Lady Connie

the day, one of the strongest members of a strong Government, of whom St. Hubert's, which had nurtured him through his four acade

shine upon the lesser, by way of heightening the dignity of both. For the man who has outsoared his fellows likes to remind himself by contrast of his callow days, before the hungry and fight

g was clear and balmy; moonrise and dying day disputed the sky; and against its pale blue still scratched over with pale pink shreds and wisps of cloud, the grey college walls, battlemented and flecked with black, rose warmed and transfigured by that infused and golden summer in which all, Oxford lay bathed. Through open gateways there were visions of green gardens, girdled with lilacs and chestnuts; and above the quadrangle towered the crocketed spire of St. Mary's, ethereally wrought, it seemed, in ebony and silver, the broad May moon behind it. Within the ha

he red and black of the divines, the red and white of the musicians--this man's plain black was conspicuous. Every one who knew Oxford knew why this eminent scholar and theologian had never become a doctor of divinity. The University imposes one of her few remaining tests on her D.D's; Mr. Wenlock, Master of Beaumont, had never been willing to satisfy it, so he r

in a nasal voice to Sorell, who had been talking eage

all the right

sn't count. I only a

f Rome, and see if y

shrugged hi

ow too much about the Forum. They make me wis

l lau

l is not

. No pedantry there. And all the scholarship that coul

and stately young person in white satin, who carried her head and her long throat with a remarkable freedom and self-confidence. The head was finely shaped, and the eyes brilliant; but in the rest of the face the features were so delicate, the mouth, especially, so small and subtle, as to give a first impression of insignificance. The girl seemed all eyes and neck, and the coils of brown hair wreathed round the head were disproportionately ri

he Master, adding with an inward smile--"but if we forgot them--perhaps

wenty minutes, he and Lord Risborough having been frequent correspondents on matters of scholarship for some years. And Lady Risborough had chattered an

following Ella Risborough's daughter with

who were then a new feature in its life. The Master was a kind of queer patron saint among them, and to a chosen three or four, an intimate mentor and lasting friend. His sixty odd years, and the streaks of grey in his red straggling locks, his European reputation as a scholar and thinker, his old sister, and his quiet house, forbade the slightest breath of scandal in connection with these girl-friendships. Yet the girls to whom the Master devoted himself, whose essays he read, whose blunders he corrected, whose schools he watched over, and in whose sub

health, so that her mother and a fussy doctor had hurried her away to a rest-cure in Switzerland, and thereby slit her academic life and all her chances of fame. Both had been used to come--independently--for the Master was in his own, way far too great a social epicure to mix his pleasures--to tea on Sundays; to sit on one side of a blazing fire, while the Master sat on the other, a Persian cat playing chaperon on the rug between, and the book-lined walls of the Master's most particular

ow, Sorell, was bri

nce would like to be

uld she wish to be introduced to such an ol

father. I am

tion of the girl had fired the Master; and his sketch of the Master in the girl's ear, as a kind of girlhood's

s and a blazing fire, but in the small college garden hidden amid the walls of Beaumont. Sorell was to bring her. The Master did not even g

from his philosophical pupils of "the devil in a mist," forcing an introduction to her; he saw the Vice-Chancellor graciously unbending, and man after man come up among the younger dons to ask Sorell to present them. She received it all with a smiling and nonchalant grace, perfectly at her ease, it seemed, and ready to say the right thing to young and

Rome for fifteen years, and had never made the Risboroughs' acquaintance in Italy. But the kind of society which gathers round the English peer of old family who takes an apartment in Rome or Florence for the winter was quite familiar to him--the travelling English men and women of the same class, diplomats of all nations, high ecclesiastics, a cardinal or two, the heads of the great artistic or arch?ological schools, Americans, generals, senators, deputies--with just a sprinkling of young men. A girl of this girl's ag

kind," he thought. "Is it wort

a livelihood. Not much taste in dress, which was often clumsy and unbecoming; hair, either untidy, or treated as an enemy, scraped back, held in, the sole object being to take as little time over it as possible; and, in general, the note upon

t hold of her, of course! If ever there was

reat name for himself as a mathematician. "And is a second-rate fellow, all the same," thought the Master, contemptuously, being like Uncle Ewen a classic of the classics. But the face of little Alice Hooper, whi

st needs vacate the field. A striking figure of a youth! Golden hair, of a wonderful ruddy shade,

of a Christ Church don who

n with a halo like th

scovered him in Paris, made great friends with him, and then persuaded him to come and take the Oxford musical degree. He is at Marmion, wher

