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A NIGHT IN HER LIFE, CHAPTER 11. Dinner wa* itcarrelv over before ft 1 "' 1 ' 1 bgan to ilr<ip in 1'im-le wt by < l> an A furnished her with (lie name of each as be nr the arrived. Mra. T.nxmore had hogged dm girl to do M the liked alinut iiiini up, ami to retire to bed the moment *he fell ured ; and at firt Cecily's impulse had Iwcn to plead fa tigue, and slip off tnlhe cm pai.ionship of her own thoughts lo wonder what Oscar Msllinyer an I hn r> , . . . were doing at 'r\rieid. and whether h.- wax sorry to find hr h*ent. Itut \ iinda had pressed her no eager I v to i' tliat the yielded : and iu a very nhori lime all inclination to Uiat a re- treat had left her, tn new and interesting lo her wa* the style of the I. unmnre's friends. " These are Mr anil Miss Bouverie. They are the people who have done no mir-li lor the work -girt IWsn't she look nice mid good? 'I Lit i .l.i, k Matthews, who has written a con, if opera. There are Mr. und Mrs. Braro. He is editor of the National Critic. Here i nice Mr. I'tul hUiidall h.- can juct !IIK ! You iiuit hear him. He is the tenor in the quartette : and over tl. ,!-, talking to mamma, ii the bast, Walter IUv- lis very mee and rlever and funny And here oh. here at last is the very mcet of all, Mr. Kent > ):e novelist you know ;!y lo;\- i innvrd her eyes from the htnHsnme tir r. I'mi Km, KM, and fixed them upon Mr. Kent. He did not coincide with her idea of a nnveliat he wa* not like Mr. Os.-.ir Mallinger. This wa'amunoi tin- and thirty-- peril*! 1 * rathrr more, clean- shaven, ali|(htlv liald, slightly gray, and wearing a double eye-giant. " I'ii. i Ke," said < V.-iiy s'owlv "have you erer read The Winter is 1'ast?" " No. It is l.y Mallinger. is it uot ?" " Yet." " Mother doein't caie for his hooks. She think* them unhealthy, and so doe* Hie." "In. lie, I' KM- he it a very popular, writ,r. is he not?" " Yem, I think to. Nut I have heard several people aay hit lat book wan poor tuff "A Platonic r'ricndship" I .hmk ilir i tiled. " Th con vernal ion was broken ol!' here by the beginning of the voire uuartettes. Cecily, l-f,,re three ot ibf mrlodious notes had struck upon her er, was rapt : all the. mum. in h. r nature wss ! ined. Tli< y >a,ig again and ugain. the audience admiring und applamling. Then I'aiil lUn.lall sai.g solo, iicco'iipanied l,y |'||,,.l,,. i wrarinra* was all forgotten. Madelu.e Mrff*wiek nung, prrttilv and bni;MK jut! tb^ kin I of voi, . .-.n, | s, (n g winch are mnt plraant to listen to. Kullund, will \,.u t'i n 11 litt'e thing, if you are not too lire J !" saul lin-i, , r .l I. M 1 1. All the girl's artist nature was awake now ; eiie thirsted for her violin Mrs. l.i.nv.re l,ad n-it mtiodu.-ed her to manv people, rightly iml^ing ti,,) ,i,,- would l-t alone . little While There as urn.. L -. IMI al interest as the tall gr.ic-hi! ^.|rl in white , ro-, room and unfastened h' r \ i,,lm i-iw Just lielni.d I er, a tall Ump i-asl ihiun it- i , ! anre n |M, n the I -ton /,. ;.!,. ,,,,, ; ) , bir and upon the e>i|in>;; ..... M .- of her arm ..i-d wn.t; the .l.uk red of the .ton, s of l,er necklace Miliim-rd ihe wlnieneNs of I.er tl'ii .1. On her fare wan lhl e<|>" which It, above all nlliern, ao fawidatiug- - ill,- I i"k of hating pnsM-d llnough >.r,ti.f vital eiperu-ii.