If Only etc.

re surprised to have seen and heard nothing of you," wrote the Duchess; "more especially as after the fe

erd, I suppose; at the same time (although I assure you she has not said a word upon the subject) I can say that dear Ethel feels herself a wee bit neg

ng rooms, totally forgetting his promise to es

useless to argue with himself, to bring commonsense to bear upon the point, to count up the advantages to be derived from this union

ainly come tardily, bu

ed, worn, and unemotional though he might be, he knew that he was yet capable of a much deeper fee

e to shut his eyes to the trouble. He thought of Bella as she was when he had first married her; he recalled

eyes grew blurred and dim as he gazed at it. He repeated mentally phrases which had fallen fro

total absence of which in the old days had made his little sweetheart so conspicuously different from her environment. She wore now the impress of evil, from her Regent

d wonder just a little how much of real heart beat under the dainty laces that shrouded Lady Ethel's bosom. He had reflected once and not so long ago that that portion of a woman's anatomy was superfluous, but he wavered in his belief now. He could stake his professional honour, his hopes of eternity-of-e

nce full of meaning, "now I suppose you young people hav

emselves across the floor and the

ver's face. There was nothing else for it, and he took the plunge valiantly-and with precisely the correct amount of maidenly

ion yawn behind her fan, and realised de

h yourself, and grave and sad even beyond my ye

d deal of surprise, and a fr

y-gone age. It would be boring to the last degree. One must take pleasure just as much as sorrow, with a certain amount of equa

if she were capable of any great depth of feeling. But he did not say now as he would hav

ime he told himself that the beautifully moulded mouth was hard and unloving, and that

to change

visit Switzerland o

like human nature best; it is much more interesti

all means," he hastened to reply,

r two later, when mother and daughter were

ch better that subject s

it can only be right and proper that I should be made aw

mother knew by past experience that it

lieve, and she ran away with someone else. Really providential,

lain Mr.

ate that he did not get his baronetcy earlier, for had he

he felt her d

y for some time before, and the general impr

him when he asked your

y as possible, of course. I believe I said, 'your

at did

s aware that it added to the disparity bet

d y

t was no reason why he should not win and hold the love of a good girl, and that because of the

but did it not occur to you th

ow

John is a man who

you cannot doubt the sincerity of his pr

ghter l

king is the most boring process imaginable; but still, I should prefer, I m

I know; at all events, she left England before he obtained his divorce, and no one has heard

know, the Duchess

street off the Strand, idly striking a note here and there and humming the air of a

sure I was not so bad as this three months ago-not so bad when-he never came. Ah! why

, looking precisely the same as on that memorable night when they had been the innocent cause of so much trouble to Bella's husband. The old m

la, you loo

much as I could do to pull through to-night,

r," said Mrs. Doss, looking dist

ld, I fancy; but I'll be a

om the front to-night-and-well, I guess it

and looked sharply

y, don't be afraid, out with it. I suppose y

tempt, and ended in a fit of coughing which

onately; "you must not excite yourself; w

d exhausted, and when the Dosses at len

for to-night?" she

hought it as well to put you on your guard; but find

you mean? He's no

stared

ow; you know that as well as I do! you are treatin

back again

g about Charlie, a

re isn't no one else as wants to ma

t of its mark. Bell

Saidie continued presently; "for if what has come to Doss's ears is t

earth do

ting dissatisfied, and

ace flushe

ths. They cannot cancel it, you must know they can't, and it's not very likely

ble to fulfil your s

g to put up with any hanky-panky, he's jolly well mistaken. Let him try it on, that's all! I s

ooked from the front; and others have got their eyesigh

-that's what you

was s

all stop me. I shall just defy them all, and g

'York with the intention of marrying you; a man who is earning his hundred dollars a week, and you turn up your nose at him. I can't unders

red Bella, and her lip quivered, and t

ad never left-Jack

to the insane folly of any such speech, the result of which was that Bella wep

ublic until at length what Saidie had predicted came to pass, and she received a formal notic

her at the time she received the notic

' indeed! They shall find out who they are dealing with. It would be ruin for me, it would simply spoil my career. I shall go down at once and see

f I were you," said

? You must be dreaming. It i

a pathetic glance of his b

s turn out; don't do anything in a 'urry-

asy, I say," chimed

for. Show me what is to be gained b

ell you what we was thinking o

ter well over, was my motto as a boy. It saves a peck o' bother and a deal

n't I have a sister what killed herself fussing! Fussed herself into the grave, she di

o fulfil my engagement? and I s

you are, and so heverybody says. You want a th

me. I may surely be allowed to be the best judge of my own state of health. I shall not wa

n Mrs. Doss said in a coaxing way, "If you mus

hesi

ht; but if you're going to hum and haw and look grave, and

rs to the bedroom, where Bella arrayed herself in total silenc

, and the ladies were at onc

now what all this means. You cannot dismiss me at a moment's notice,

n your present state of health you are not up to

y, "does anybody else say I

edingly sorry that we brought you over from America and then are compell

out his hands with

rant; but you must let me sing the new song-you really must; I'm a naile

id not look so very ill this morning; perhaps after all, things had been exagger

id, "and let me come on for on

think, if you were to have an

to step into my shoes!

otice; and if you are desirous of returning to your frie

here," said Bella simply; "m

e you are sufficiently recovered to do your work properly, well and

lly been no chance of getting in a word; and when the manager rose to his feet to intimate that

You saw how soon he caved in. It is not a question of my health at all; you ma

iculty. Now that the excitement was over and the neces

n," she said, "or I shall not be at my po

" said kindly Mrs. Doss to her spouse a

. "I can't 'elp thinking you might ha' managed things better. If Bella Blackall go