"Oh, I don't care much for the performance," said Amanda, with a beaming smile. "I like the lights and the music, and the feeling of being out in the world. "Oh, you are not saying very much, But you wouldn't go off, and leave me — Mr. Eastwood. It is I that am talking," with Papa asleep, and no one to talk to?" said Amanda, "and as for our staying "I have an engagement — at my club." long here that does not much matter, for "Oh, if you wish to go away, Mr. EastPapa wants you to come to Sterborne. wood "The beauty turned away He has been talking of it ever since he pouting, turning her lovely shoulders came back from Paris. What did you do upon him, and tossing her beautiful head. to him to make him take such a fancy to Frederick had risen partly in the liveli you? We don't think the other East-ness of personal offence, partly with an

Terror,

impulse of prudence, to escape while he have to be fought for, and held with the might. But his heart failed him when he exercise of all his powers. He felt himsaw the averted head, the resentful move- self pitted against not Lord Hunterston ment. Batty dozed peacefully in his only, but all the world. It seemed imchair, interfering with no one. And possible to imagine that this syren, who something tugged at the unfortunate had conquered himself by a glance, young man, who stood undecided whether should not attract everybody that had the to fly or to stay. To leave a lovely crea- happiness of approaching her. ture like this, the most beautiful woman jealousy, and pride, all came in to aid the he had ever seen, alone without any one strongest passion of all, which had alto amuse her to leave the place vacant ready taken possession of him-terror which a hundred no doubt would give of losing her, jealousy of everybody who their ears for! What harm could it do looked at her, and all the amour propre him to stay? It was pleasant to spend and determination to elevate himself over an hour or two by the side of anything so the heads of his rivals that could lend pretty. Come of it what could come warmth to a young man's determination. of it? It was an accidental delight en- No prize is fully estimated until the sense tirely, without connection with the rest of that it will be hotly contested bursts upon his life; an isolated event, without either the competitor's mind. Frederick grew origin or issue. Why should not he like half wild when the time came for him to others enjoy himself for the moment? leave the theatre. He secured her arm While he was thus hesitating Amanda to lead her down stairs, but only by dint turned her head round with a sudden provoking glance. "Oh, have you not gone yet?" she asked. Frederick felt as it were, on his knees before her.

"Must I go? have I proved so unworthy of my privilege?" he cried, humbly, taking his seat with deprecating looks. Miss Batty did not wish him to go, and said so freely with unflattering plainness of speech.

"I should be left to listen to Papa's snores, which I can hear at home," she said. “I always prefer some one to talk to. I daresay, however, I should not have been left long by myself, for there is Lord Hunterston down below in those horrid stalls looking up. He is trying to catch my eye. No; I don't care to have too many. I shan't see him as long as you stay."

of having all his wits about him, and taking his rival unawares. And then he was dismissed at the cab door, with all his nerves tingling, his heart beating, his whole frame in a ferment. He walked home all the way, following the path which her vehicle, so ignoble, and unfit for her to enter, must have taken; he passed under the windows he supposed to be hers. In short, he did everything that a foolish young man, mad with sudden excitement, and what is called passion, is expected to do, and worked himself into a higher and higher strain of excitement, as with his head full of thoughts of her he made his way home, longing impatiently for the morning, when he might see her again.

CHAPTER XX.

Then I shall stay forever," said FredWHAT IT IS TO BE "IN LOVE." erick, inspired by that touch of rivalship. Lord Hunterston, however, did manage to THE story of such suddens passion as find his way up to the box, whether by this, which had come upon Frederick Miss 'Manda's permission or not, and Eastwood, are common enough and well Frederick grew stiff and resentful while known. Love is a subject which conthe other foolish youth paid his homage. cerns and interests the whole world, and Lord Hunterston pricked him into double eagerness, and sent all the suggestions of prudence to the winds. Amanda proved herself thoroughly equal to the occasion. She kept the two young men in hand with perfect skill, though she allowed herself to be slightly insolent to Frederick, referring again to the "leave" without which he could not budge. This time, however, the reference did not make him angry, but only impressed him with the fact that his admiration was nothing to her, and that every step of vantage ground would

though there is not much that is novel to be said about it, it is the event or accident in life of which the gentle reader never tires. Let not that kind listener be shocked if I call it an accident. Sometimes it is the influence which shapes our lives, but sometimes, also, it is so slight an episode that we are disposed to smile or to sneer at the prevailing human prejudice which makes it the chief centre of existence in all song and story. A pure and genuine love, however, has something of attraction in it for every crea

..