-e, i,f having !l the U.ullit-h oi ilie 're of the cl ' No : play that once more. Wild rage and bitter humiliation twept over her by turns H she remtmbeted how she had trembled and glowed at hit broken words, hit scarce- ly veiled hints ol devotion. She took up her Low with a firm hand and dathed away h T weakness. It was ovnr now. She wat in London, among new kur- roiin, lings ; she meant to bury out of sight the follies of the past She played. The piece, with all ils stinging memories, took hold of her as it always did ; it ulim-d iu her something like inspiration. At its close there van an odd silence, and Miu liouvrrie was -MM-II to be furtively lining her pocket handkerchief. At last Mr. lirace the editor turned to Mrs. Luxmore. " I congratulate you," lie said. " The young lady is a genius !" " L t me introduce you to Mr. Kent, i '. , >lv," said Vaiida. " to* have studied in Germany, Mist Rutland ?' was the question at once put by the novelist, when hu had madeJii* bow. " Vet," said Cecily simply. " I hope you will accept my very genuine thanks for the enjoyment you have given me to night." " I am vlad you like my playing," the an- swered ; " but I am much iu want of lesaona. 1 live quite in the country, where I can gel no teaching." " What you would like todo would lie to hear the very best playing in London would you r'-t ? " he a*ked, turning hi* keen dark-giay eyes upon the girl. She raised hi r eyes to him with a sudden light in them. " Oh, I should :" " lwi*h," said Julian Kent. " that you would allow me lo giatily you. I should 'ike to watch your face when first you hear Sarasale." She fixed her eager questioning eyes upon Ins cuunteiiMi'-e and thought it both humor- ous and kindly m spite of the double eye- glass. ' If Mitt Luxmore and you will do me the honor of dining wilh my motliei ami me to-morrow, I think it might be managed, he went on. "Oh, do you really mean it mean me to hear S:ti as ite to-morrow ?'' the said, quite 'sslv. " Will that give you pleasure ?" "lireat pleasure ' You mull know H '" given me great pleasure to night. I call never Jeel quite comfortable when under the I ' ... ', T..' Ion, fen of aii obligation." " What a pretty way you put it !" (aid -, breaking into a smile which made all her expressive face radiant. " Hut ]*.. pie who write IxHiks can always make pretty speeches," she added ; and, as she spoke, tlie smile die i away, and the corners of her mo, ith harm i " Have you had the misfortune to know nuked Kent, who watched h> r n tirowly. uot wear it to-night, though at leaat, if the ware a London girl the would nut. One of the unwritten lawt about the lirwi of the woman of to-day is that it shall vary. If I me i Mm. Cram at the Smith's on Tuesday in a toilette which it it a treat only to look at, I may be ure nbe will not wear it at the llrownt' on Wednesday. 1 hare complained several times to ladies whom 1 have the privilege of knowing well, hut ir. vain ' II i.l it not been my tirtt introduction to Mm her to wear t you to tee Kutiand, I would have begged h her w'nte gown to night. 1 want her in it." " My dear Julian, I wish you could give up looking at women at it they were piuturet mid think about one at a wife," said Mrs. Kent quietly, an the disentangled her crim- son wool. " The women of this generation were made for pi. -lures and not for wives, mother. They won't wear. Seriously, I am a marry- ing man ; and, hid 1 lived a generation ago, 1 should li*\*i married at once some good little noul who parted her hair in the middle mil played at croijuet as her wildest dissi- uatinn. Bnl nowadays ! Bless me, it takes women halt the day to arrange their heads, and the rett to lie tilted by their tailor !" " You will alwayt joke on this subject, ilian. 1 am sure Vmida Luxmore it not M you describe.' 