Theo: A Sprightly Love Story

n of them as an event worthy of being chronicled. Theo was an exact correspondent, and recorded her adventures and progress with as careful a precision as if it had been a matter of grave import w

ght-seeing, which proved conclusively how kind she was, as her ladyship knew all the places worth looking at, as well a

pink satin. I wore the same dress last night, and Lady Throckmorton lent me some of her diamonds, and made Splaighton puff my hair in a new way. Splaighton is my maid, and I don't know what to do with her sometimes, Pamela. You know I am used to waiting on myself, and she is so serious and dignified that I feel half ashamed to let her do things for me. Two or three gentlemen, who knew Lady Throckmorton, came into our box, and were introduced to me. One of them (I think Lady Throckmorton said he

r Th

ch a sudden accession to the list of the faithful. But this was the case, nevertheless, and Lady Throckmorton was by no means unconscious of it. Of course, it was quite natural that people who had forgotten her in London should remember her in Paris; but it was even more natural that

auded, followed her. They talked of her, they praised her, they made high-flown speeches to her, at which she blushed, and glowed, and opened her lovely, half-uncomprehending eyes. She was glad they liked her, grateful for their attentions, half-confused under them; but it was some time before she understood the full meaning of their homage. In

he was certainly not the man to relinquish. He had gained ground with Lady Throckmorton too, and in Denis Oglethorpe's absence, had begun almost to fill his place. He was graceful, faithful in her ladyship's service; he talked politics with her when she was gravely inclined, and told her the news when she was in a good humor; he was indefatigable and dignified at once, which is a rare combination; and he thought his efforts well rewarded by a seat at Theo's side in their box in the theatre, or by the privilege of handing her to her carriage, and gaining a few farewell

North by herself, in their private parlor, reading an English letter by the blaze of a candelabra. It had arrived that ve

harpnesses absence had softened. It was singular how much pleasanter everything seemed, now she looked back upon it in the past. Downport was not an unp

if I could help them more-Pamela, you know, and mamma. I want to send Joanna and Elin something, to show them that I don't forget them at all. I think I should

oment, recognizing the oddity of her speech,

pulsive French fashion. Until Lady Throckmorton came, she amused him with talking of England and the English people, until the naivete of her manner had an indescribable fascination for him. He could have listened to her forever.

written, oh! a great deal. He once wrote a book

read where Mr. Denis Oglethorpe stood, by the queer, sudden inner light in her eyes, and the unconscious fluctuation of rich color in her bright glowin

aid, aloud. "We all know him. He is a pop

s-the whole of her face f

ere was he? I didn't kno

efore you came here. He had overworked himself, I think. He was lookin

enty-four hours longer-only a day-such a short time. Just at that moment she felt passionately t

unaccustomed eyes, she never forgot Denis Oglethorpe. She remembered him always in the midst of it all, and now her remembrance was of a diffe

, and this her first season was a continuation of girlish triumphs. The chief characteristic of her loveliness was that it inspired people with a sort of enthusiasm. When she entered a room a l

dy Throckmorton. "I can hardly believe it, somet

Vienna, so they supposed he had lost sight of them and thought writing useless. There were times when Theo tried to make up her mind that she had seen him for the l

ickly, as if she had been magnetized. Making his way toward their box was a man whom at first she saw mistily, in a moment more quite clearly. Her heart began to beat faster than it had ever beaten in her young life, her hand closed upon her bouquet-holder with a nervous strength; she turned her face to the sta

ch, er lieber

"Er lieber mich, er lieber mich nicht. Er lieber mich,-" and there she st

was over, and he had answered Lady Throckmorton's questions, and explained to her the cause of his protracted wandering-for, though she did

to her side; but when he did so, something in his face or air, perhaps, ma

, in her excited shyness, Theo only looked at Marguerite with a flutterin

, Theodora?" he said, i

ered, tremulous

in Paris until I saw you from the other side of the house a few moments ago. I wonder, my dear The

nervous; at any rate there was a choking

e," she whisp

he were cruel enough to persist, he could make her cry. And then the relapse in the old manner, had

ould die for love's sake? I wonder if you have changed your mind, among all the fine people you have seen, and all the fine speeches you have heard. I met one of Lady Throckmorton's acquaintances in Bordeaux, a few d

lf. And yet above all this arose a thrill of happiness which was almost wild. He was near her again! he had not gone away, he would not go away yet. Yet! there was a girl's foolish, loving comfort in the word! It seemed so impossible that she could lose him forever, that for the brief moment she

ty Theo, this handsome and impolitic Theo. She did not care for her court, though she was sweet-temperedly grateful to her courtiers for their homage. She did care for Denis Oglethorpe. Ah, poor Priscilla! He went home with them to their hotel. He stayed, too, to eat of the petite souper Lady Throckmorton had ordered. Her ladyship had a great deal to say to him, and a great number

at she had to give some orders to her maid,

as going to be guilty of a weakness, and knowing it, could not control himself. He was not so great a hero as she h

ace is a greater coward than he fancied. The chances have been agains

t she could not fail to be weak now. Her face dropped upon the hands on her lap, and

't go. It is only for a l