CHATEAU DE THORENS AGAIN.
Eighteen years have, of course, made a great many changes in Château de
Thorens. The old baroness is long since at rest, she died a few years
after her son Léon was drowned; and Père Yvon, though still alive, is
very old and infirm, and lives in daily expectation that the summons
will come for him to follow his late patroness to her last home. The
baron is stouter than he was when he ran down the spiral staircase with
his infant daughter in his arms that midsummer evening, whose work
he would have given the rest of his life to undo, so bitterly had he
repented of it. His hair, too, is turning white, though he is under
five and forty still, and there is a settled melancholy look in his
brown eyes, which not all the jokes of his three sons can ever wholly
chase away. The young baroness is no longer known by that name since
the old baroness died, yet she still looks very young to be the mother
of those three great boys, the eldest of whom, a tall handsome youth of
sixteen, named Léon, after his poor uncle, to whom he bears a striking
resemblance, is now hanging over her and trying to persuade her to ride
with him before dinner this September evening.
“Oh! Léon, I can’t! It is much too hot!”
“Nonsense, mother, it will do you good; you are getting much too
stout,” said Léon, mischievously; for he knew his mother prided herself
on her figure, which was slight and almost girlish.
“Léon, you dreadful boy! I am sure it is not true! I will ask your
father; and I certainly won’t ride with you now, to punish you for your
impertinence. Besides Rex de Courcy came back yesterday, and I am sure
he will be here later to see me.”
“Ah! now we have got at the real reason. Of course, if Rex is coming I
have not a chance,” said Léon, half in earnest, half in fun, for he was
rather jealous of his mother’s friendship for Rex de Courcy.
“Don’t be silly, Léon; I have not seen Rex for two months, and I am
longing to hear all about his visit to England. Besides, I never can
forget what a comfort Rex was to me before any of you boys were born;
he always seems to me almost like one of my own sons. Go and get your
father to ride with you; it will do him good; and tell the other boys
Père Yvon is expecting them in the study,” replied the baroness.
These three boys were the only children she had, and though she
worshipped them, and had long since ceased to grieve for her little
baby daughter, yet the baron, proud as he was of his sons, never
forgot the little girl he had got rid of so much more thoroughly than
he had ever intended to do. He never spoke of the child even to his
wife, and all the boys knew of her was that they once had a little
sister who was drowned with their Uncle Léon; and yet a day never
passed on which the baron did not think of her, and in his secret heart
he cherished a hope, vain and futile as he knew that hope to be, that,
after all, perhaps she had not perished with Léon, and he might yet
live to hold her in his arms. Perhaps if he had had another daughter
to take the place of the lost one he might not have hankered after the
sleeping baby he had so ruthlessly torn from its luxurious home to be
cast upon the waves of a wicked world. But no other daughter had come,
and, though her three fine boys satisfied the baroness’s heart, there
always remained an empty place in her husband’s.
As the baroness had said, Reginald de Courcy had been a great comfort
to her in those sad days when she believed her own baby to have
perished with Léon. From the day when she went to stay at Parc de
Courcy, while her husband and M. de Courcy were in England inquiring
into the loss of the Hirondelle, until her own Léon was born, the
baroness thought a day lost unless she had half an hour of the pretty
little Rex’s society; and ever since, though he was too old to be a
companion for her boys, Reginald had been a constant visitor at Château
de Thorens, which he looked upon as a second home, and came and went as
he pleased.
It was now two months since he went on a visit to Oafham Park, a visit
spent, as we know, in winning Fairy’s heart; and the baroness, who had
heard rumours of some love affair which had occupied Rex in England,
was expecting him to call this evening, feeling sure he would make her
his confidante. And in this she was not disappointed, for when Rex
appeared, as he did a little later in the afternoon, she found he was
quite as anxious to talk of his late experiences in England as she was
to hear.
Like all lovers, Rex felt the next best thing to being with his
beloved was to be with someone to whom he could openly discourse
upon her perfections; moreover, he had great hopes of winning the
baroness to take his part in the matter, in which case perhaps she
might be prevailed upon to invite Fairy to come and stay at Château de
Thorens, and he felt confident if his people could only see her apart
from her foster family, they could not in reason object to her as a
daughter-in-law.
“And you are really engaged, Rex?” asked the baroness, when Rex had
paused to take breath in the midst of an eloquent panegyric on Fairy’s
beauty and many virtues.
