thusiasm of affection and constancy shemaining generous impulses in his nature, overrated her husband, even after the dis- and gave rise to some good resolves. After enchantment of her hopes and dreams had his fashion, he loved Alice. He had lost become an old story. She felt herself con- respect for womanhood, in the abstract; tinually at fault; she was like one grop- he was a skeptic in every sense; but he ing in the dark, and day by day her path had not ceased to care for her, and he did became more and more encumbered with not think of the contrasts which his later obstacles, and her timid feet trod it with in- life had shown him; he did not take into creasing pain and difficulty. He cannot account that her attraction had been for the have cared for me ever,' she would say to boy who knew no more of the world than herself when she had sustained one of her she did. That such a project as his mardaily defeats, except just as his playfellow riage, under such circumstances, would exand child-companion. He married me out cite the liveliest ridicule among his associof pity because I was quite alone.' Then ates, he was well aware, and he said nothing the pain of that conviction being too intense about it till he returned to Paris accompafor her to bear without trying to alleviate nied by Alice. His change of name excited it, she would have recourse to the letters little comment among the wild set to which which had sustained her during Henry's he belonged; probably it had something to long absence, and read their protestations do with the incomprehensible laws of Engand their plans with wonder, with agony. land—no matter, it was not their affair; What had she done, in what was she but the wife, the little Madame, who was changed, that all this had come so utterly not at all spirituel, and who had so much to naught; that it had never been, but for the air of a Quaker? - well, the wife was a few brief weeks, and had left her, to feel also his affair, as Jules and Henri, Armand that she was in strange, unsuspected hands? and Pierre agreed, and a triste affair too. for her husband was totally different But they saw very little of her, and heard from the ideal she had formed of him. less; and she was evidently no restraint upShe puzzled and wearied herself with self- on her husband, who was as gaillard as questioning, and self-commune, with se- ever; and so Jules and Henri, Armand and vere introspection, with melancholy mus- Pierre, thought no more about poor Alice, ing; she could not find out where the especially when the fatal rumour spread fault lay. And no wonder, for it was among them that she was dévote. How not in her. She was as she had ever much or how little her husband thought been a pure, gentle, womanly, unworldly about her, nobody knew, and nobody cared. creature, for whom all life's meaning and His love for her lasted a very short time, value consisted in the home-affections and and the generous impulse which had animaduties; a dreamer of dreams indeed, and ted him when he induced her to make him of too sentimental a turn of mind for her the master of her destiny, gave way before own peace under any circumstances, but the weariness with which her timid nature, well-endowed with practical qualities too; her unworldly notions, and her lowliness of a woman who might have been happiest heart inspired him. She provoked him inamong the happy. The narrow sphere in expressibly by the very submissiveness, the which she had lived had made Alice con- pure and perfect goodness, which contrasted tent with the simplest and humblest condi- so strongly with his fierce self-love and selftions of life; to her, ambition and the will, his morose humour, and the utter mathirst for wealth and pleasure were not teriality of his tastes, which she could not only unknown, but inconceivable. even comprehend. Something in her nature, in her presence, which he could not define, but which was really their beautiful protesting purity, exasperated him, and aroused in him the tyrannical instinct which had always existed. He could not ignore, he could not fail to admire, her beauty, but he wearied of it. That pure, passionless face had but an insipid charm for him at the best, and Alice never knew or cared how to make the most of her rare loveliness. True, she had not the means of adorning herself, but neither had she the taste. Any one of the women of his acquaintance, her husband told her once, contemptuously, could have made ten times as much of the

This was the thirst which consumed Henry Hurst; ambition was the dominant passion of his nature. The fierce revolt against his lot, which had found expression in his interviews with Mr. Eliot Foster, had been but temporarily quelled or suspended by his marriage, and had again resumed its workings. The influence of his life in Paris before his marriage had been injurious to his moral nature; already terribly susceptible of evil, it hardened and embittered him, by the confirmation which it afforded to his belief in pleasure as the only good. When Alice's letter, written after her mother's death, reached him, it touched the few re

slender means at her disposal; but she liked to be a dowdy—it was part of her religion, he supposed. Her mild protest and explanation did not avail, and thenceforward Alice cared less for her beauty than ever, seeing that he cared for it not at all.