1 she ii of the wife :lass, I grant you, nd of that opinion it Mr. Paul Uai 1*11. which it the reason I have asked hi.n lerc to night. " " You are so busy making up matches for other people, you forget to have one of your own, "said Mrs. Kent tartly. " With whom are you going to pair off Mi* Rutland ?" " Well,' naid her son, staring into the tin-. " I haven't quite made up my mm. I yet." "Otcar Vallingrr would have tuited her, from your detriiptiou, I should think." "But Ocar is flying kites and hat climb ed into r tailed society," said Julian, smil- iug. "It : slippery up there, though. 1 wonder if he will keep his tooting eh ?" would probably tell you, if you remonstrat- ed with him, that no private feeling should interfere with the discharge of public duty, und that he owed it to his cons lence and to art to say what he thought of me, even though we were friends " " A little scrub like that ! They ought not to dare to allow him to review any book of yours!" cried Paul, still furn-is. " He it beside himself, I think. What do you intend todo, Kent?" Let him alone." was the amused answer. " He very likely believes himself lo be am- eer*." " He ought lo be suppressed "' " He will suppress himself , 1'anl, if you give him the chance. He i.s a little ' out of himself,' as the French say, on bis en- gagement to her ladyship ; he l* presuming I'M, far upon his notoriety, and everybody will perhaps not be a* forbearing as I am. I liAveheaid," he concluded, with a smile, that he has a political pamphlet in the press. 1 fancy that will about do for him wilh the Karl, his future father-in- law. at all events. Hut come -they have announced dinner ! Let us leave Mr. Mallin B er alone and proceed totouietbing pleasanter. Miss Itut lair), may I escort you ?" He turned lo 'ier aud offered her bit arm, wilh a smile which wa* peculiarly hit own tweet and comparatively rare. " Lei me have the honour of reminding you all," he continued, thai I am uot a night novelist, but a man to- The stalls at St. James's Hall were crowd- ed for the great violinist's recital ' tat rapt half her attention ciMicuiitrated on what wa* passing round her, the other lalf in fierce clf quosliootug* about what the hail heard. Womanlike, her first impulse had been to take up the cu Igels for the man she haal so adored. Malliuger the Mallinger she had inowti- was surely incapable of such base- nets ai this *ho bad just heard ditcuawed ! Hut tlien a voice whispered in her ear. How did this man treat you ? If he could throw over the woman who loved him, would he hesitate to injure hi* friend ?" " Oh, why why cannet I get away from the remembran e of him ? " the thought 1 tied from home to avoid Little did Cecily dream whose name had j-itt been littered its she followed Vanda into the charming drawing-room. The Kent* lived in a Hat in Chelsea a palalitl one, with every modern improve- ment. It just suited Iheir wandering habits, D ***' lot ihev were always travelling. This draw- ing-room, dark and rich in coloring, lighted by glowing tire and soft Ump. and tilled wilh curiosities of every soil, seemed a fairy lam' lo ( Vcilv. It is to be hoped that Mr. Kent was pleas ed with his visitor s appearance, foi woie the very same while dress as 1 at night, had made bun the . could, as it were, from his tubjecl and hold it up to the view but not brutally. So tenderly did touch the longings, tin failings, the hopes and fear* of the men and woman of Ins Jay that those who read felt th*:r hearts warm with sympathy towards those who moved, lived, suffered, and were glad in his page* : e fallen into the mid<t of bu friends or hit enemie*. lo speak more cor- rectly. I did all I could lo forget him, but it has been of no me. Here, as everywhere, I canno'. escape from my misery." The change whish hai fallen upon her spirits did not escape Kent's notice. Hu r sne , . ,,ht. int n " '!"" ' y'"P thv .