Two Sides of the Face: Midwinter Tales

it is to have

t it is to

conscience moderately clean, and my appetite excellent: I had fame in some degree, and a fair prospect of adding to it: and I was unmarried. In later life a man may seek marriage for it

to music, a score of children played with spades and buckets, innocently composing a hundred pretty groups of brown legs, fluttered hair, bright frocks and jerseys, and innocently conspiring with morning to put a spirit of youth into the whole picture. Beyond them the blue sea flashed with its own smiles, and the blue heaven over them with the glancing wings of gulls. On this show

ich stood precariously on the favour of an uncle-my mother's brother, Major-General Allan Mclntosh, C.B. Now the General could not be called an indulgent man. He had retired from active service to concentrate upon his kinsfolk those military gifts which even on the wide plains of Hindostan had kept him the terror of his country's foes and t

oing public now discusses me. For some while, I will confess, the precaution was superfluous, the managers having apparently entered into league to ensure me as much obscurity as I had any use for. But at length in an unguarded moment the manager of the Duke of Cornwall's Theatre (formerly the Euterpe) accepted a three-act farce. It was poorly acted, yet for some reason it took

thanks to Larks in Aspic, they were decently furnished. At the prompting, surely, of some malignant spirit, I exchanged them for a house too large for

a competence and await translation to join my uncle in an equal sky-equal, that is, within the fence of the elect. But not a bit of it! I had been adjured in the will to look after him: and at first I supposed that he clung to me against inclination, from a conscientious resolve to give me every chance. By-and-by, however, I grew aware of a change in him; o

one evening (as I gathered) from a small reunion of his fellow-sectarians in the Earl's Court Road, had caught her i

becoming

udden contortion of the face; "unwom

He knew, then! He had penetrated the disguise of "George Anthony," and, worse still, he meant to forgive it. His eye had conveyed a dr

etime, beyond a doubt, and unpleasant as the thought might be, I was enormously his debtor. That stern warrior's attitude towards the playhouse had ever been uncompromising. Stalls, pit, and circles-the very names suggested Dantesque images and provided illustrations f

places, as, for instance, the bottom of the sea; but I could not wi

u know, it seems, that

arks in As

ce when have y

sker, as if ringing up the information, his eyes grew dull and seemed to be withdrawing into visions of a far-away past. "I h

ant to know when you first suspected or

y say so, was unmistakable: in-nimita

the moment beyond decorum, and his eyes began to roll in a

and meaning no disrespect, talk the hind leg off a jackass; but I found him lacking in 'umour. Now you, Mr. George, 'ave 'umour. You 'ave not your uncle's flow, sir-the Lord for

e unsolicited testimonials and answer my question? Let me put it in anoth

mists. "The General, sir, was opposed to theatre-going in toto; anathemum was no word for what he th

not see the play and surprise m

rve and dignity. "There is such a thing

off his old slough and become a travesty of me, as he had been a travesty of my uncle. I am willing to believe that they caused him pain. A crust of habit so inveterate as his

ut vulgarity

d add with a sigh, "it's the

rfully engaged myself to provide the Duke of Cornwall's with a play to succeed it. At the moment of signing the contract my bosom's lord had sat

entrifugal eddy, slipped one by one beyond grasp. I suppose every writer of experience knows these vacant terrifying intervals; but they

rived an evening when I found myself toying with the knives at dinner, and wo

" said I, "you shall pack for me to-morrow, and send off the servants on bo

st." He coughed, and I bent my he

ast," I put in quickly. (Five minutes b

to be averted. For mont

if I may remind you-the cou

ast," I repeated, rappi

he Channel and found