men who were born to struggle with the world, to work their way in it; they knew that, and went on their appointed path with good-will, not haunted by doubt, and beset by injustice. Who was there to tell him that he was one of those men? Who was The perpetual pain of her disappointed there to assure him that labour and not love was such, that Alice could find no alle- luxury was his birthright, was his rightful viation, no distraction from it. It rendered destiny, and not the imposition upon him her life worthless to her, and she did not of cruelty, fraud, and wrong? He and his struggle against it. Since there was noth- associates-the young men who worked ing in life like what she had pictured it, with him, cheerful, content, feeling themwhy should she delude herself in any other selves in the right groove- were not on a way? Nothing would be what she sup-level; his ignorance of his origin set him posed it; better the void than further mis- apart from them by a barrier which could ery. It was quite true that Alice moped.' not be overthrown. The utmost their efShe had not the wisdom to avoid that inju-forts could achieve might be less than what dicious yielding to her feelings, that acceler- he was entitled to. The tastes, the desires, ation of the transition in those of Henry the passions of which he was conscious, Hurst. She moped' because she was un- might not have given him the pain of the happy, and also because the deadly element unattainable; if he had been in his true of jealousy, in one of its most common sphere, they might have been fitting adforms, had begun to mingle with her unhap-juncts of his condition, and not penalties of piness. Her husband could make himself it, dumb protests against it. So the strife so delightful to others. Her opportunities within him raged ever more and more of observation were not many, but they fiercely, and his mind was full of vague, were conclusive. How handsome he looked, sullen resentment. how graceful, how bright, how agreeable His neglected young wife knew little' of and complaisant he could be, and with what all this. He had long ceased to talk with animation and brilliancy he could talk, of her of his early history, to discuss the things indeed which she but dimly under- probabilities which had furnished them with stood, but would have striven to learn, and subjects for the endless discussions of their followed with so much interest, if she had boy-and-girl days. Alice rarely thought of dared. Her jealousy took no personal di- her husband's unknown origin, rarely rerection; her innocence, her unsuspicious-membered what a mystery hung about him. ness, protected her in that respect; she suffered alike, whether the society in which he shone, with a light he never cared to show to her, were that of men or women. It sufficed that he was wholly indifferent to her, that for her he had dark looks, sneers, morose words, or in his better moods only a careless, absent kindness little less hard to bear. She knew this; nothing could alter the fact; but she need not inflict upon herself the constant proof of it, so Alice lived as much as possible alone.

In only two respects Henry Hurst sustained the estimate which his wife had formed of him. He was clever and industrious, he liked the profession he had chosen, and he worked hard at it. But for the fatal influence of his false position in life, he might have been a different man. This it was which strengthened every defect, which embittered his mind, and made him regard his fellows with ceaseless, craving envy. The name and the money which he might have made, which his talents and his industry would in time secure, he held in disdain, while yet he coveted them, and strove for them. These were the desired meed of

That he had been born in any superior sphere of life appeared to her neither likely nor desirable; her visions had never taken that form which was fortunate, as, if they had, she would probably have suffered still more from her imaginary estimate of his superiority. She never, of her own choice, revived the subject, it was too painful; for the bitterness and anger with which it filled Henry Hurst, aroused in her fear and evil anticipation.

