Madame Flirt

a! Hav

ly genteel seminary for young ladies, Queen Square-quite an aristocratic retreat some two hundred years ago-was pacing the school-room. Her cold, sharp eyes roa

orking?" came the inquiry sharp

ever detected the movement. But the lady had her suspicions nevertheless, and she marched with the erectness of a grenadier to where Lavinia Fenton sat with her eyes f

perhaps is a more fitting word, she was but seventeen-of the school. But somehow her peccadilloe

g just now when you

straight, without a trace of guilt in them, at the thin-faced schoolmistress. The beautiful mouth, the upper lip of which with its co

am," was the

you. Your hand was not o

hought it was going to settle on Priscilla Cou

winged insect. It was a wasp, a real one, not the insect of Lavinia's fervid imagination. The windows were

feet shrieking. The chance of escaping from

more loved wasps than did her pupils. She retreated as the wasp advanced. The intruder ranged itself on the side

joined the champion and soon the school-room was in a hubbub. Probably the army of hoydenish maidens were not anxious the conflict should cease-it was far more entertaining than maxi

Fenton's remissness of conduct was forgotten-indeed her intrepidity sin

condemned to an hour with the backboard and there she sat in a corner of the room on a high legged chair with a small and extremely uncomfortable oval seat made still more uncomfortable by it sloping slightly fo

s and level shoulders. The backboard was admirable training for the carriage of the stately s

able and after a low curtsy to the mistress of the establishment preceded those who slept in the same room up the broad staircase.

f chatter, had to-night little to say. Her s

claimed pettishly. "I suppose I can do a

are it's not fair. You were terribly tormenting all day. Anybody but you would ha

'm tired, t

nearly got me into a scrape trying to make me laugh with your tickling. It w

you, so long as it doesn't bring Miss Pinwell ups

onfess now, isn't it the new curate at St. George's? He seemed to have no eyes for

race dear-you're nev

in love with her. She went white with anger. But she was slow witted. She had no sarcastic rejoinder ready and if she had it was doubtful if she would have utter

ntinued their talk among themselves. All the same, the principal top

those beds sufficiently close to each other to permit this luxury. When the neighbouring c

e broad framework lattice-wise on Lavinia's bed which was next the window. In daylight she had but to lie on her right side a

d leaning on her right elbow, her left hand insinuated itself beneath the pillow and drew forth a letter which she held in the moonlight and read. Her forehead puckered as though she were in doubt. Her steadfast eyes seemed to c

st Little

ld you in my arms it will change to bliss. You will keep your promise and meet me at the 'Conduit Head' to-morrow midnight, will you not? I can scarce contain myself with t

uteous Lavinia. I swear to you by all the gods that you shall be back at school before dawn, as on the night of the dance when I first saw my adorable divinity. No one will know but us two. It will be a delicious secret. After I have seen you safely to Queen

nce, ever your most d

ld Dorr

he fashion of the times-indeed it approached nearer modern ideas than the majority of love letters of that day which generally began with "Madam" without

bled her al

That would be horribly dull, especially if he had to come to London often. He hopes to be a great lawyer some day he says. I don't think I'd like him in a wig and gown and white bands. He would look so hor

nt the number of their meetings, once at a ball at Sadler's Wells Gardens and afte

. She was not blind to the fact that he was a fop and not blessed with too much brain. She had seen many of his sort be

he had always had some infatuated young man hovering about her even when she was her mother's drudge at the coffee house in Bedfordbury. Perh

rare to be called her ladyship. I can hear the footman saying: 'Your coach i

iedly, though eleven o'clock had only just struck and she had plenty of time. Perhaps she th

ithsdale hood of her cloak coquettishly. Then she noiselessly crept from the room, flitted down the staircase and was at the hall door shooting back its heavy bolts-fortunately always

She turned to the east, keeping in the shadow, slight as it was, of the school garden wall. When the "Conduit Head" at the top of Red Lion Str

lar work, rose before her! She had been some months at Miss Pinwell's establishment and her restless soul pined for a change. Tho

. But Mr. Gay-that was a different thing. She looked upon Gay as a father-of her own father she had but a shadowy recollection-though sometimes she thought she detected in him signs of a warmer affection than that which a father usual

owerful friends, and most likely the end of her ambition to be a great actress. Her mind had long been torn, and at the eleventh hour when she was on her way to meet her fate in Dorrimore she s

d wig white in the moonlight, pacing up and down, his hand resting on his sword hilt. He caught sight of the shrinking figure in the shadow and the hat was doffed in a profound bow. Undoubtedly a good lookin

so closely indeed that his ardour almost frightened her, though she knew not why. He wit

creature in the world and I protest I am the luckiest o

. The rise and fall of her

e. Isn't that enou

heart. Then let us waste n

er all the more enchanting and he quickened his pace. She was compelled to accommodate her steps to his, but she did so unwillingly. A sudden distrust whether of him or of herself she could not quite de

s swarthy complexion had a patch of purplish bloom spreading itself over the cheek bones which told of constant tavern lounging. A pair of h

in fact lifting her inside bodily with unnecessary violence for she was almost thrown into a corner of the back seat. Dorrimore followed, turned, shut the door and a