“Of course I am, and what is more I mean to marry her as soon as she
is of age, in spite of all my people may say to the contrary, and at
present I don’t see a chance of their giving their consent.”
“But why not? I thought your mother had always declared she would let
you choose your wife in the English fashion; and surely she would
rather you married an English girl and a Protestant, would she not?”
“Yes; but, ahem! you see there are some insuperable difficulties,
which, at present, I don’t see any way to overcoming.”
“Why, isn’t your _fiancée_ a lady?”
“A lady, baroness! why, she is an angel!” indignantly exclaimed
Reginald.
“Oh! of course, we always are until we are wives; but who is she?” said
the baroness, beginning to suspect there was a great deal more to be
confessed yet.
“Well, you see, that is the very thing, I don’t know who she is; she
does not know herself; in fact, nobody knows.”
“Nobody knows who she is! My dear Rex, this is very odd; pray explain
yourself. Who is she?”
“She is the dearest, prettiest, sweetest, most elegant little creature
you ever saw in your life. Her hair——” began Rex.
“Oh, but you have told me all about her hair and her wonderful eyes and
her exquisite complexion before; I want to know her name, and where she
lives, and what her father is, and all about her.”
“She has not a father; in fact, she has no relations. She was found by
her foster father when she was a baby, and the people all believe the
fairies brought her, and they call her the fairies’ child.”
“But, my dear Rex, there are no such things as fairies; surely you
can’t believe what those ignorant English peasants say. Who is her
foster father then?”
“Well, that is the unfortunate part; he is only a shepherd, and yet
Fairy, that is her only name, is as perfect a lady as my mother or Lady
Oafham.”
“Oh, but my dear Rex, it is impossible, brought up in a shepherd’s
cottage!” said the baroness.
“Do you mean to say I don’t know a lady when I see one?” asked Rex,
angrily.
“On the contrary, I don’t know a better judge, but in this case, Rex,
don’t you think it is possible you are biassed by your feelings; don’t
look so black at me; you know I always tell you exactly what I think,
and if you begin to quarrel with me about this wonderful Fairy, I
shan’t like her.”
“I am not going to quarrel, only I want you to believe me, though,
of course, it must sound incredible. She has been educated like a
lady with the rector’s daughters, she speaks French better than any
English person, except my mother, I have ever met; she paints and sings
charmingly, and the Leslies—Mr. Leslie is the rector and a friend of
the Oafhams—are as fond of her as of their own children, and she often
stays with them, and nearly always spends her mornings at the rectory,
and the Leslies think there is no doubt she is a lady by birth, though
they have never been able to trace her parentage. They know no more
about her origin than I do, namely that she was found by the shepherd
on his doorstep one summer evening.”
“And does your mother know all this?”
“No, my people know nothing at present unless the Oafhams have
ferretted it out.”
“Then what made you tear yourself away? I thought you were to stay in
England for some Protestant carnival in November?”
“So I was to have done, but Mr. Leslie persuaded me to go away because
the shepherd would not allow me to see her any more unless I had my
father’s consent to our engagement, and at present I know it would be
worse than useless to ask for it. But the Leslies and I have made a
little plan by which I hope to win it. If I tell you the plot you will
promise not to breathe it to anyone, not even the baron; if it fails, I
give you leave to tell him; and if it succeeds, of course everyone will
know. Will you promise?”
The baroness nodded assent, and Rex continued—
“Well, you know, my father is going over to this carnival, which takes
place at Lewes on the 5th of November. It is a grand sight, some people
say, only second to the Carnival at Rome; some say it is better. The
Leslies are going to invite Fairy to spend a week with them. They will
bring her to the carnival and introduce father to her. He is sure to be
charmed with her, and will go and call on the Leslies, where he will
see she is like one of the family, and then I hope to win his consent
to our marriage before he finds out her foster-parents, or perhaps in
spite of it, for Fairy is sure to captivate him.
“I don’t think anyone could resist her. Even her foster-father was
obliged to consent to this plan when she asked him, though he wanted
to put a stop to our engagement at once and get me packed off here for
good. I must say the man behaved uncommonly well, though, about it, and
acted with the feelings of a gentleman, though he is only a peasant.