For some time after they arrived in England, Alice's life was brighter than usual. Her husband was away from his habitual associates, and had not formed new companionships among men of his own class in London. The arrangement of the work which he had undertaken to do for the Messrs. G― occupied much of his time. His roving tour was not to commence until spring, when the country would be in all its beauty. With the exception of a few days which preceded and a few which followed her marriage, Alice had never sojourned in London, and her better spirits and Henry's better temper enabled her to enjoy the novelty a little, just at first. She had no hope

of being permitted to accompany him in his approaching rambles; but she did not complain. She accepted the boon of an improved state of things in the present thankfully, and was almost happy in her lodgings on the first floor of a bare but roomy house in Southampton-row. No tidings reached her of Hugh Gaynor. She concluded that the device by which Honorine had hoped to communicate with him had proved unsuccessful. Alice suffered less than she had suffered in Paris from the sense of strangeness. She lived a more solitary life, for in London she knew literally no one; but the people about her spoke her own language, and their ways' resembled those which had been familiar to her. On the whole this was a peaceful interval, to which she was to look back afterwards with terrible, unavailing regret. She moped' less, she read more, she tried to occupy herself in many ways, and in any eyes but those in which alone she cared to find favour she I would have seemed a most beautiful and attractive woman. Occasionally she went with her husband to see some of the sights of London, to walk in the parks, or see a play. Her ignorance of the habits and customs of fashionable life was profound; she had no notion that Mrs. Haviland and Miss Burdett would have been incredulously amused at the mere notion of their being in town, at the time of year when Alice never left the house without thinking she might see them pass her by in a carriage, or entered any public place without eagerly scanning the crowd, in the hope that her eyes might light upon their faces.

The spring was early, and promised to be very fine. Henry Hurst was about to begin his task, which he expected to extend over two years at least, with intervals of rest. He was to be handsomely paid for his work, and on its completion he would go abroad, to Italy, the home of the Arts. He took Alice into but small account in any of his schemes for the future; he had gradually come to regard her as an inevitable nuisance, to be thought of as little as possible. A frightfully unnatural state of things, considering her youth, and the antecedents of the husband and wife; but true, for all that

only too true. His first destination was Dorsetshire, and before he started, he made arrangements for the location of the inevitable nuisance.'

6

You cannot remain by yourself in a London lodging,' Henry Hurst said to his wife on this occasion; I must take a cottage in some pleasant suburb for you, and you can have a servant and make yourself comfortable.'

Then you will not take me with you?' said Alice with a pleading smile, which the young man must have been indeed hardhearted to resist. Are you quite determined? I would not be in your way, or trouble you at all.'

'Once for all, Alice,' replied her husband with his blackest frown, have done with this. I cannot take you with me. I suppose you, who have ostentatiously courted solitude when it didn't happen to suit me, are not going to pretend you cannot bear it now.'

'Yes, and make a tremendous fuss about it. Anyone would think I was proposing something dreadful to you instead of a pleasant house of your own, where you can be as quiet as you please and do as you like.'

It is not that,' replied Alice hurriedly; She did not tell her husband of this lurk-it is not that. But never mind me - I am ing, slight interest in her life. She shrank foolish and weak. When am I ever otherfrom the frequent sneers which had for- wise? or, at least, when do you ever think merly, until she had learned to suppress me so? I will do anything, I will go anytheir manifestation, rebuked the silliness' where you please.' of her romantic notions.' If ever she should have the happiness of seeing those well-remembered faces again, and the ladies should condescend to notice her, she would remind him of the letter she had written to him describing their visit to the Gift ;' but while they remained only a radiant vision in her memory, a delightful possibility to her hopes, she would keep her thoughts of them to herself as she was but too well used to keep all her thoughts and memories. How strange, how inexplicable it seemed to her differently-constituted, sensitively-strung mind, that any recurrence to the past, any reference to their childish days, wearied Henry, and made him impatient. She had not the word of that enigma.

He spoke as if doing as she liked' were the ordinary state of things with Alice. She kept a thoughtful silence for some minutes (during which he regarded her with a lowering look), and then said:

'I will not make any objection to anything you wish, dear; but if you would let me choose, I should like to live somewhere in the neighbourhood of our old home. Do you remember once, when we were little children, my mother took us to the seaside? it was the first time we had ever seen it;

it was not very far from home, I think, as well as I can remember - I should like to go there while you are away.'

