The Disentanglers

h, on the other hand, a number of persons, civil and military, are able to keep her at a distance with surprising uniformity. There

ders, while now we have lost that secret. The wrong persons might drink love philtres, as in the case of Tristram and Iseult.

as voting at the Comitia, and it was his

asted progress, the secret is totally lost. Nothing but a love philtre would

n unco "wastefu' in

act an aged man's volatile affections, and attach them to a new charmer. But she is just as ineligible as the first; marry he will, always a young woman. Now if a respectable virgin or widow of, say, fif

then, reluctantly abandoned de

ter was unimpeachable, her person graceful; still, as her father was a butcher, the duke and duchess were reluctant to assent to the union. They consulted Merton, and assured him that they would not flinch from expense. A great idea flashed across Merton's mind. He might send out a stalwart band of Disentanglers, who, disguised as the enemy, might capt

Mr. George Meredith's novels, and (when abroad) was a perfect Baedeker, or Murray, or Mr. Augustus Hare: instructing through correspondence. So the matron complained, but this was not the worst of it. There was an unhap

of them the truth,' said Merton. 'This i

h obviously not intended for publication, and only calculated to waken unavailing grief among the sentimental, and to make the judicious tired. There was, however, a case in wh

ose dress was a combination of untoward but decisive hues, and whose hat was enormous and flamboy

t, as if for protection and sympathy. 'My dear friend,' repeated Miss Crofton, 'has aske

Miss Crofton's hand,

f sympathy. 'The situat

ng herself, 'is the victim of passionate and unav

, 'it appears to me that I am scarcel

a has

ther or

ulia is alone

rdian Angel, Fashion and Passion, and so on. The Editors, in their columns, reply to questions in cases of conscience. I have my

ton shook

on is not that of the people w

r? Remorse (entirely due, no doubt, to a conscience too delicately sensitive) is not i

. 'Dear Julia is engaged, or rather

head and sobbed

en I come to the exact n

four' Julia n

f this kind on her remorseful head, her face, Merton thought, must be worth seeing. The case was new. As a

ethod is to throw in the way of one or other of the engaged, or entangled persons, some one who is likely to distract their affections; of course,' he

rton had time to see that it was a very pretty one. Julia was dark, pale, with 'eyes like billiard balls' (as a

ier and more attractive object? Nay, how can I exp

' explained Miss Crofton. 'I

nd a sob came from behind th

difficulties. I do not speak the idle language of compliment, Miss Crofton, when I say that o

object,' said

openly to inform her suitors, three out of the four at least, of the actual posture of affairs? I have already suggested that, as the lady takes the matter so

er head. 'Julia is u

f the four Miss Baddeley was-

stian unattached. My friend is sensitive, passionate, and deeply rel

musical voice. It was the first time that sh

ir, she consulted on her case-at a picnic,' said Miss Crofton, adding, 'he is

that this recalcitrant clergyman was probabl

to expect Julia to accompany him when she has so much work to o

ows to seek the crown of martyrdom? Does your friend act as recruiting

ve made the most

the f

t in holy

hree admirers about whom Miss Badd

d that is what causes her difficulties. She can't write to them, or communicat

than the laity? I have heard of such things being broken to l

e, that what you say of the laity is true. They do not break their hearts when disappointed. But Julia

of three young men in h

firm. 'She lives only,' here Julia twisted the hand of Miss Crofton, 'she lives only to do

the charms of Julia were not ent

e rescued me from the snares and tempt

at your face and voice were familiar to me. Did

said Mis

amateur performance i

e you unless you let me explain everything.' This remark was in reply to the agitated gestures of Julia. 'Thrown much among the younger clergy in the exercise of her benevolence, Julia naturally awakens in t

married heroines, who erred out of sheer goodness of hea

finds that she has misunderstood her heart. Recently

th?' aske

n that she had misread her heart. But on each occasion

kwardness,' m

h all her horrors. Julia has wept

lder,' murm

any Church, needs is martyrs, and that if they will go to benighted lands, where the crown of martyrdom may still be won, then, if they return safe in five years, then she-will think o

le,' crie

rget her, or,

ofton h

might never-?'

at would be all to the good for the Church; no ideals

pious memorie

understand me,'

wicked lady, who, when tired of her lovers, had

ork? I should suppose that each young man, on distant a

'is that none of them has gone, or seems in a h

a no

s. But Mr. Bathe first said that he must lead Julia to the altar before he went; and then the massacres fell off, and he remains at Cheltenham, and is very tiresome. And then there is Mr. Clancy, he was to g

ag at school, and Merton thought it extremely improba

s, and utterly unawakened. He is as bad as the others. He won't go alone. Now, Julia is obliged to correspond with all of them in affect

sobbed hy

may become aware of the state of affairs, or Captain Lestrange, to whom she is passion

id Merton; 'it i

ncheon, it had been his intention to go up to the University match. He also knew, from various sounds, that clients wer

ave been waiting some time. They say that their appointme

repressed a whistle, and handed them silently to Miss C

r veil, Julia scanned them, wrung her hands, and displayed symptoms of a tendency to faint.

Miss Crofton in a whisper.

,' said Mer

y will know me, a

old-fashioned screen, covered with engravings, which Merton had picked up for the sake of two o

n a stage whisper. And while Merton murmured 'Highly unprofessi

not played Lady T

come in,' said Merton,

d to giggle. Shades of difference of ecclesiastical opinion

rton, and they sat down on thre

e not here inconveniently. We would have waited,

ng?' asked Mer

15, but-' and the young man stared

u not converting the Heathen Chine

do you know tha

red Merton. 'I am not sure

athe, a florid young e

ton, detecting him by the Method of Residues, 'the oven is still

fted nervously

ow ourselves till lately. In fact, we did not know each other till the Church

h of you possessed a simil

mean, how do

There were also letters,' he said. Here a gurgl

h others' letters,'

e not,' s

the envelopes was iden

t can our Soci

guessed they were yours, of course, Puss

late you,'

you know? The fact is-you appear to have divined it somehow-we find that we

cable: martyrdom might also b

not good enoug

lf,' sa

ies in his own cou

r sorrows at this discovery ha

Mr. Bathe drooped his head, and blushed. 'Brooke laughed. Indeed we all laughed, though we felt rather foolish. But what are we to do? Should w

e that he heard a rustle behind the screen, and a slight stru

t there were other fellows. But that I learned, more

nic,' sai

iss Crofton followed, her hat somewhat crushed by the falling screen. The three young men

e wept many a night on Serena's faithful breast?' She pointed to Miss Crofton, who enfolded her in an embrace. 'You!' Julia went on, aiming at them the finger of conviction. 'I am but a woman, weak I may have been, wavering

in London. She had no more occasion for remorse, no ideals had she sensibly injured. Her entanglements were disentangled. She inhaled the fragrance of or

d now, Clancy, may I offer a hasty luncheon to you and your friends bef

luncheon turned ex