OBI TO TOBOLSK, UP THE. By Vistor A. L. Morier 231 142, 284, 429, 573, 715, 857 PASSION PLAYERS AT HOME; OR, OBER-AMMERGAU IN WINTER. POET'S HOME-GOING, THE. By Rev. H. D. Rawnsley PRESENT AND PAST. By P. T. Barnum PUBLIC AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE. By J. H. Yoxall 117 THEATRE FIRES IN 1889. By Captain Shaw, C.B. 387 TRADE UNIONISM, NEW AND OLD. By Geo. Shipton 721 TWELVE HOURS OF NEW YORK. By Count Gleichen WAITERS AND RESTAURANTS. By Morley Roberts. BOOKS NOTICED :- Baring-Gould (Rev. S.), Old Country Life Barrie (J. M.), My Lady Nicotine Besant (Walter), English Men of Action: Captain Cook. Brown (A. Johnson), Rejected of Men, and other Poems. Caine (Hall), The Bondman Carette (Madame), The Eve of an Empire's Fall Carlisle (The Bishop of), The Foundations of the Creed Chadwick (Sir Edwin, K.C.B.), National Health Correspondence between William Pitt and Charles, Duke of Rutland Colmore (G.), A Conspiracy of Silence. Cunningham (Sir Henry), The Heriots. Danvers (Sir Charles). Darwin (Charles), An Illustrated Edition of the Voyage of a Naturalist Du Chaillu (P. B.), Adventures in Equatorial Africa Ellis (Havelock), The New Spirit Green (William Spotswood), Among the Selkirk Glaciers Hurlbert (W. H.), France and the Republic. Hutchinson, (Horace G.), Golf Hunter (Sir William Wilson), Rulers of India, The Marquess of Dalhousie 717 Malan (Rev. S. C., D.D.), Original Notes on the Book of Proverbs. 719 Poole (Stanley Lane), Thirty Years of Colonial Government 859 VOL. VII.-NO. XLII. b PAGE Railways of America, The . Rossetti (W. M.), Dante Gabriel Rossetti, as Designer and Writer Sanders (Lloyd C.), Lord Melbourne's Papers Stebbing (William), English Men of Action: Peterborough Tennyson (Lord), Demeter and other Poems . 862 Woodford (Chas. Morris), A Naturalist Among the Head Hunters MURRAY'S MAGAZINE. JANUARY, 1890. Marcía. CHAPTER I. THE DÉBUT OF MISS THOMPSON. IT was between five and six o'clock in the morning; the sun was up, and so were most of the four million inhabitants of London, the lives of most of the four millions being spent in hard labour. A numerically insignificant minority had just gone to bed, and were taking repose after the toils of the night, for they also labour hard after their fashion at certain seasons of the year. Two of them, however, were still sitting up talking, and were not a bit sleepy, nor even tired. For these two young women had, for the first time in their lives, been taking part in a very grand ball. Moreover, as the ball in question had been given by the parents of one of them and as the other was strikingly handsome, it is scarcely necessary to add that they had taken a very active part in it indeed. Probably no girl, unless she have been so unhappy as to lack partners, feels tired after her first ball. One of these the strikingly handsome one, who was tall and dark, and had that appearance of health and good spirits which is in itself beauty-said: "I should like to begin this moment and do it all over again. Shouldn't you?" "Well-not quite," answered her companion, a plump little brown-haired, brown-eyed maiden, who might just be called pretty, because she was so young and had such a pleasant, good-humoured face, but whose prettiness was not of the kind which outlasts many seasons. "You see, I had to dance with a good many people whom I didn't want to dance with, and who most likely didn't want to dance with me: that rather spoilt the first part of it. The last two hours were nice enough." VOL. VII.-NO. XXXVII. B "It was all perfectly glorious from start to finish," Miss Marcia Thompson declared. "What nonsense the people talk who say that London ball-rooms are too crowded to dance in! Perhaps other ball-rooms aren't as large as yours, though?" she added, with an apprehensive glance at her friend. "I believe there are plenty larger," answered Laura Beaumont. "The difficulty, it seems, isn't so much want of space as want of men who can dance and will dance." "Well, there were enough of them to-night," remarked Miss Marcia, with a retrospective smile of satisfaction. "You found enough of them, no doubt, and I dare say you always will. By the way, you ought to be congratulated upon one conquest you have made in the person of Mr. Brett." "Who? Oh, that old thing? I didn't know I had made a conquest of him, and I don't see what there is to congratulate me about in it if I have. He isn't much of a dancer." "Isn't he? Well, at all events, he isn't an old thing. He is a rising young barrister-in fact, he is already a risen one; only he is to rise still higher, everybody says. He is going to be Solicitor-General, or Attorney-General, or something of that sort, when he has had a little more experience." "I suppose that won't make him waltz any better, will it?" "No, but it will add to his distinction, which is considered to be very great even now. He hardly ever goes to balls, and when he does he usually retires after standing for about ten minutes in the doorway. At least, so I am told; and now you can understand why his friends thought he was paying you a marked compliment by dancing with you three times." "Didn't it occur to his friends that I might be paying him rather a marked compliment by allowing him to spoil three dances for me? However, I admit that it was an involuntary compliment, and it shall not be repeated. The truth is that I hadn't the presence of mind to refuse when he asked me. This is what comes of being both shy and benevolent." Miss Beaumont laughed; perhaps she did not think that either attribute was specially characteristic of her friend. "Well," she said, "if Mr. Brett had asked me to dance only once, I should have felt much honoured. He may not be very young, or very beautiful, or even very amusing" "He isn't the least bit amusing," interjected Marcia. "But he sets a high value upon himself, and that, of course, makes his attentions flattering. Some day, when he is Lord |