Nevertheless, it was perhaps an instinc- | about to make a royal progress, or a visit tive and unconscious fear of what her fate of ceremony to a foreign state. Of course might be if she continued to remain alone with her pride, her anger, and her grief in the hermitage of Earl's Dene, that caused her to take a step which, trivial and unimportant as it may seem, was, in reality, calculated to operate as a substitute in her case for a plunge into piety on the one hand, and for a lapse into lunacy on the

And this was really doing something, although there may be scarcely any one living who will think it so. The time has long gone by whether altogether for good, who shall say?-when the longest journey How strange the world of London was to meant anything more than a few hours' Miss Clare may be in part imagined by any trouble, or when there was anybody in Eng- one whose experience it has been to return land who did not, as a matter of course, to it after an absence of twenty-five years — make many long journeys every year of his a period during which everything, even the life. But in Miss Clare's case, the journey general aspect of the streets, becomes from Denethorp to London meant more changed to such an extent that the few rethan it meant to most people even in those maining things and people with whom old days, and called for as many weeks of prep-associations are connected crop up from the aration as if she had been really a queen level surface of modern society in defiant

distinctness, like blocks of primeval granite possible and inconceivable manner bring from the alluvial deposit of centuries. It about, in spite of her firm determination to could not be long before a lady of Miss the contrary, some kind of reconciliation Clare's wealth and position found herself with her nephew. Certainly in such matagain in the world after a fashion; but it ters the hearts of women are capable of any was in a world that startled the politician kind and any degree of inconsistency; and of twenty-five years ago. She had, in her such a notion, wild as it would have been, seclusion, not neglected to keep herself would have been in no wise unnatural or awake to what was going on by the perusal absurd. It does not by any means follow of books and newspapers; but no one can that because, knowing perfectly well as she understand the changes that are constantly did that such reconciliation depended enbeing brought about from newspapers and tirely upon a single word from herself, she books only, the study of which is as though had practically vowed never to speak that one should read a gloss without ever having word, she might not vaguely dream that by seen the text upon which it comments. her presence in London she was aiding Written words always take their meaning chance to defeat her own will. But whether from the mind of the reader. The text this was so or not, she did not in the least consists, after all, not of what actually takes act upon any such idea. She never even place, but of the manner in which things mentioned her nephew's name, so that her take place, and what people think and say acquaintance very soon came to see that about them at dinner-tables, in drawingrooms, in the streets and in the clubs; and not what writers think ought to be thought and said about them in studies and newspaper offices. To understand change one must one's self see and hear-one must one's self breathe the atmosphere in which change is produced; and the knowledge of facts is nothing to one who is beyond the circle of their influence. To one who is devoid of imagination they are as meaningless as algebraical symbols scattered about at random; to one who has that quality they take any combination that he may choose to form out of hundreds, of which not more than one can be, and probably none are right. The fact is, that Miss Clare had become provincialized, and had come to regard the capital as only a larger Denethorp. She had lost the metropolitan idea- that irreconcilable and victorious opponent of the feudal idea which, in one shape or another, always underlies the vie de province. She had become a barbarian, in the proper and original meaning of the word, and was as much out of her element as a prince from beyond the Indus would have found himself in Rome not, of course, in the same degree, but in precisely the same way.

As far as concerned her outer life, she just let things come as they would, making no effort whatever to control the manner of their coming. She had, after all, taken to society in the same spirit as that in which a man - if it had been possible for any man to have found himself in a similar mental condition would probably have taken to brandy. It may possibly be thought that she entertained some vague notion that their being in the same town together, however widely they were separated in every other respect, might perhaps in some im

the subject was a forbidden one. Unfortunately no circumstance could have operated more against Hugh's being able to do anything for himself, or to find friends, than this silence on the part of Miss Clare. Had she talked openly about him and his offence, and given her reasons for the quarrel, it is likely enough that he would have met with sympathy at least, if not with useful help; but the form which her anger had taken was such as to leave the door open to all manner of injurious reports about both himself and his wife, and to cause him to be condemned not only unheard but unaccused. Miss Raymond alone invariably took the part of her old playfellow; but she was as powerless in the matter as she was zealous. Warden also took his part sometimes, but only when in Miss Raymond's company; and then his interference somehow invariably seemed to make the hopelessness of the breach more complete than if he had merely held his tongue and preserved a judicious silence.