His

them liked the place, and the sun of prosperity shone steadily upon its owners. Madeleine Burdett's engagement to Ver'I think I remember the place you mean,' ner Bingham was a year old — their 'odious said Henry Hurst, near the Blackwater. A youth' was lessened so much—and the asquiet place enough, I daresay, and healthy.sembling of a large party at Meriton preIf I cannot get a house for you, I suppose vious to the partridge-shooting was expected some sort of decent lodgings can be had. in the autumn of the same year which had At any rate, I will try. Couldn't you man- seen Henry Hurst commence his rambling age to look pleased, Alice, just by way of a artistic studies, and Alice take up her abode little variety?' in a retired spot on the eastern coast, a short distance from the mouth of the Blackwater. Meriton was a pleasant place at all times. The party, when met at Meriton, included The house was spacious and handsome. Its Mr. and Mrs. Marsh and their daughters, master had added considerably to its size, who contributed the chief portion of the and the good taste of its mistress had family' element to the gathering. Mr. brought its internal arrangements to a very Marsh, usually spoken of by his wife as high degree of excellence. Stephen Hav-my Ned,' was a gentleman of the harmless iland was characterised by all the virtues and inexpressive character to whom that of a country gentleman a capital stud style of appellatior seems peculiarly approand an irreproachable cellar included. Ju- priate. He was good-natured, slow, very lia, his wife, was an admirable hostess well off, and perfectly amenable to his she never interfered with her guests, es- Maria, whom he held in admiration and repecially in their flirtations, and she took spect, almost equal in intensity to the sencare they had all the material components timents entertained towards herself by that of comfort and enjoyment. Meriton was lady. Mr. Marsh believed in the Havilands an especially pleasant place in the autumn thoroughly, and was a happy man. and the shooting season, when Frank Bur- manner of life, his opinions, his engagedett was more particularly at home there, ments, his politics, his money-matters, and and lent his very efficient aid to both Mr. his dress were all regulated for him; but he and Mrs. Haviland in their separate de- had no objection. He liked ordering his partments. It was, of course, inevitable own dinner, and eating it gave him sensible that Frank Burdett should grow old-he satisfaction; but as the Havilands approved had, indeed, made no trifling progress in of good living, he was indulged even on that direction already- but nothing seemed that point. He was very fond of his wife, less probable than that he should ever look but perhaps only moderately attached to his So. It gave his beautiful young daughter daughters, a pair of big bouncing young keen delight to observe his youthfulness of women, with loud voices, decided opinions, looks and spirits, and she rejoiced mightily and awe-inspiring manners. Needless to in being at Meriton, because when there add that they were perfect Havilands. Miss she had her father almost always with her. Angelina and Miss Clementina Marsh were It is so pleasant,' she said one day with girls of the (then) period, which, though a pretty wilfulness, which none but the most differing from the present in some very acrimonious could have misinterpreted, to material particulars — a difference on which have some one about me who never thinks the society of to-day is by no means to be of disobeying me, and who believes every- congratulated had a good many objectionthing I do to be what is it that dreadful able features. They talked politics and reman says in that dreadful poem Miss Glen- ligious controversy; they were offensively nie used to make me learn when I was well-informed about elections; they were naughty? discreetest, wisest, virtuous- given to pronunciamentos in favour of popest, best." There, Captain Medway, I'm ular preachers; they danced the polka vesure you are astonished at my memory. hemently; they bored every one who could Why don't you ease your mind by saying not escape from them about the insularities of England, and the advantages of a cosmoWhile the gallant but not over-ready offi- politan taste; they dressed in the worst cer was seeking for an answer, and appar- possible foreign style, being wholly unaware ently expecting to find it either in his shirt- of the special manufacture of millinery for collar or in his whiskers, Madeleine forgot the English market, and falling readily into all about him, and was busily expatiating the snare; and they detested Madeleine on the delights of Meriton from some other point of view. She did not exaggerate them. All who were admitted to a share in

46

Burdett.

