When one sees THE HONEY BEE constructing his little hexagonal CELL, and
the SPIDERS weaving their webs and bridges, with all the accuracy of the
ENGINEER, which operations are not ACCIDENTALS, one is inclined to ask:
is one MAKING THE MOST OF ONE'S MIND? Candidly: I DON'T KNOW: perhaps
not; but I do know from a scientific standpoint, the comparison is not
permissible; still it makes ONE think. However, what is most apparent to
me is that I am in THE CLUTCH OF CIRCUMSTANCES, and I have to write this
tale; THEREFORE, ONCE UPON A TIME, as all stories should begin, a certain
successful debutante, known as LADY ROSE'S DAUGHTER, THE LADY EVELYN, sat
in her boudoir in THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, IN LONDON TOWN, looking at
THE FACE IN THE GIRANDOLE, and listening to THE CHIMES of the SILVER
BELLS, announcing THE ELEVENTH-HOUR. This room, like THE CIRCULAR STUDY
on the floor below, was hung with GOBELINS, between which, at regular
intervals, were hung original DRAWINGS OF GAINSBOROUGH, the floor being
covered with that world-famous textile, THE CARPET FROM BAGDAD, while
upon a magnificent LOUIS XIV stand were some exquisite specimens of
SALT-GLAZED STONEWARE, stamped with THE GREEN SEAL.
Through THE OPEN SHUTTERS came the VOICE OF THE STREET, and from distant
KENNEDY SQUARE, the occasional bark of THE GOLDEN-GREYHOUND,
intermingled with the soft lapping noise of THE MOVING OF THE WATERS in
THE POND IN THE MARSHY MEADOW.
MAMZELLE FIFINE, her ladyship's maid, was in the act of affixing THE
JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS to her ladyship's beautiful new Peqiun CREATION,
when VIVIETTE, one of the parlour maids entered, carrying a box.
"MILADI," said THE EXPERT MAID-SERVANT, "this box was left but a moment
ago and DENIS DUVAL told me to bring it to your ladyship at once, as THE
MESSENGER said it contained FAMILY SECRETS; there is a key in this sealed
envelope."
THE VERMILION BOX, upon being opened with THE DIAMOND KEY, disclosed A
RED LILY, to which was attached a card bearing the short inscription,
"LEST WE FORGET," and the INITIALS ONLY, TO M. L. G.
NOW, the Lady Evelyn, being A DIPLOMATIC WOMAN, NOWADAYS, not unusual,
expressed her astonishment in but seven WORDS, "AT LAST, THE TRUTH ABOUT
THE CASE," and continuing said, "Viviette, draw THE CRIMSON BLIND, see
that MY STUDY FIRE is lighted, and ask ANN BOYD, the housekeeper, to come
to me at once."
The housekeeper entered almost immediately.
"Boyd," said HER LADYSHIP, "I shall postpone MY IRISH JOURNEY, TO-DAY; I
believe that before the TWELFTH NIGHT from now, I shall know who this
GABRIELLE TRANSGRESSOR is, in fact I intend to know if it take FIVE YEARS
TO FIND OUT; go to the Circular Study, and consult the last WHO'S WHO IN
MUSIC AND DRAMA, and let me know what it says about MADEMOISELLE CELESTE
of the Gaiety THEATRE; then telephone 2835 MAYFAIR, and ask WERNER, THE
COUNT'S CHAUFFEUR to go to number NINETY-THREE, MANSFIELD PARK, to-night
at nine o'clock, and finally tell BETTY THE SCRIBE to write a note of
acceptance to the private séance of VERA THE MEDIUM; and this afternoon,
if you care to, you may take your sister HELEN'S BABIES, SUSANNA AND SUE,
to WUTHERING HEIGHTS to see the HYPOTEMNODON, or, if you prefer, to
WAVERLEY to visit your UNCLE REMUS AND BR'ER RABBIT."