He said he knew it would be exceedingly disagreeable to me to have to
discuss the subject of my marriage with a poor man like him, so he went
to Mr. Leslie and put the matter in his hands, asking him to speak to
me, and so the very day after I was engaged to Fairy I had a letter
from Leslie, asking me to call on him the next morning. I went, little
dreaming what he wanted to see me about, and there I was closeted
with him the whole morning, and a nice state of mind I was in when I
heard I was never to see my Fairy again unless my father consented to
our marriage. However, Leslie I soon found, though at first he was on
stilts, was on my side, and we arranged the little conspiracy I have
just told you, for he thinks with me if my father can only see her
apart from her foster-parents, he will be so favourably impressed with
her that he will eventually give his consent. But Leslie would only
promise to help me on condition I left England at once; he would not
even agree to my seeing Fairy again, though he promised to go and tell
her at once what we had planned, and he consented to my writing to her
once a week.
“I went back to Oafham, intending to return home at the end of the week
without seeing Fairy again, though I did not know how to keep away from
her. But, to my joy, Mr. Leslie walked over the next morning, and told
me I might go that afternoon and say good-bye, for Fairy had spent the
whole of the previous day in crying and saying, ‘I want my Rex,’ ‘I
will have my Rex,’ ‘I don’t care what John says, I will have my Rex;’
so when the shepherd came home that evening he went to Leslie at once,
before he had his supper, and said he could not bear to see his little
sunbeam in tears, and I might go and bid her good-bye. So I went, and
found her as bright as ever, and Mrs. Shelley laughing at her and
saying she wished everyone’s sorrows were as shortlived as Fairy’s, who
cried for her lover for a whole day, as if she were crying for a doll,
like the child she was; and then the shepherd, who had always spoilt
her, sent for me, and gave his wife a good scolding for letting me go
to the house in the first instance. But I shall tire you out with my
tales of Fairy. I could talk of her all day long and all night, too,”
said Rex.
“Well, you must stop and dine with us. Arnaud will be glad to see you
again. You won’t tell him about it, I suppose?”
“No, certainly not. Please don’t tell him a word, will you? My mother
would not like it if she knew I had told you; but, you see, it would
never do for me to tell my people under present circumstances.”
The baroness promised not to mention it to her husband, little thinking
that the Fairy in question was no other than her long-lost and now
forgotten daughter. It never for one moment occurred to her that such a
thing could be possible, for she had never doubted that the child had
perished in the Hirondelle with Léon. Nor was she at all aware that
her husband doubted this, and cherished a secret hope that one day he
might find his long-lost treasure. Perhaps had she known this she might
have begged Rex’s permission to mention this mysterious love of his to
Arnaud; and one thing is certain, had she done so the baron would not
have rested until he had been to Lewes and made every inquiry, and in
all probability he would have discovered the truth.
On such trifles as we count them does the whole course of our lives
turn. One word from the baroness to her husband, and that word
might—and in all probability would—have led to the recovery of their
child; but that word was not spoken, and Fairy remained at the
shepherd’s.
Very slowly indeed did those two months of September and October pass
for Rex, and as the baroness was his only confidante, it was natural
that he should spend a great deal of his time at Château de Thorens;
and when the baron and his sons were present, since he could not talk
of Fairy, he was never tired of talking of the Lewes carnival, to
which he looked forward with such impatience. Indeed, he so fired the
imagination of the baron with his description of the wonderful doings
which were to take place, that there was at one time some talk of the
baron going over with M. de Courcy and Rex; but Père Yvon put his
foot on this arrangement, by objecting to Arnaud’s being present at a
demonstration against Roman Catholics; and as Rex could not deny that
he believed part of the proceedings consisted in mobbing the Roman
Catholics of the town, and in travestying some of their sacred rites,
the baron abandoned his scheme, for he was a devout Romanist, and
submitted to Père Yvon’s authority in all spiritual matters.
At last the first of November dawned, and that day Rex and his father
crossed the Channel, hoping to reach Oafham in due time for the wild
revels of the fifth.
(_To be continued._)
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
EDUCATIONAL.
ADMIRER OF MERLE’S CRUSADE.—You are too young to enter a hospital
for training. You might, however, prepare for so doing by attending
ambulance classes, where practical bandaging is performed. Also get
a shilling manual, which we have often recommended, “Sick Nursing at
Home.” (Gill, 170, Strand, W.C.)
ANNIE B. C.—There is an amateur girls’ society, called the
Arithmetic Society, which includes algebra, and to which instructive
correspondence in English and French is added. As usual, the fee is
little more than nominal, and prizes are given annually. Secretary,
Miss Frances Mason, care of Mr. Horwood, 62, Green-lanes, London, N.
WORK.
REGULAR SUBSCRIBER.—We do not understand your question about crewel
work, but as you have our paper, you will easily find articles on it to
give you the special information you need.