It was now for about the first time in his life that the steady brain of the latter began to be just a little turned. At an age when the healthy mind is content to live in the present, and to confine its foresight to the limits of the day after to-morrow, he had been led by circumstances to obtain a distant and enchanting view of a future full of infinite possibilities, that gave point and coherence to the growth of his ambition.

Now that Miss Clare was in town, he had become or rather had made himself, absolutely indispensable to her; and, indeed, was it not his duty to render himself useful to his benefactress and patroness in every way that he could? He transacted her business for her he advised her — he was present whenever she entertained company;

CHAPTER II.

SINCE the opening of this story the tables have been completely turned. Then it was Warden and Marie who were found at the bottom of the ladder, though not altogether without reasonable hope of being able, in course of time, to ascend a few steps; while it was Angélique who lived in present comfort, with a vista of success stretching before her, and Hugh, to whom the present was so complete - so far as life can be held to be complete without love that the future was rendered secure. Now, on the contrary, Marie had climbed to the height of fame, and Warden had achieved so much of worldly success that his future was in his own hands; while Angélique had fallen to the earth, and Hugh even below it.

he became, in short, her prime minister, | son was already beginning to dream of the over whom, while she respected him, she Treasury instead of the Woolsack; and, as could yet exercise the authority that it was all things seemed, not so very absurdly. necessary for her to exercise over some In politics, as in other things, adventurers one. But the result was, that the more he are notoriously fortunate; and why should came to mix in it, the more he came to re- Mark Warden be less fortunate than others gard the great world as his true field, and are? to scorn professional paths as much as he had formerly honoured them as affording the best prospect of success for his special kind of talent and energy. Politics were already exercising upon his mind that strange and perilous fascination that they so often exercise over minds like his- that fascination which, once felt, scarcely ever fails to become a life-long passion. Of politics in their higher sense he was, it need not be said, incapable of entertaining the least notion; but of politics as they are understood by most who take part in them of the politics of intrigue, of faction, of place, and of self-interest - he was capable of entertaining a very clear idea indeed, especially as he was now obliged to realize the fact that he was himself a marketable article. Not only through his association with Miss Clare, but by means of his own It was certainly, whatever view may be many merits of conversation and address, taken of his conduct, at all events hard he was forming many useful connections on upon the latter that he should be punished his own account in the society into which, so unmercifully as he was for no greater no one could exactly tell how, he was offence than that of marrying for love; but making a place for himself: and, with the then life is very cruel, and he who chooses borough of Denethorp full in view it would to act boldly for himself, instead of sighing be strange indeed if he did not manage and yielding to "good advice," before long to make a very good bargain suffering. It is true that boldness is the of himself. There were not a few men of best part of wisdom; but, alas! it is seldom high position and influence who, although the wise who prosper, unless they are somehe was still an outsider, were known to re-thing more than wise. Now Angélique, gard the Fellow of St. Margaret's as a cer- with all her charming qualities - and they tain acquisition to the supporters of Gov- were very charming-was one of those ernment; and there was no one belonging women who are infinitely more delightful to the set which he now most cultivated before than after marriage as, indeed, who did not consider that to carry out his such very charming women are somewhat original idea of taking to the bar would be apt to be. But, though this characteristic to throw his talents away. Moreover, he of hers is by no means uncommon, her huswas already beginning to be envied and band is not therefore rendered less worthy abused the best omen for his future suc- of compassion, and certainly not the less cess of all, seeing that no one envies or because his idol was not yet broken. It is abuses a man of whom he is not afraid. by no means fools alone who are constant None could deny his talents; but, for the to their worship in the teeth of the faults rest, men were beginning to call him, behind and shortcomings of their god or goddess; his back, prig, snob, legacy-hunter, tuft- and it was a wise man who said that "it is hunter, place-hunter, and, worst of all, po- a man's faults that render him amiable." litical adventurer that terrible and myste- In the case of woman, unfortunately, the rious phrase which, heaven knows why! is axiom might be extended still further; for supposed to express some ineffable and un- it is far more often her virtues than her pardonable sin. It was plain from all this faults that bring a man's love for her to an that, if he should, as was expected, make end. Cleopatra will be the successful rival his mark in the House, he might certainly of Octavia in nine cases .out of ten. And look forward to serving his country in no so Hugh Lester by no means pitied himunprofitable manner, perhaps to his party, self; on the contrary, he flattered himself certainly to himself. The country doctor's that though he was certainly damned un

