the flowers

inion. I'd give odds that within a fortnight Hartman will be far gone. It will be life or death for him, poor old man. But he's nigh dead now, inwardly speaking, and so has not much to lose. Anyway, he'll see that a world with Clarice in it is not as blank and ch