"That's all very well for you who were there," said Dick, I should like to find out for myself. All pieces are stupid to a fellow that can see them whenever he likes."

"You might have had my share and welcome, old fellow," said Frederick, with undiminished amiability. "I didn't pay much attention, to tell the truth. There was the loveliest girl in the box-a Miss Batty. Her father is a-country-doctor, I think; but such a beautiful creature!"

"I don't know what tempted him to make this confidence; probably the desire to be talking of her. And then he described her, which raised a discussion round the table.

ture. It recalls the most delicious mo- | pleasant and friendly, the surprise of ments of life, those in which the dream of Nelly and Dick came to a height. As for perfect happiness, never to be fully real- Mrs. Eastwood, she had a mother's natized, is forming in the youthful imagina- ural certainty that her son's manners tion, and all heaven and earth thrills and were always agreeable, except when quickens with visionary hopes and aspí- something had disturbed him. Nothing, rations; or it suggests, more sweetly and it was evident, had disturbed him this more vaguely even than those dreams morning, and he could show himself in themselves, the visions that are to come. his true colours. He was very communiThe ignoble love which it is my evil for- cative and conciliatory, and told them tune to have now in hand, would, no how he had been persuaded to accomdoubt, could I enter into it, recall its own pany some people whom he met to the ignoble yet exciting memories to the play, and that the piece was very stupid, minds which are capable of such feel- like so many pieces now-a-days. ings. Frederick Eastwood scarcely slept all night, and when he did drop into a feverish doze, the image of Miss 'Manda, her golden hair dropping warm and bright upon her beautiful shoulders, the soft rose-white of her hand supporting the milky rose of her cheek, the curves of her face, the splendour and glow of beauty about her, haunted his dreams. Better visions, I hope, haunt the pillows of most lovers, but this was how Frederick loved, or rather how he fell into passion and frenzy, suddenly, without warning or thought over the attractions of Mr. Batty's daughter, whom the day before he would have thought quite beneath his lightest thought. Thus Love, even when of the least worthy kind, laughs at prejudice and class distinctions, and at all those conventional restraints which are stronger than the suggestions of wisdom. I do not think that any generous or exalted emotion would have led Frederick East- like wood to commit himself, to depart from "And rather improper," said Mrs. what he thought becoming to his own Eastwood; "doing things that one canelevated position and character; and not approve of girls doing. In my day this being the case there may be a certain what you call golden hair was known human satisfaction in the thought that as red. Raven locks were the right something does exist which is capable of thing for a heroine, very smooth and plucking the intellectualist from his emi- glossy nence, and the man of social pretence from his position, as well as the prince from his throne. Love, that conquers all things, conquers in this way even the predominant influence of self. Frederick for once was superior to that determined adherence to his own will and pleasure which had accompanied him through his whole life. His first thought in the morning was for her. He got up earlier than usual, though he had been late on the previous night. He had no wish to sleep; it was sweeter to wander about the garden in the morning sunshine and think of her, which was a proceeding which filled the family with consternation. When he was discovered at the breakfast table making himself very

"I am sick of golden hair," said Dick, who was moved by a spirit of contradiction. "There are so many of 'em in novels, great, sleek, indolent, cat

"Well plastered down with pomade, and not safe to touch," said Nelly, shaking her own brown locks. "But I agree with you, Frederick, there is no hair so lovely as golden hair. Is your beauty going to stay long in town? Do we know any one who knows her? Has she come for the season?"