FEATHERY FLAKES.—A dark green velveteen bodice would look the best with
a dark green serge skirt. It should be made quite plain, with a pointed
front and a coat-tail back.
NANCY TILL.—Slate, or a pretty light brown, or a grey cashmere, would
all be pretty colours for a serviceable wedding gown. The bonnet should
match, unless you preferred a white one, which would be more suitable
to a wedding, but less useful. We wish you much happiness and God’s
blessing on your union.
A. J. D. H.—We should not advise you to expend ten shillings on any
such advertisement; they are generally mere catchpennies, and the money
is wasted.
MAY.—You can procure the special instruction books that you require at
the _Bazaar_ office, 170, Strand, W.C.
ART.
SAILOR.—We judge from your specimen that you have some taste for
painting, and we should recommend a course at the nearest school of
art, where you might join an evening class. If, however, you still wish
to join one of the girls’ societies in which the members’ specimens are
sent for criticism, you must consult the “Directory of Girls’ Clubs,”
by Miss Caulfeild, price one shilling and sixpence, published by
Griffith and Farran.
A. WILLIAMS.—The varnish applied to mirror painting is used for the
purpose of preserving the oil-colours, and bringing up their most
brilliant tones. A white surface as a commencement is not absolutely
necessary, but if not used, flake white should be mixed with the first
tints of each colour.
HOUSEKEEPING.
A. H.—The stillroom-maid of the present day has charge of the
housekeeper’s room, and waits upon her and on those of the household
who dine with her. She assists the housekeeper in her preparations for
second courses and desserts, and looks after linen and the reserved
stores of glass and china.
KATIE will find that a raw potato, cut into small pieces, with a little
water, well shaken up and allowed to stand for a few hours, will clean
decanters and glass jugs and bottles beautifully.
ALEXANDRA.—Enamelled saucepans may be cleaned with a little chloride of
lime with water. Let it stand for a time, and rub well with a cloth.
This will restore its whiteness to the enamel. When burnt, boil some
soda and water in them.
LLANTHONY.—The washing should be done at home by the servant, and you
will have to help in the house yourself. The butcher’s bill must not
exceed 10s. a week, which ought to be enough, with care. You do not say
where you live, so we cannot give you much help.
F. W. M.—There are many recipes for making polish for furniture, but
none better than the old-fashioned turpentine and beeswax. Making
polish is an expense and waste of time now, for most chemists keep good
polish at a moderate price. To apply the polish, make a wad of old
cloth, put some on it, and apply to the furniture, rubbing it in very
well till quite dry. Then finish with an old silk rag. The wood must
of course be perfectly clean first, and if not so use a little vinegar
and oil to clean the surface. It would be impossible to tell you how
long to rub; your own sense must be your guide. Do not rub a hole in
the table, for instance, nor rub your fingers to the bone; and you will
find it to your advantage not to leave the polish in pools on the table.
MISCELLANEOUS.
DAPHNE and MURIEL.—You had better make your own selection amongst those
named in the “Directory of Girls’ Clubs,” (Griffith and Farran, St.
Paul’s-churchyard, E.C.) The rules, fees, and prizes differ in the
various societies respectively, so you should be acquainted with them.
Any stationer would procure a copy for you, or you could write direct;
price one shilling and sixpence. 2. A very little salad oil applied
with a scrap of flannel, and rubbed dry with a chamois leather, would
suit the black furniture.
ANXIOUS INQUIRER.—We thank you for your offer of articles; but our
staff of experienced writers and authors is very ample, and we have no
means of assisting you in this way. Good wood engravings sell well, but
the competition is considerable.
ADELHEID VON DÖRING.—1. The word “anomalous” means irregular, deviation
from ordinary rules, abnormal. 2. Pierre, in the line of Byron’s
“Childe Harold”—
“Shylock and the Moor,
And Pierre cannot be swept or worn away,”
was a conspirator in Otway’s tragedy of _Venice Preserved_. He dies,
stabbed by Jaffer.
NEST BIRD.—The Castle of Hurstmonceux is Norman. Waleran de Monçeau,
first lord of the district, gave his name to it. From an heiress of
this family, it passed to Sir John de Fienes, whose descendants, the
Lords Dacre, held it till 1708. An ancient manor-house existed on the
site of the castle. This was built, temp. Henry VI., by Sir Roger de
Fienes, entirely of brick. The interior, having fallen into decay, was
demolished by Wyatt (architect), and used for enlarging the present
mansion, Hurstmonceux Place, at one side of the park. The shell of the
castle remains—half fortress, half mansion. The moat was drained, temp.