*" wh " He held her eyes witb hit, to make her continue to look at him. " Do you like it it it giving you pleas- are ?" he a*ked, almost in a whisper. " It is wonderful it is bewi tiering ! I cannot thank you properly now," she mur- mured. " You hav thanked me with yor eyes. LikeJane Eyre s, thoM features ar* tell- tales and reveal snore thn you know." " L>o they? ' she said, with sudder. con- tternation ; and Kent railed at himself for a clumsy fool, s* he saw that hi* own words bad reminded her of what, at the mooicnt, the had absolutely forgotten. It wat the end of the first part, and the people began lo move about and talk. It teemed ai if all the Knots tet could tpeak of wat Malliuger t attack upon bin- in the Forum. Amongst others who came np was Mr. Krace, the editor of the National Critic whom Cecily had met the night before at Mrs. Luc more-.. " Well, Kent," wa* his greetir g, "this it Ire most impudent thing ot the season, isn't it ? U must be put a stop to at one*. The youugman hat exposed himself quite enough He must have his quietus." " Von are all too hard upon him," said Kent unemotionally. " The th.ng is rather clever; there are some good bits in il." "The thing it impertinent trash from end to end,' cried the editor angrily. " The r'crnm ought lo be above such balder- daah. We have had a good many fui.* ny things in literature lately, but 'p-m my life. I think thu spectacle ot Malliuger t:t- ting down to criticise Kent beats th* record !" " I don't see it,' 1 said the novelist. He ha* been very succcesful. ' " Successful? With whom ? Among whom? Hysterical advanced young women and mor- bid men : but I'll put a stop lo it. Wait till I get my knife into him '." During the whole dialogue Kent's eye* had been fixed upon Cecily Her changing color, quickened breath, and silent interett ezaaperat*d him unaccountably. "Let absents ont toujonra tort, is it not so. Mikt Rutland?" he said with a most a sneer. "Absent? Yes; he'* not in London jutt now. He it staying with Mylner down at garnet necklace and all. kissed her, i r friund. "My sou lias told me a greM deal about irey field, you know, with hi* aristocratic fiancee," said Brace nnamiably. " He is done for, though. 1 warned him. Dome lime ago, that he was not the great uian he fan- 'let himself ; but it wan i a use. He it rushing on hi* own destruction ' Julian Kent knew everything now, even the reason why Cecily had come to London. ovclistof the hour. He "" ''.' "'""'' " ulllll '' U1U> " ati] * WY ' r tear the hunt... heart "''^.nug.. The girl <". couUl not tpemk ; she was afraid of betray- )MJ ing herself. He watched her grow whiter ami wlnier, until he was afraid she wo-ild really faint ; but she was not v-eak enough for that. Unfurling her large white fan, she m\r I it slowly to and fro ; and. when Mr. Brace spoke to her told her how hi looked loiwanl so the Artists Item-fit Concert, ly as she could. " 1 must c-o and seek Miu Vanda,'' h said, alt, -i a long look at her, "and make I hi r ratify your acceptance of my invita- j eag me? It must lie his wonderful knowledge of character, for h* has not seen much of me." laughed Cecily. ,,u,W at her ease with I "' ['' ""? " , and howon.of his reporter, would be there -.he aensib'e. plan,, well-bred old lady. 1>lotle< ' ' ".""'