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courts

that have ever been written that is to say, of the expression of the best and most honest impulses of men and women? For every woman is born. noble, by right of sex, so long as she does not render herself ignoble; while the noblest-born woman is not more than woman after all. Such, at least, is the orthodox creed of a gentleman; and such, therefore, had been Hugh Lester's, whose misfortunes, accordingly, must not be attributed to the fact that he had married a girl without means or station, but solely to the fact that the girl in question happened to be Angélique Lefort.

lucky, he was in reality the most fortunate that richesse oblige. Is not, under different fellow alive that is to say, that black was names, the story of King Cophetua the white, and that two and two made five. It theme of half the ballads and half the songs is a great question if a lunatic whose monomania is of a pleasant nature is a proper object of compassion on the part of the sane, who are wide awake to all the world's disagreeable realities; and it is at least a still greater question if the man who deifies some perfectly human creature is not to be congratulated. At all events, whatever may come to pass, he will have lived and loved he will once have been happy, though the godlike attributes of his own invention fall off before his eyes, and leave the clay which they covered and adorned in all the nakedness of its deformity. But though for the present he was fully able to console himself, it would have been some consolation to Miss Clare also had she been able to know how much worse even than she had predicted, the marriage which she had so strongly opposed had actually turned out. It is true that she still loved her nephew in her heart, and that she still wished him all happiness and all prosperity; but it is probable that, daughter of Priam as she was, the burning of Troy must have gratified Cassandra just a little.

And for her, poor girl! while Warden's future seemed to be opening before him just like the surface of some beautiful plain that grows wider and wider every moment as the traveller, step by step, approaches the edge of the table-land that overlooks it, so hers, which had given promise of such wonderful things, was narrowing and narrowing like the face of the same plain under the approach of a night of hopeless rain. It was not more than a few months since her dreams had been turning her into a countess at the very least. Now, if she dreamed that she was secure of being able to pay the bill for the lodging of herself and her husband at the end of the week, her dream was more pleasant than usual. It was she who held the office of paymaster; for Hugh was an infamously bad economist, and, like mankind in general, as

Let it not, however, be for a moment supposed that any theory about the nature of mésalliances in general is intended to be founded upon the personal experience of Hugh Lester. On the contrary, had he chosen to fall in love with Marie, when he met her under the great beech-how long ago that morning seemed now! - and had she been free, and had he married her, there | distinguished from womankind, could never is surely every reason to thi k that the loss of Earl's Dene would have been a benefit to him; and yet the mésalliance would have been equally atrocious in the eyes of Miss Clare and of the world. But then Angélique was Angélique, and Marie was Marie. It is just the experience of one man that is now in question, and not that of humanity at large, which, in its romantic - that is to say, its better and truer side-has accepted the fact that a marriage made in the face of the world is, for that very reason, more likely to be made with a right purpose, and more likely to contain the elements of happiness, than where it is open to the suspicion of being made upon lower grounds. No one is likely, save on the lowest grounds of all, and where his own self-interest is concerned, to approve of the doctrine that any one who has not the misfortune to wear a crown should be made a slave to wealth and station in a matter that concerns himself and his own heart alone the doctrine, in two words,

be brought, either in theory or practice, to comprehend that triumph of oracular wisdom, which must assuredly have been invented in a moment of inspiration by some queen of chiffonières, that a pin a-day makes a groat a-year. These two now had, as much as any two rag-gatherers, to think most painfully of groats and pins; and Angélique, who was a woman, in spite of her large ideas, and a Frenchwoman to boot, took rather a pride in her judicious management of those pence and half-pence which seem so trivial and unimportant to all male creatures who are neither crossingsweepers nor waiters at restaurants. This arrangement was useful in another way besides. Had her husband had the control of their united financial affairs, he would inevitably have made some attempt, however wild, to pay his debts at all events those that arose from their own present daily needs — in which case the struggle that she was striving to carry on against hope would have to be given up at once and forever.

of the ménage of Belisarius himself— that great type of reduced gentlemen.