"They are staying at a hotel,” said Frederick, very seriously. "I met the father in Paris, quite by chance, when I was getting better. That is how I came to know them. They are not quite in your set, I suppose. But she is simply the most radiant dazzling creature

"All red and white and green and blue," said the irrepressible Dick, “ with her hair growing down to her eyes—oh,

་

I know! seven feet high, and weighing 'tre of the scene, and made a variety with 801 twelve stone." "Yes, that is odd too," said Mrs. field. Frederick was left in the backtalk of horses and feats in the huntingEastwood: 66 people like that kind of ground, to his intense misery. He heard huge woman. In my days now, a light one of the other visitors asked in easy elastic figurethe thrilling prospect of the play after it. terms to dinner that evening, with again He himself, it would seem, had had his day. The only crumb of comfort he procured from the visit was the name of the A curious theatre they were going to. He rushed

They all died of consumption," said Nelly. She was herself exactly the kind of being whom her mother described; but she took up the cause of the other with natural perverseness. sense of possible help gleamed across to Covent Garden after this, poor wretch, Frederick's mind as he listened. would not allow himself to realize un- find, and sent it to her. Then he dined, He and bought the costliest bouquet he could der what possible circumstances Nelly's miserable and solitary, at his club, speakchampionship might be useful to him; ing no word to any man, and went afterbut his mind jumped at the thought, with wards to the blessed theatre in which she a sudden perception of possibilities which was to exhibit her beauty to the world. he by no means wished to follow out at He saw her from the first moment of her once to their full length and breadth. arrival, and watched with horrible sensaWhen he went to the office he congratu- tions from his stall the comfortable arlated himself secretly on his skill in hav-, rangement of Lord Hunterston in his ing thus introduced the subject so as to corner beside her, and the large figure of awaken no suspicion — and he went into the father behind dropping into a gentle the conservatory, and cut a lovely little doze. He sat and gazed at them in torwhite camelia bud, which Nelly had been tures of adoration and jealousy, wondersaving up for quite another button-hole. ing if she was saying the same things to It was just after the exciting moment of his successor as she had said to him; Nelly's betrothal, and the house was full wondering if Hunterston, too, was being of a certain suggestion of love-making, invited to Sterborne, and ridiculed about which, perhaps, helped to stimulate Fred- the necessity of getting "leave"- for, erick's thoughts; but his blaze of sudden Frederick reflected with some satisfaction, passion was very different from the senti- "leave" was necessary also to that disments of the others. He went to the tinguished Guardsman. As soon as it office first, feeling it too early to be ad- was practicable, he made his way up to mitted to Amanda's beautiful presence. the box; but gained little by it, since Mr. Happily, there was not very much to do Batty insisted upon waking up, and enat the Sealing Wax Office. He spent an tertaining him, which he did chiefly by hour or two there, in a feverish flutter, chuckling references to their previous disturbing the others (who, fortunately, meeting in Paris, and the amusements of were not very hard at work), and throw- that gay place. Frederick went home ing all his own occupations into confusion. half wild to the calm house where his At twelve, he went out, and made his mother and sister were sleeping quietly; way to the hotel. He found Batty there, and where poor little Innocent alone but not his daughter. "Manda?" "Oh, she's all right," said longed to get up and say good night to heard his step coming upstairs, and the father; but the laziest girl in Chris- him, though he had "scolded" her. Had tendom. Pretty women are all lazy. I she known it, Innocent was deeply haven't seen her yet, and don't expect to avenged. Amanda Batty had not spared for an hour or more. Have a glass of the rash adorer. She had "made fun " something, Eastwood, just to fill up the

time?"

of him in a hundred refined and elegant
looks, about his fondness for the theatre,
ways, joking about his gravity and serious
and his kindness in coming to speak to
herself.
have gone behind the scenes if you liked,"
"When I am sure you might
she said, with a laugh that showed all her
pearly teeth. "You, who know so much
about the theatres: how I should like to

Frederick winced at this free-and-easy address, and hastened to explain that he was on his way to keep a pressing engagement, and would return in the afternoon, to pay his respects to Miss Batty. At three o'clock he went back, and found her indeed; but found also Lord Hunterston and another visitor, with whom go behind the scenes!" Miss Amanda kept up a very lively conversation. Batty himself filled up the cen- 'rifices to appearances, and who was dis

Frederick, who had made so many sac

LIVING AGE.