o got the Irel

ther

nable as they make 'em! Ah

tall, burly man, with a strong black head and black eyes under bushy brows, combined with an infantile mouth and chin, long and happily caricatured in all the comic papers. But

in the courts and in Parliament--was heard above the

earth have you sprung from

questions, which he would hardly allow her to answer. The young lady too was evidently pleased by the meeting; her face had f

didn't Connie tell us she knew Lord Glaramara! She let me ta

shrugged h

don't know

g, as her mother well knew, torments of wounded pride and feeling. For although Herbert Pryce had

g eyes. "It was ill-bred and underhanded of Connie not to

pursed and set. "I told Mr. Pryce that Connie knew

isted, with the wilfulness of the man who can do as he pleases, that

her mother! And Constance is a charming child. She and I made great friends. Has she come to live in Oxford for a

rofessors, heads of colleges--of various ages and types, who looked at her with amused and kindly eyes, talked to her for a

t of the evening!" laughed Herbert Pryce, who had made his w

nts, which were set out in the college library and in the garden. The Lord Chancellor must needs offer his arm to his host's sister, and lead the way. The Warden followed, with

a tall figure

e you into the garden? It's

ame. She wished to say no; she tried to say no. An

y we

l leading to the garden. Sorell, who had hurried up to find her, arrived in ti

use it happens every year, and because it's all mixed up with salmon

adow of a plane-tree wi

the moonlight. At the furthest edge, through the pushing pyramids of chestnut blossom and the dim drooping gold of the laburnums, could be seen the bastions and battlements of the old city wall, once a fighting reality, now tamed into the mere ornament and appendage of this quiet garden. Over the trees and over the walls rose the spires and towers of a wondrou

have known it all before in music: the trees--the lawn--the

rned than her attitude. But her inner mind was full of tumult; resentful memory; uneasy joy; and a tremulous fear, both of he

tell me when y

as light a

t of my actions," sa

ed to be

nce, and breaking a twig from the tree overshadowing her,

nto her face, his hands

you haven't

id passionately; "and that it was not an attrac

are so graceful--so exquisitely graceful. And you never found a more perfect setting than this place--these law

ural

y the hour if you

to do--thank goodness! May I

lau

my first evening out since

st time, since their conversation began, it

me a better. As to my work, ask any of my friends. Talk to Meyrick. He is a dear boy, and will tell you anything you like. He and I 'dig' together in Beaumont

ways at Cannes were different. It's a me

!" he said with emphasis. "The only thing

! Well, you seem to be sure of your

a real Hellenist. He and I get on capit

to know her," was

lege to lend me his rooms. My mother and sister will be up for two nights. Very inconsiderate of them--with m

it only puts o

o see anything of you? Splendid! You are tryin

akness and antagonism, was that of the feebler wrestler just holding his ground, and fearing ev

at rudeness to my friends didn't answer! Shall we go and get some le

med to see--exultantly--that she

to be honest; to say and do exactly what represents you. But I shall not be rude to anybody under your w

e consid

must write t

. Any othe

at pr

rn. I beg you not to make friends with that red

thought him delightful! He is

d recites his own poems when he hasn't been asked. And he curries favour--abominably--with the dons. He is a smug--of t

ok at him, to talk to him, to see it. And artists are al

e. Never mind. We won't excite ourselves. He is not worth it. Perhaps he'll im

my cousins'," said

e wants money and position, and he is so clever he will get them. He is not a gentleman, and he ra

nks! You bre

ve a fortnight more of term with nothing to do except--are you going to ride?" he ask

doesn't

know all the stables in Oxford. Wait till we meet on Thursday. Would you care to ride in Lathom Woods? (H

Then, as they moved on together through the sinuous ways of the garden, flooded with the scent of hawthorns and lilacs, towards the open tent crowded with folk at

e through the crowd of departing guests in the college gateway. "Where did

ned an answerin

only exploring the gar

a quick and stiffening

ery able. They say he'll get his First. Well--we shall m

Falloden? It was to be hoped there was nothing in that! How Ella Risborough would have detested the type! But there was much tha

hile the Reader chaffed Constance a little about her successes of the evening. But he, too, was sleepy and tired, and the talk droppe

told us you knew Lord Glaramara. I don't wish to find fa

ndship between her parents and Lord Glaramara, who was no more interesting to her personally than many others of their Roman

Ellen. I really d

en; while Alice followed her, her small face pi