It was not to be expected, even from the Haviland ramification of human nature,

6

Misses Marsh observed the true Haviland moderation of praise-making himself so absurdly conspicuous about her, and to see her taking his homage as a matter of course; but if they had known that his homage, like that of many another man whom they were destined to observe during their visit, must be quite infructuous, they would have regarded her with lofty horror rather than with ill-disguised envy. But they knew nothing about Verner Bingham; and Madeleine's position seemed more unassailable and her bearing more insouciante than ever.

that the precious legacy' should be re- that a girl with so little conversation' garded with much favour by her cousins, should attract the attention of sensible men, who, though they had no just grounds of and thus assist to give society a frivolous complaint against fate and fortune on any tone. Lastly, she had an independence score, had nothing like the advantages and about her in dress, and in choosing her indulgences which the removal of Selina associates, and in her way of attracthad been the means of securing to her ing the 'best' young men to her, and daughter. A rich, childless uncle, with a keeping their attention fixed on her for just fine country place and an unimpeachable as long as she found them amusing, which town-house, an eminently fashionable wife, weak people called artless, girlish fascinaa seat in parliament, and all the contingent tion, but which they regarded as reprehensocial advantages conferred by so pleasant sible flirtation. If Angelina and Clemena combination, is a very charming member tina had known, when they made their not of a family, provided that he understands remarkably triumphant entry among the the duties and privileges of his position party assembled at Meriton, that Madeleine properly, and divides the benefits he has it was engaged,' their feelings towards her in his power to bestow, conscientiously. might have undergone a salutary change, But when he makes an invidious selection,' but, on the other hand, they would have as Mrs. Marsh feelingly described Stephen been very much shocked. It was bad Haviland's adoption of Madeleine, and ad- enough to see Captain Medway, one of the heres to that selection in so provokingly most presentable men they knew-the narrow a spirit that he might as well have had ever so many children of his own, so far as the unselected nephews and nieces are concerned, he is no such great acquisition after all. The strong sentiments entertained on this point by the Marshes and the Fanshaws were not altogether without warrant. Stephen Haviland invited their 'young people' sometimes to Meriton, and on those occasions they had their fair share of the enjoyments the place afforded. But this was merely a general attention. They had none of the dear delightful privileges of intimacy with the important Mrs. Haviland and the admired Miss Burdett. They were asked to Mrs. Haviland's balls in the season, but of invitations which mean so much more they received none. Julia did not pretend to feel any more interest in them than in the scores of young ladies who Mrs. Haviland, who had not lost her skill danced in her rooms, and flirted on her in the reading of character, or her taste for staircases. The glimpse afforded her of the its employ, perfectly understood the sentifamily tactique when Selina died had sufficed ments of Angelina and Clementina, and for her acuteness; she calmly preserved the likewise of their mother. They amused attitude which she had then assumed, and her a good deal. In truth, there was nothMadeleine alone was admitted within the ing of the conventional fiancée in Madecharmed circle of whose pleasures and pas- leine Burdett's manner. She did not muse times the Misses Marsh permitted them- or mope; she was not absent in her mood, selves to talk, sometimes boastfully and or pale or pensive in her looks; she did sometimes disparagingly, as suited their au- not watch the arrival of the post with ostendience, but always with some precaution as tatious avidity, nor did she expend an unregarded Mrs. Haviland's becoming aware reasonable quantity of time in writing letof their flights of fancy. Angelina and ters. She was not deficient in the ordinary Clementina disapproved of Madeleine for courtesies of life to her friends who were several reasons. First, she was a Bur- present, in honour of the one particular dett,' and it was undeniable that her style' friend who was absent; she was not incapawas admired. Secondly, she had a flighty, ble of interesting herself in any human afinconsiderate manner-a habit of saying fairs except her own; she did not take pains things which people, particularly men, con- to prove to her relatives that she was ensidered witty, but in which they found noth- tirely indifferent to them and their interests ing to admire; and it was quite lamentable and pleasures. She ate with a good appe

Angelina and Clementina usually spoke of their cousin as that disagreeable girl,' but when they retired to their rooms that night, having had but moderate opportunity for the exhibition of all the Haviland talents, they called her detestable.'