that money and position can mand, is incapable of enjoyment? com-old flame-a duchess too, who still lived with her rightful lord, though if half what the world said of her was true, she had years ago given ample cause for employment to the Divorce Court. Colonel Trevelyan was the fashion: a man whose word was law among the upper ten thousand, and whose success had always been undoubted. Mrs. Trevelyan was beautiful, and it soon became the fashion to say so. Sonnets were written to her; her portrait appeared in the "Book of Beauty;" royalty even talked of her. But by the end of the season Colonel Trevelyan's brief passion was over. It had always been so. What he had succeeded in winning was soon valueless. Women as lovely as Geraldine had experienced this, to their cost; and those who had lost for him what women most prize had been as little prized as the young wife, who should have been cherished each year with a holier, and tenderer, and better love. He was pleased that she should be admired and fêted, and was still, to a certain extent, proud of her, and interested in her as his wife and the future mother of his children. He could not but respect her; her purity, her guilelessness, and her innate dignity amazed him. She had her own, and held it, from simple goodness, among the false, and worldly, and dissipated of both sexes. Perhaps a nature less angelic would have had more chance of keeping alive some affection in a man like Colonel Trevelyan. At any rate, there would have been excitement, and he must have taken more care. He needed excitement always; he had never done without it for years; and just at this moment he began to be piqued by the coolness of an Colonel Trevelyan began to think he should like to regain the empire he had forfeited by his marriage. The lady had been very angry. She was a most designing, clever, attractive woman, and she had generally succeeded in keeping her adorers too firmly in her trammels for them to be tempted into matrimony. She had raved, implored, ridiculed, in vain. Colonel Trevelyan had married the unknown girl of seventeen, and moreover the girl was a beauty, and society raved about her. The duchess saw her tactics at once, and acted upon them. She made herself the friend and indulgent patroness of the unconscious bride. She was apparently so kind and so clever, that Geraldine took to her with the frankness and innocence of her youth, and rejoiced to have made one real friend in that great Babel. Lady St. Clair frightened her; Lady Mildred Daverell was kind, but then she was so strong, and our Geraldine was not feeling well. The duchess acted her part to perfection; she was virtuously repellent to Colonel Trevelyan, sympathizingly affectionate to his wife. The plot worked, and the victim was even more to be pitied than usual, she lent herself so unconsciously to the snare. I have no intention of boring my AN ACCIDENTAL MEETING. 33 tures. Late and early, he gave himself little rest, and still less relaxation. ' His heart was sore, and life looked blank to him. I do not mean to say Geraldine had made so deep an impression on him that his future was ruined in conse readers with a detailed account of Geraldine's London season, though it was her first, and was a successful one even for a rich bride and a beauty. She did much as others have done before her walked in the park in the morning; drove, shopped, paid visits in the afternoon; went to the ortho-quence, nor that he felt he had nothing dox teas and breakfasts; dined out on the nights Colonel Trevelyan could spare from the House; and accompanied Lady St. Clair to whatever was worth going to in the way of evenings when her husband could not go with her. During all these months she had only twice caught a glimpse of Mr. l'Estrange; for it is quite astonishing to a novice what a big world London is, and how you may be ages in it and only come across your very dear friend once or twice in the seasonof course, I mean, accidental meetings. left to live for. Probably, had he never seen her again, the dream, though lovely, would have faded. But for the first time his art failed to fill his life; it had hitherto been his mistress, but now it fell cold and dead upon his heart. He said to himself, he should be better when her picture was gone. He read the announcement of her marriage in the papers quite through very slowly, then as leisurely he covered the large canvas with a sheet, and turned her portrait to the wall. It Any one standing by would have thought him seized with sudden illness; for he staggered and sat down, and even his lips were white, as a long quivering sigh was followed by what sounded like a muttered oath. might have been at his own weakness; for I have told you he was not a strong man, and no manly man can bear to own himself weak, physically weak. Mr. l'Estrange's father had died of consumption, and a baby sister was supposed to have inherited, the