Elizabeth. The flanking towers are eighty-four feet high, and capped
by watch turrets. The shield of the Fienes, with their supporters,
the _alannes_, or wolf-dog, figured in most of the windows, and over
the porter’s lodge was a room called “The Drummer’s Hall,” in which,
tradition says, a treasure chest was concealed and guarded by a
supernatural drummer, whose drum was occasionally heard at midnight.
TOMBOY.—Has your mother provided a leather (calfskin) suit for you of
the “bloomer” or bathing-dress style? If not, how about the dresses she
gives you? Surely they are very unsuitable for the “climbing of trees”?
You may enjoy plenty of good exercise, in a great variety of ways, that
will not injure your clothes. Of course, if a mad dog or ferocious bull
were racing after you, no one could object to your climbing either a
tree or a wall, and you might prepare for such an event by some lessons
in gymnastic exercises.
BIRNE seems injudicious in her attempt to take high notes. She
risks the over-straining of her voice, and in so doing may lose it
altogether. One hour’s practice daily is quite sufficient, if not
preparing as a professional, in which case the period allotted for it
should be divided; and you should not attempt to sing after taking
outdoor exercise.
HIGH-SCHOOL GIRL.—1. Playing such games with your brothers under the
circumstances you name could not be at all objectionable. 2. Your
verses need counting through, and the beat or emphasis placed on the
proper syllable, as on the corresponding one in its corresponding line.
The verses have, otherwise, some merit.
WHITE ROSEBUD.—The old brass coin which you describe appears to be only
a token, and of no value.
[Illustration: ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS]
THOMAS D.—The story of the Barmecide Feast is given in the “Arabian
Nights,” in the tale of the “Barber’s Sixth Brother.” Schacabac, the
hare-lipped, a poor man in the greatest distress, called one day on
the rich Barmecide, who, in merry jest, asked him to dine with him.
Barmecide first washed in hypothetical water, Schacabac following
his example; Barmecide then pretended to eat of various dainties;
Schacabac did the same, and praised them highly, and so the feast was
carried on to its close; Barmecide was so pleased that Schacabac had
the good taste and temper to enter into the spirit of the joke without
resentment that he ordered a real banquet, at which he made Schacabac a
welcome guest. Thus, a Barmecide feast is a dream feast, an illusion, a
“castle in the air.”
C. B. D.—1. We cannot quite make out whether you intended to hoax us
or have been imposed on yourself by some would-be funny person. No
such person as John Yarrow appears in “Alibone,” nor in any such book
as a poet or elocutionist, nor as having refused the Poet Laureateship
before it was offered to Tennyson. 2. What the “gold key of Windsor” is
you must ask your informant to explain. Perhaps it is what the Irishman
called “the kay to stay out” when he was ordered from the house!
SOLDIER’S DAUGHTER.—A “drumhead” court-martial was a military court
held on the spot, and the trial concluded without further meeting. The
word originated from the fact that the big drum was placed on the three
smaller ones for a table, and the court formed round it, the regiment
being “in square” to witness the proceedings.
SCOTCH LASSIE.—Your very gratifying letter deserves our warm
acknowledgments. The wishes you express for us we heartily return on
your behalf.
MAYFLOWER (Halifax).—By some accident your flower has fallen out of
your letter, and we regret our inability to enlighten you upon it.
GLASGOW LASSIE.—Sponge the leaves of the plant with tobacco-juice. We
think that will free it from the vermin.
DOLLY R.—1. Your verses have more merit than the majority sent to us.
We could not promise their insertion, and in any case they were not
certified according to our rule. 2. Read our article on the care of the
hair, and consult our indexes for answers given on the same subject.
RAGGED ROBIN.—You should procure an old almanack of the year 1857 for
the information you require; likewise one for 1860.
RALPH ROISTER DOISTER.—The House of Parliament is spoken of as a whole,
not as separate individuals. Thus you say “the House is,” “the House
was,” not “the House are,” nor “the House were.” See “The Handbook of
the English Tongue,” by Dr. Angus.
TALL GIRL.—Provided that your intimacy with this man and the fact of
his alluding to your eventual marriage be known to your parents and
approved of, the next time he makes such an allusion, ask him about the
wishes of his own family in respect to it, and say that you could not
consent to any clandestine engagement; on your own part all was open
and satisfactory, and you required that all should be equally so on
his. An introduction to his parents should be arranged for without any
further delay, and they and your own parents should have an interview
together to settle all business matters on behalf of yourself and any
future family.