<"'< " lb '"' "' $ "' -she ww ab!e to an.wer him with a com- "He,.trr,l,le li.tnd .1 s,ng lo the * ""I' 1 **** ' T b * ' posure thai astonished Kent. But of th. ""This was the man who was now making'" " 1 " 1 h * lf .' " progiammc- the heard a .study of I Vcilv Kutlaml. He had an idea ! Ilolh 'V' '' na he knew * h ihe <llj not - 8h -a vague one it p.M.nl- -that h. was on \ WM thlnl "" ' "'> " f Malinger. kitten o,, the m.ntelpiec*. ' ^ "W f ^^'^.^'^'^ "*" ark upon her- th*l had been hit very **-**J^3?ZL. ' >; v;Y ,*'"' ~ an to talk to her he Werlslt .,.iii-.i .r. M . Ou the second II >r of Ihe c if* in the (. ecily tuined niuiid suddenly upon Jul- "Am I the kind ol person one srei through at a glance ?" the said, with.grave gray eye* nt ii|win him. llelelt th challenge in these eyet ; he i * <Ia """ * felt that there .ore dep'h. , thl. g.rl '-"* 6 , lrl '" Kl..lts r*ls r Ihe sorl awnken--d the |.-, k wh: -h in. iles the >|K., lator togit/.caiiil ga/e again, in thr hope of res.ling 11,1,1 1 . in that neipetinj -w,.-( nes, of nnalymng its -lepihs and Us inten- tion. She hail len \ery a'tr.i.m. MnllitiL- r met her Hrsl : but now her at- tractions were doubled. >>lie had l-i llntnK ulge mywlf with a Hr*t sight ,,t M, , Kut- Un.lwheP,he.ir.,h..,..S.ra.ate. >he ,,. , . ',;,',',., promised ti dine at Inslsca tomorrow. Will yo,, ,.. uh her?" i ""',' Wllh 'I" "fhat lw,ll.",.,d unamote,! V.nda W1 ^ '" <l "" 1 l '' r 1 ' -I. hall l.ke n . all things. I ^" "' ". J 'T V g,,mg , p| y U.p,. M i,r. 1 have' iu>'i! other people e thrmigii you.' wan what he !:(. "If .lie is shallow, lhat . pretty speeches naye the 'ook which a,-umpame_d th word* bad II been a very bitter one. To night, her voluntary start al Mai linger 's nani- recalled both the words and the look. She had listened eagerly to the conversation which followed, but had taken no part iu it At fact, until MalliniriM appealed upon il. m-.-ne. t he recept loii of her playing in Ihe lleluli!", mho.., I of lEyelamla had U-.-I, ( inie wnh.'iil enlhuiiasin. Th's ha.l .:,. , I- ..Ih.t, but il had not in uli- her nervous, wilh her |..i,,ve,l mini in her hull, I she must I, t li-i elf go .she mill, I nol l,e ililhdenl ol col, I. Ai II 'inclusion of her i-lfort there was an in. t int > II rilling |uinse. mid then mi. Ii a rniiml of npplsuse as almost took ihe yi.im^ performer's breath away. Thore wu not [,. i-.in in that room who wa* not a connoisseur, who did lint know tin- worth of Mich playing as had ills' In-ard She was sun-nun, led. Half a,d,,/.en were asking to lie lull. ,.|ii,-ed in her. Vunda thrilled with pride at her friend's In ph. " I told you so !" the laid in s, low tone to l.'i- '.ml. "I knew the had only lobe beard tO I* p|,le,-l i-ril. " "-e. ii ami heard too," replied Richard, wild the warmth of an enthusiast " Music ei nit to breathe from every pulse.' " >ome moie ! Some moie !" i-lmi,,.n,l every \ < ly took up the bow again, thrilling w.iha new strange exultation. Mnllmger had IM-I-O light, then, when he |, ,,i,.| pi, uses intohi-i eai ; Ins \,-i,i ,t wa* true she was nnuppre -;.te.| at Kyidand* I- she ws not nn.lei si.,,,,1 Sin- pulied mn Iron, her heap of n.iisi,' an almost unknown |.i, , liyliri'g a wiid Norse, r HIIHII. e, simply eilhd "A I'aieweli." Mallinger hud in- vented a whole lil.ie'to for the muni ami in acim .' H to !> I IIP leave-tali in i_- \'iknii! chief, to whom it ha.l |>rnphe*ifd that he ln ill, I ii'\er i.