complaint; but I do not think our friend will-at all events, not yet awhile. Geraldine had dreaded seeing Mr. l'Estrange when she first came to town. She shrank from the ordeal; for although she strove to banish him from her thoughts, she was not always successful, and the musical, vibrating voice would sometimes haunt her dreams as well as her waking moments. She need not have feared; London has so many sets, and the one in which she moved was particularly exclusive. Mr. l'Estrange, though in very good society, did not go everywhere. He might, if he had liked to give himself any trouble about it, for There is stern stuff in him-sternhe was very much the rage; but he er than you would think, from the rehad never cared a great deal for what fined, delicate, sensitive face. He is is called in the Morning Post "fashion- every inch a man, and an ambitious able high life," and this year he was one; and he will love his art better working harder than ever at his pic-I and better as years go on, and unfold to him its inspired secrets. But well would it be for him, and for us all, if we could turn our backs on the dark pages in life's story, and cover them with a spotless sheet, as he had just hidden from view the picture on which he had expended his best energies for nearly two months. It seems a brief space in which to determine the destinies of two immortal lives; but love's work has been done in shorter time than this, and has wrought weal and woe to men and women; and, moreover, the old story is always new to the hero and heroine of one of these life-dramas. There was an heir expected at Trevelyan; and although the event was distant, Geraldine had already been warned by the physicians to be careful. Poor Geraldine, child as she was, who had never hitherto known ache or pain, listened amazed at the rules laid down for her, and declared she could not always drive instead of walk; that she was longing for a race with Minnie; and sometimes, when she was sure of being unobserved, would fly down-stairs at her old headlong pace, the brightest gleams upon her young face, and all its shadow gone for already there was a shadow The first time Geraldine encoun- there-a shadow at seventeen, which tered Mr. l'Estrange, she was being she was to bear through her life. Oh, whirled rapidly through the park, and if I could but make mothers see, that, was leaning back in her barouche with even if it be every thing that heart or all its sumptuous, but by no means eye can wish, marriage at seventeen is showy, appointments. She saw some too early! Responsibilities and trials one take off his hat to her, bowed lan- and heart-aches must come; and at guidly, looked again, and as she recog- that early age are those who have to nized the boyishly curly hair, the youth- bear the burden fitted for it? Why is ful figure younger than the man, and a every man to have what is called his subtle grace, more attractive than "fling;" while a girl is to be settled beauty, in which the artist excelled, a down in her teens to the duties of a vivid crimson rose for a moment over wife and mother? I don't like the face and forehead, even to the throat, girl of the period, and I object to the and left her so marbly white again, mildest fastness in women; but I canthat when she reached home her maid not see why they should not have a remarked the pallor, and feared Mrs. | little fun in their lives as well as men, Trevelyan had driven too far, and that and be as light-hearted as they may, she was not careful enough. till they are capable, from some experience of life, to judge for themselves. Then let them go forth to meet its cares and blessings hand-in-hand with a man whose past can bear retrospection, and of whose future his wife and children may be justly proud. It is not given to all men to be great; but "Such young ladies," she remarked to the housekeeper afterward, "always wanted their mother with them or some older married friend to advise them not to overtire themselves; not shop too long, however pleasant, or stand about too much.". it is in every one's power to be good; | which denizens in towns must sorely and I wish goodness were more thought miss through May, June, and Julyof—more appreciated; in short, that it the first two, if weather is at all promight become the fashion, as fastness pitious, certainly the most enjoyable has. Women should begin this fash- months we ever see in England. In ion, and men would assuredly follow. May there is so much to look forward Women have a great deal to answer to besides its own peculiar beauties, for. If their standard is not high, and in June the realization has come; what can they expect of men? And and what a realization! I often think if they ignore the proprieties of life, nothing can beat it, when roses of the so-called stronger sex will do so every shade and color are in full infinitely more. Let them take up bloom, and lime-trees