POP.—We could not say that to dye the hair is _wrong_; it is unwise
and unbecoming. Some people’s hair turns grey in separate streaks and
patches, and has a magpie effect, which forms some excuse for temporary
dyeing. But it is a very silly, vain thing for a young girl to dye her
eyebrows, especially as the attempt at deception of such a kind is so
complete a failure. That no one knows your secret is a mere delusion.
Your “no ones” must be remarkably “blind buzzards.”
GUMPOT had better send her dress to a dyer’s, as she has made such a
failure herself. Home-dyeing is usually so.
WEE-WO.—It is perfectly inadmissible to pick any description of bones
in the fingers in any polite society. It is a dirty habit, which
obtains amongst third or fourth class foreigners. Possibly you might
see an old and decrepid person or invalid of the upper circles of
society breaking through all acknowledged rules of good breeding when
in the privacy of home, and do many little things which they would
certainly not have done in former times. They take a special licence,
as it were, in view of the infirmities of health or age; but no such
liberty could be accorded to younger or stronger persons.
MISS BIGGS.—If you look through one or two of our recent numbers you
will find a long answer on the subject of phosphorescent plants, etc.
LEAMINGTONIAN.—1. We thank you warmly for your gratifying letter. We
can quite understand that our answers, like the arrow “drawn at a
venture,” will often strike where unknown to us, and carry, as you say,
regarding yourself, “a message specially for me.” 2. The celebrated
“White Horse of Wantage” (Berkshire), cut out of the chalk hills,
commemorates a great victory gained by Alfred over the Danes during the
reign of his then reigning brother, Ethelred I. It is called the Battle
of Æscesdun (Ashtree-hill). The length of the horse is 384 feet, and it
is visible at a distance of fifteen miles.
A LADY STUDENT OF MUSIC.—We have read your letter with much distress;
it reveals a state of things which should not exist. Professors in
musical colleges should treat their young lady students with the same
respect they would be obliged to show if they were giving lessons under
their fathers’ roof. They should certainly not call them by their
Christian names. We hope your letter is exaggerated; but we should, in
any case, advise the authorities of such institutions to keep a sharper
lookout, and, if need be, establish a duenna in each room, who should
be empowered to keep these exuberant and presuming professors in order.
There is nothing to prevent any girl from saying that she prefers being
called Miss So-and-so to the use of her Christian name by strangers.
IVY LEAF.—We believe that Lullington Church, in Sussex, is the smallest
church in England; it is sixteen feet square; but, judging from some
ruins on the exterior, it formed only part of a larger building,
of which the present church may have been only the chancel. Tilham
Church, near Gainsborough, is twenty-six feet long and seventeen
feet wide. There are also small churches at Culborne, near Minehead,
Chilcomb-grove, in Buckinghamshire, and St. Lawrence, in the Isle of
Wight.
MATTY.—We think, if your egg-eating hen be of little value, you had
better have her killed at once; but the fault usually begins through
lack of lime, which hens should always be able to get. Some people keep
a box of old mortar and lime rubbish in a corner of the hen-house.
MIZPAH.—Get a concordance, make a note of all the passages in which
the term occurs, and draw your own conclusions. It is often the case
that the accessories connected with certain acts—the company, hours,
expenses, etc.—are alone to be condemned as more or less objectionable;
not the mere act itself. Change these, and the latter may be good in
itself. But we have no liberty to judge our neighbours in such matters.
Every man must be “fully persuaded in his own mind.” “To his own Master
he standeth or falleth.”
SPIDER.—It never was etiquette to wear gloves at dinner. Mittens may be
worn. Sweetbreads are eaten with a fork; a knife is not necessary.
EMILY DAY.—How disgusting your description! To neglect brushing the
teeth and cleansing the mouth brings its well-deserved and bitter
punishment. A visit to a dentist is now essential, and you should
make a bargain with him for doing all that is necessary after he has
examined all the teeth.
G. TODD.—Consult our indexes, and send your gloves to a cleaner.
* * * * *
[Transcriber’s Note—the following changes have been made to this text.
Page 323: Augoulême to Angoulême—“Angoulême at Hartwell”.
Augoulême to Angoulême—“marriage with the Duc d’Angoulême”.
Page 330: Bordoni to Bondoni—“Giotto di Bondoni”.]