-tuin to the wife he ador-d. How WK|| thu girl i. -in. nl .1 -led pi-tying t (ireytitdd tli night t><-tor his ilcpni lure last winter '. il-.w she n-. i i. .I iii-i'iiish lignls in th, II mini; loom ai tl.e M - ; me nnddii g over his I ic!u ; Mn Mylner ill./ ing o.-er her i-rnel ..i.nie.rpanc ; Kngh - ' f'a lirolhei in a i-iin> i Hitb Murjnrie playing i - .1. no ; Ubyl castlstf tcndei gUticen at Si|iiire Hsi 1 rg. win was longing t.l. in the ha k ,n,. in k . i i.i .in i ith Miss r.lltlsml mi I \|.illii f. r , iv In: fmr t ,.!.! two iasi, t:, inn- I l,y the tajietlry riirlt.ns .-( ih. sttinwsy. J ,lis ' L i :io y ' tl.eie wm 1,0 , l.y In- n. n., I i ii" voivO a i.ij in . ing I|I-M hy on wm^s Sue wa* almost lw- I with the iniiiiU-r of new faces and Ih -new and strsnge topis on which the lii'-lnhi i 1 ol III" I'.irty ,-onveised. When il was all over and sh was safely tucked in'o Lit .. ii-,.i- ,i,n- bed. she was -ai to, i Hied -o. |o more thai' j st lememlier ,.y surprise I I'at \UI m.v r n imm had ri- i lo h,-r , luring the whole evening, except wiien pliving h.r v:.-.m T: -o hilt, r lo.t woman, of U-ing ignoie.l, passe. I o\,-i. toinakcn that feeling which Intd poiiou>.l her life tor the past n. on ilu seemed almost gone. Here in l^mdoii, liefore the n i I l.i --n Mieie :,.i i hi.-.- I.., uis. silo was n , light out, P|>: ed. made miicti of [' wat a dangerous reac- tion Chief and above all was r-ngmg in hnr lii-ad ihe crowning glory of the evening .lust Iwfme Ihe giies-* separalnd, I;, hn.l Lnimoie hail .'ome up and, on behalf of the co III in I Ite. 'uke.l her to play al tlie.ippi, ,. h ing Ailists' Benefit I'm rt. It WHS nol ui.nl atinnvaids ' Mai v'anda ma li! her uiniertttnd fully what honor this was. I he t was to be helii in Camulot House, the gteat h -t . of the K It, of I, tin. >i n a. I l.i it I he 1 1 CUM n ' I." |n .. i tinine. were to 1 performed by la-i.. m . ...nlle- men of Iille. Kc it >i ions were lo be g vmi by a Mar, hionesi ol literary |>n.. iui i- . the La-iies Advliii, ,iinl \ngla, Ihe Dukc-'s little daughters, were in the oi.'hnstra. and a few of the IH-II', singers of the day were gladly giving their services it, is to lie feared more ti oblige the I'u -I -.IMS thin the m e.ly artittt who were to reap tho fruit of their lai>oin. i ': untrue, if she had a success, ii meant instant fame to Cecily; and her dn mis that night might ln.ve tioeii of a most excit- ing d>-H.'>ipiii,n had the not been too l i, ,i to have any dreamt at all. t IIAI'TKR IV. "Sin hi\s dark reddmh brown Imir, and a skin win. h by lamplight deemed to mn to bo faultiest, but which p. ,h., - -will not l>ear Ihe light of lay.' She moves like a ijiicrn, und last night wore a dress, about which I ran tell y..,, unly two tilings fi:'tt, . wl.lle ; ond, Kecnndly, the ought in MI lo v car iiny ol I r.'ulian, how do you knew? i -ii .- in .my other. ' " 1 LII..W l.j viit,;c ot i.iy art. Shu will llt an I do. 'tuts earn their daily bread by vivisecting tb-ir nearest end dearest. 1 sup- pose you have soen tint week's Korinn ?" "\ "." .in-vti-ied Kent -limply. "A casr exactly in point . aaid t'aul ve- hi-u.en'iy "Liou whi' vii di'l lor l! it Intlr i.|,<tar' i \Vho got him a |i!a -.- on the st.uf ol ihe I'urnin ' I I.e.. \ . i )m Jon, Mi Kent, HlOKt !li lely !or this irregu- laiitv' II . -I-- yon? Vrry wuli I hopo I I', i I his tort of thing d"-s m.iU.- one's blood I. .ii,. .ioes it not ' .lulisu, w h.it la tins? ' said Mm Kent. KamUII .-h.-.-ki-.l bimself tuil>l<-n'v m-i looked ap|>citliiigly al Kent, wh'> had made him one or two uuut ailing aignals to be i|iuet. Hi... I Ii the cut out o: the I'Hg ?" he .Tie I p'llI'Mlltlv. .In lan taiigln-il a little. And nil her kitu-ns' lint it is of no . i,ns"i|.ie!u .