scent the air; their responsibilities, and meet them- bees buzzing lazily in the lovely permeet them in a womanly, not a manly fumed blossoms, sucking in and revelspirit-they will only do the man's ling in the sweetness; thrushes and part badly; but the woman's they can blackbirds singing overhead; dragondo very well, if they take the right flies darting across gleaming water, view of all that is expected of them; and seeming to coquet with the lilies and that is not a little. Courage, self- which in pure and solemn beauty float respect, truthfulness, unselfishness, gen- upon its still surface; and how beautierosity, are qualities essential to the ful are these lilies! Can any thing be usefulness of a woman—a woman who lovelier than the large cool flowers, has men to help and men to soothe; which look so innocent and calm and and I don't think you will find a finer stately, surrounded by their manyor more heroic combination of quali- shaded leaves? Yes, June is often ties in the sex which considers itself so very lovely in England. Even Italy infinitely superior. and sunny France can hardly be fairer or more enticing than our much-despised island home when it first puts on its summer glory. CHAPTER X. "When the bright Virgin gives the beauteous days THE London season came to an end, and it was time to return to Trevelyan. Geraldine was glad; she loved the country with her whole heart, and, having lived in it all her life, had often dreamed of the beauty and the freshness and the sweetness But Geraldine saw none of this: it was August before Colonel Trevelyan could leave London; and when he had established his young wife in her beautiful old home, he left her to go to Scotland, where he had been due since the 12th. Nevertheless, I think this was probably the happiest bit of Geraldine's married life. Her father and mother and Minnie came to stay with her; and the latter was so proud of having a married sister, and so son. charmed with Trevelyan and its grandeur, that her quaint remarks often provoked the ringing laughter which had echoed so frequently in her old home. Mr. St. Vincent delighted in driving his favorite daughter in her pretty pony-carriage, and in sitting with her under the old trees, whose shade made such a cool and welcome retreat from the blazing sun of those lovely autumn days. Geraldine amused herself by sketching; she was not strong enough for active exercise, and the dolce far niente life they led seemed in most enjoyable contrast to the hurry and excitement of the London seaThere were enough neighbors to amuse Mrs. St. Vincent, and to prevent her finding existence too monotonous at Trevelyan; and she liked doing the honors of the splendid home, whose young mistress was only too glad to resign them into her hands. Mrs. Trevelyan was to return to London in November by the advice of the doctors. "Mais l'homme propose, et Dieu dispose;" and October was barely over when a telegram announced the arrival of his heir to Colonel Trevelyan, and advised him to return instantly. Geraldine's life had hung by a thread for several hours, but all danger was over by the time her husband reached home. He remained with her three weeks, during which time she recovered rapidly; and, again leaving her under the care of her mother, he returned to Scotland to finish his interrupted visit. the habit of filling the house at this season of the year; for hunting and shooting were at their best; but Geraldine was hardly equal to the fatigue which a large party entails on the hostess, and so only a few of his intimate friends had been invited. "L'Estrange has come down with me, Geraldine love," Colonel Trevelyan was saying, with more kindness than was his wont-it was a frosty evening rather late in December-and he added; "He and the other men are walking up; it is such a cold night they said it would warm them; but I thought I should like to see how you were, and whether you would be up to receiving them before dinner or not. And how's the boy, by-the-way? You were rather frightened about him last week, Harrison tells me." "O Edmund, he was so ill, I was terrified; for an hour and a hall he did not seem to live; and though Gibbons declares she is satisfied now, I don't think he looks quite the same. I don't indeed," she added, earnestly, seeing the amused, incredulous expression on her husband's face. He was so good-natured and kind that evening, she told him all the history of the child's attack. He listened, if not with sympathy, at least with attention, and the young mother's heart softened and warmed toward him. She had caught his first hasty sentence but vaguely; it had brought the crimson to her cheek for a moment; but she was absorbed by Nearly two months later Colonel her baby, had been for a fortnight Trevelyan returned home, bringing past thinking of little else, and living some guests with him. He was in in its frail life. Her husband knew | |