VOL. II. 103

tinguished in society for the stateliness and enjoyed her own cleverness in pitof his demeanour, would have been infin- ting one admirer against another-peritely insulted had any one else said this haps because the misery and earnestness -all the more insulted for his own con- in the eyes of her new slave softened her, sciousness of those moments of aberra- she was friendly to him for the rest of tion in which he had been behind a great the evening, and wrapped his foolish soul many scenes though never, so far as in happiness. Before they parted he was he was aware, where he could be found made happy by another invitation. They out. But a man in love is compelled, were but to be two nights more in town, when the lady of his affections is like and one of these evenings Frederick was Miss Amanda, to put up with insults, and to spend with them. does so in scores of cases with a meekness which is nowhere apparent in his domestic character. Frederick felt himself punctured by shafts of ridicule not too finely pointed. He was laughed at, he was rallied, jokes were made upon him. He was even treated with absolute rudeness, Amanda turning her beautiful shoulders upon him, and addressing Lord Hunterston, in the very midst of something Frederick was saying to her. A thrill of momentary fury went through him, but next moment he was abject in his endeavours to get a glance from her -a word of reply.

He

"Be sure and find out for me the very nicest thing that is to be played in London," she said, turning round to him as she left the theatre, though the rival had her hand on his arm. The sweetness of this preference, the sign she made to him as the carriage drove away, contented, and more than contented, Frederick. went home happy; he got through — he did not know how the intervening time. Next afternoon he went to call on her, at one moment gaining a few words, which made him blessed, at another turning away with his pride lacerated and his heart bleeding. The succession of ups and "Don't you mind her-it's 'Manda's downs was enough to have given variety way," said Batty, laughing as he saw the to months of ordinary love-making. Fredgloom on Frederick's face. "The more erick was tossed from delight to despair, insulting she is one evening, the nicer and back again. He was jibed at, flatshe'll be the next. Don't you pay any tered, made use of, tormented, and conattention it's his turn to-night, and yours soled. Had he been a man of finer mind, to-morrow. Don't take it too serious, he might possibly have been disgusted; Eastwood; if you'll be guided by me "but it is astonishing what even men of "I fear I don't quite understand you, Mr. Batty," said poor Frederick, writhing in impotent pride at the liberties taken with him. Upon which Batty laughed again, more insolently good-humoured

than ever.

"As you like as you like," he said; "you are more likely to want me, I can tell you, than I am to want you."

the finest minds will submit to under the force of such an imperious passion. They console themselves by the conclusion that all women are the same, and that theirs is the common fate. If Frederick had any time to think in the hurry of emotion and excitement which swept him as into the vortex of a whirlpool, he excused Miss 'Manda's cruelties and caprices by this explanation. All women who possessed, as she did, those glorious gifts of beauty — all the Cleopatras of existence were like her; they had to be worshipped blindly, not considered as reasonable creatures. Reason! what had reason to do with those shoulders, those cheeks, those eyes?

Frederick answered nothing: his mind was torn in pieces. Could he have had strength to go away, to break those fatal chains which in a day-in a momenthad been thrown over him, he would have done it. A sudden impulse to fly came over him; but a hundred past yieldings to temptation had sapped the strength of his nature, and taken away' from him all The evening came at last - the evenpower to make such a strenuous resistance ing of rapture and misery which he was to his own wishes. The self-willed, to spend by her side, but which was to proud young man put down his head and be the last. He counted how many hours licked the dust before the coarse beauty it could be lengthened out to, and gave who had stolen away his wits, and the himself up to the enjoyment, not daring coarse man whose familiarity was so odi- to forecast to himself what he might say ous to him. He turned from the father, or do before that cycle of happiness was and addressed himself with eager adora- ended. He dressed himself with so tion to the daughter; and, perhaps be- much care that Mrs. Eastwood, who had cause Amanda was a thorough coquette, ' never forgotten that enthusiastic descrip