-. he said g<id-bumoinedly. "I've IK-.MI pretty muchly trtated in the Knriim- that's all, mother. I thriu;ht I would uot tell \on aboul it yet, Ii *-. it should ;c,il your enjoyment of Sarnte. " \ hontr.i- ie\mw ot sou in the Korum ? I c .iiiniii ,-lnve it, .liilun' cried his mother. ' What was the . it?" "The fifth uditn f V M . ' f r of Tiwte,'" said lUndall wr.kthlnllv. " lint thil is not the worst, Mr. Kent ! Who do you think is the icvn-viii ; \\lioiloyoii think has the impudence the sheer impudence -to put his n.tmi- to thu review? Oscar Mallinger, if you please !" Cecily Htarted. Kur her very life abe could not have helped dumg ao. The start was quite niomrnt uy, and the geneial at- tention so tix.'.l upon the tpeakei that only one person uw the lull laie sign. It was a mil , y for the girl that she wa* only expect- ed to nit s! ill, for she could not have spoken. What wat ihii the was hearing ? How were these people speaking of the man who wa* to her almost as god cf him whom the be- lieved to bo the leader of the literary cul- ture of the day ? " Oiifar Maihnge.r," the old lady wat say ilig "the y.iung follow to whom my mm wat to Liir'l, the handsome mntioal man whom he helpe.i on. and for whom he got a post on one of the papers? Oh, Mr. Kami- all, you have been misinformed ' ' It's all ri^'ht, mn'iei ; :hn paper's in ; . I., t," i.aid the. aullior t'an.|inlly, i - hai i mi Mailing r. He discuased Oscar's Cecily still pre- am to g .nl. >ow I shall enjoy my . I shall not be tormented W ,1, I ho '"?" er . tll . e . *&? Cmnle P ' Mr IU "' Hall and \ in. l.i l.uxmoru ' novels with much spirit. served silence. l)o you reail atked her. " Yc,' slio had rj plied. ' What d think of him ?'' " I like hm u<x>kt 1 inran, I think them -i, ...ei. 1 was Iho htirm-d response. " > .. n ilfclrd the n.nflist. "the ue\er ...I me ' ' lot I'h.i'be bail ;etai!ed to !nin this interesting fact. " She never hennl of m>>, but has read all Mallinger ; also, having read him and admired him, she I H-, ii c tre to talk ahout him What does i.us port, -ml ?" He net t-> wmk to think it out. Iu a pause of tho concert he aske,! her Wh.tt is your part of the country, Miss Klltlalld '" She told him. ' Ryeland* ?" lie taid. " I fancy 1 have met a man who caine from tbosu parts. Miller Mili'i-r. w J tbu name '.' " Uobert Myiner ? li he at the bar?' the aaked. " 'lhat't the man. Do you hn.iw him ?" ' Of counts- I do. We hitvn Iwen almost btonghl up with the Mylneisct (ireyfiehl : we share,) a goveruea* as children, and Sibyl a* with me at Dusteldorf . " Kent had < i rt tn.e<l nil he wished to know. He was well aware lhat Mallinger, at whose rooms he hail met Uonvrt Mylner, had stayed for a month nt I ireylield last I In iii mas. The knowledge, made him feel dissatisfied and cross, ho hardly knew why. As Cecily sat, her lovely pathetic eyes tiled upon Sanitate, he angrily imagined that she waa pity ing no heed to tbu treat :it> was giving list ; her heail waa avay with his nv.il. H* slarted. His rival ? Iu what sense, pray? He, the great Kmt, had never in his life admittrd that Mallinger was hit nv.l from a ltti i > point of view. What then what .