But, as it was, Angélique knew enough of the ways of the world to know that a pretty woman who always contrives to His poverty was the result of his own dress well enough to do justice to her fault in a double sense. In the first place, beauty, even though her husband is not a he had clearly committed the unpardonable gentleman of good family, must be very social offence of having deliberately brought simple indeed, and possess an unusually it upon himself; and, in the second place, small amount of tact, if she cannot contrive it need not have continued if he had only to keep very fairly afloat without any chosen to act as other men would have enormous quantity of present coin; and in done. If he had properly appreciated his her own case to fail to do this would be wife and shown himself worthy of her coneven exceptionally preposterous, seeing fidence instead of her protection, the two that ready money, even when not absolutely together might have carried on the profesnecessary, was always procurable to some sion or art of living without an income to extent from the now prosperous Marie, very great advantage; and than this art or who took to living and dressing in a style profession, when it is carried on even with far inferior to that of her poor cousin, in a very small amount of skill, there is none order that she might assist the latter with- better going. It costs a considerable exout taking from what she considered to be penditure of time and trouble, it is true, due to the children and to her own hus- and often ends in a sudden crash; but the band. Of the very existence of this source expenditure of time and trouble and sudden of supply, and of the disposal of it, Hugh crashes are incidental to all professions, and of course knew nothing; and if he some- it is better than other professions in this, times wondered how they managed to get that, although time may be money, the on at all, it was only to admire the excel- trouble is inexpensive and pleasantly excitlent economy of his wife. To see her al-ing, while the crash costs absolutely nothways well dressed was no wonder to him, for, as he had never seen her otherwise, it appeared to him to be a part of her very nature; and he would have been as much surprised to see her going about without her head as without the most elegant of head-gear. Indeed it is not an uncommon delusion among men who have not come as yet into personal and immediate collision with the bills of milliners and dressmakers, that pretty women obtain their plumage as inexpensively as birds of paradise obtain theirs.

A man may, and often does, bear poverty and its attendant evils essentially like a hero; but it is unfortunate that it is almost impossible to appear like a hero either in his own eyes or in those of his contemporaries. Hugh Lester was trying to do the best he could; he never complained of what he had brought upon himself, or thought for a moment of complaining: he was honestly willing and eager to turn himself to anything to support himself and his wife as a man should; and it was certainly not his fault, but the fault of circumstances - of his education, of his scrupulousness, of his wife that he could find nothing to do. And yet he has to appear in the contemptible light of a man who lived in idleness upon the ill-advised credit of tradesmen, and upon the charity of a hard-working girl, who could ill spare what she bestowed. Who shall say after this that this story contains a hero? But perhaps it is as well that we are ignorant of the details

ing at all. "Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator" which, in this case, may be translated, "a man of straw may laugh at his creditors." But this was Angélique's great difficulty, that she dared not take her husband into her confidence, but had to carry on the game both for herself and for him at once, and to tell lies not only to the world at large, but to him also, whose obvious and manifest duty it was to help her to lie. "Honesty the best policy" indeed!to quote yet another proverb. This saying must have been invented by some professor of the art of living upon nothing for the express purpose of throwing dust into the eyes and binding the hands of those upon whom, as well as upon nothing, he and his disciples live, in the same way that the rules of etiquette existing in certain less noble professions have apparently been invented for the benefit of those who have the wit and the courage to break them — heavy chains to the weak and to the scrupulous, but to the unscrupulous and to the strong nothing more than bands of tow. No wise man was ever honest for the sake of profit; and when an honest man does succeed, it is most assuredly in spite of honesty — not in consequence of it.

Nevertheless, thank the gods! disturbed in their eternal calm only by the eternal laughter that this earth of ours must surely afford them, the secret of success is not as yet wholly revealed to men, or the world would be most intolerably divided into the two classes only of the cheaters and the cheated