-ni-llie hava meant? A rival for the regard 01 tlii* ounlry |r*on't ilaughtcr, whoo dehcatt) p-tiiu was turned towards him, wiiosu while arms lay motion- less with hands folded iu her lap? His itngr, ga/e nxed Itself upon her with such persistency that the felt it and turned slowly toward, him. The violinist was in the midst of a phrase not because the acceta to it i* difficult, for the door i* always open, but because the portfolios close and the stars disappear the in. .m. -lit an unknown face appears at the threshold. Don't believe for a moment that these dealers in preciou* stone* are afraid ot robber*. That is the smallest thing lhat bothers them. What they dread, according to the Boston t ; lobe, to let the small jewel- era know the real value of their goods. As M-tllinger^" Knt bad toon Mtll<l ' rlul > r >lPrts the arms s'.reu-h out and the port/olio* i eappt-.tr. 'I lie great er number of these portfolio* are made of lin and are cloned with a Ijck and key. In a moment the tables are covered with little bundles of while paper tunned like tinwc m which the druggists put rhubarb or sulphate of magnesia. I hese packages are opened, and in letstiine than it takes to tell it the tables, ni' iu. ling the billiard tal-le, are cov- ie.l with precious stunts which might ttai tie tho thah of Persia, K.t.-h oue of pel h tps In KIII packages contains a large number of brilliants. After they are ilirpost-d of the rare stones are inlroduccd. Here there are sap- phire* as big an nut*. There lies a black diamond alinoct a* large a* the t welve peai It thai surround it. Here, again, in a necklace ma IP of fifteen emera)aii that would majtu as many snulT-boxet. "Here it a rare liargain," shouts one of the mer cents, "one of the finest pieces of an- cient jewelry known! It is a necklace lhat belonged lo Mine. U l'rmcese (uemcueo. .Mounting, ili.iiu uvli- and all art) an, -lent. I'lin.e lYoisetnilofT refused 7 ">," NH'ranca for it twenty years ago." The necklace is pas*- i"! Iron, hand to hand. Indecision .ml doubt are painted upon tome faces. Atlaat the necklace is pasted to Michel. He is thu groat judge. He takes it, weighs it in his hand, looks at it with an iiidillerent air and says: " The two brilliants ate ancient. They come with their mounting, tr->m the Coun- tess de Prejoan. The two other*, still finer, once formed part of a ueckhvx- which was stol. -n 111 Venice in IHOi from \ljie. Moroaini. This necklace belonged lately to Lady Temple, whose husband purchased it at t'andahar of Isaac Lieven. Lady Tem- ple gavo it to her daughter, who hold it three days after her marriage. An for the sapphire in the centre, that comes from th* safe of Mile. Schneider. The rest is new nd comet direct from Hamburg. Rut, after all, it is well preserved, and 75, (KX) francs does not seem to bo too much tor it." As extiaonliuary aa it may appear, there are now living fivoor six individuals who know most of the costly diamonds and rich jewelt iu the world, and they are able to recoguire them after a lapse of thirty years, even when they had first teen them only a iromeiit, as certainly as a tailor would rec. ugiii/e nl thirty paces tbe customer who forgot to pay bun. Fog*-" My wif i* roally getting eomp'i- nie.ntary.'' llrrw, "Ah how's that?" V\ hy, she came mighty near speak- > rat en locks.' Hrown "How res,-, for insU. K - Why, hj tai.1 my liead looked like a ci-. f's ueit." of such exquisite pathos ami iweetneti that the audience was listening in breathless silence. Kent con! I tee In a Hash that the music, and that only, was tilling Cecily's ton). With .me hand the made him a little gesture not 1 1 move or speak and kept her beautiful eye* fixed upon him, a mule just dawning in their depthx. H* felt lhat be held hi* breath till the passage closes), dying away in a low palhi-tie wtil of the -c 'I hi-n ,-ihu v .1 ilh a tllgni i, i isitil ' lignre ' li ma'.i s (-ne shiver, Uoei it ,