Theo: A Sprightly Love Story

y's events, but, on the contrary, a harmless little book enough-a pretty little book, bound in pink and gold, and much ornamented about the corners, and greatly embellished with filagree clasp

is very dignified, or something; but I think I like her. I am sure I like her, so I will go to see her again. I wonder how it is she reminds me of Pamela witho

ught it was; but before I went up-stairs to dress, Mr. Oglethorpe said to me, "Don't put on the rose-pink satin, Theodora." I am sorry that he

came to-night with a kind

fore her toilet-table, each night, our dear Theodora thought nothing about them at all. She had nothing else in particular to write about at

and gold volume in her hand, she encountered Sir Dugald, who seemed to

e, Theodora?" he asked, in his

d. "Lady Throckmorton gave it

chuckling. "Put things down, do you? What sort of things do y

st frightened, and her fright was of a kind such as she had never experienced before. But it was not Sir Dugald s

e wrong young lady to see Norma, and Faust and Il Trovatore? Il Trovatore's a nice opera; Theo and Leonora sounds something like Theodor

e, on her way down-stairs, so she turned to the drawing-room. She had been conscious of nothing but Sir Dugald, so she had not heard the hall-door open; and, not having heard the hall-door open, had, of course, not heard De

hort, however, c

atter, Theodor

was so shaken; and then, in her sudden abasement and breathless tremor, gav

was not wholly unconnected with the matter himself, questioned her as closely as was consistent with delicacy, and, in the end, a

aid about you and Miss Gower, and-and so

d her, and made her begin to think she had seen a mountain in a mole-hill. "Sir Dugald

d then actually turned a little pale, looking wondrously abased in her uncalled-for confusion; but

ife before, and, of course-" blushing and palpitating, but still looking at him without a shade of falsehood in her innoc

room had been light enough, she might have seen a

wh

r Dugald said," she ended,

reading upon dangerous ground, he knew, and yet in the midst of his fierce anger at his weakness, he was conscious of a regret-a contemptible regret, he told hims

you choose-Sir Dugald? Who does trouble themselves about Sir Dugald, and his amiably ponderous jocoseness? Not Lady Throckmorton, I am sure; not soci

conceal his thoughts under indifference and satire, he was scarcely sure enough of h

g, as you so very justly observed, that it is quite impossible for us to be silly, and vain, and presumin

an electric flash of recognition. There was a wild, sweet, troubled color on her cheeks, and her

defiance of him, and altered, or seemed to alter, both words and their meaning. What, in the name of madness, he would have been rash enough to say nex

hrockmorton, fresh from Trollope's

he bent over to touch the bell, Theodora rose from her footstool to make way for her-rose wit

amela, and, beyond that, the matter lay in the girl's own hands. Lady Throckmorton had no high views for her in particular; she wanted to see her enjoy herself as much as possible until the termination of her visit, in whatever manner it terminated, whether matrimonially or otherwise. Besides, she was not so young as she had been in Pamela's time, and, consequently, though she was reasonably fond of her handsome niece, and more than usually generous toward her, she was inclined to let her follow her own devices. For herself, she had her luxurious little retiring-room, with its luxurious f

ed to each other? It would be better than Priscilla Gower, if Th

ssibly be guilty in admiring Mr. Denis Oglethorpe so much as she did, and in feeling so glad when he came, and so sorry when he went away. She had not thought that it was because he was sitting nea

troubled in no slight degree. Indeed, though the thought was scarcely defined, she had some unsophisticated misgivings as to whether Miss Priscilla Gower might not have been arouse

e so very long, that at length, not without some slight compunction, she mad

aunt," she ventured to say one

ce of broiled venison, clumsily jocose

id. "Going to see the stern v

ndifferent sarcasm. She was often both sarcastic

e enjoys herself," she said. "Present my regards to the Miss Gowers, my d

, and solely on Denis' account, that she ever submitted to Broome street, albeit the fat, gray

lf came out, and, of course, caught sight of Theodora North, who had just bent forward to pull the check-string, and so gave him a full view of h

m so glad-" and then stopped, in a confus

window, and l

g to see Prisc

ce chilled by his unenthusiastic though kindly tone. She did not kno

riage-door himself, but wait

ou," he said, quietly. "I will g

t on this occasion Miss Elizabeth was not arrayed in the snuff-colored satin; and when they enter

n the last time she had seen it. But her manner was not changed in the least, and she welcomed her visitor with grave cordiality. Poor little

ly excitement. "Do stay, Miss Theodora, and I will show you how to do the octagon-stitch, as I promised th

won her admiration and regard at once. Consequently, under stress of Miss Elizabeth, the carriage was fain to depart, much to the abasement of the fat, gray coachman, w

cket were being carried out of the room. "Don't forget to tell Jane, Priscilla, and-" fumbling in her larg

d always been detracted from by the sharp annoyance in Pam's face, and the general domestic bustle, and the total inadequacy of gravy and stuffing to the wants of the boys. She was particularly reminded of it by the

brown wig, and an equally owl-like lady, in a self-announcing false-front, embarrassingly suggestive of Miss Elizabeth's own. "My late lamented parents, at

cture, half life-size, and set in an oval frame of black walnut. Priscilla at seventeen had not been very different from Priscilla at twenty-two. She had a pale, handsome, ungirlish fa

d it in affectionate a

's daughter was not like his wife. We were not fond of my brother Benjamin's wife. She was a very giddy young person, and very fond of gayety. She died of lung-fever, contracted t

y for the giddy young person who ran counter to brother Benjamin'

iscilla and I have been very happy together, in our quiet way; she has been the best of dear, good girls to me. Indeed, I really do

ious, startled glow flash over her. This was the first time a

you know. They have waited so long for each other, that I should be a very wicked selfish old woman

o faltered, very u

ly. Mr. Denis Oglethorpe would be a rich man some of these days, and then what a happy life must Priscilla's be-so young, so beautiful, so beloved. "Not th

dly wondering if she was very wrong in wishing t

njamin, as they sat by the fire together, in the evening, and blundered over the octagon-stitch. It was an Afghan Miss Elizabeth was making now; and when at tea-time, Mr. Oglethorpe came,

o buy Pamela and the girls some nice little prese

d Denis this evening. She attended to Miss Elizabeth's octagon-stitch, and left him to amuse Priscilla. He had not seemed very much pleased to see her in the morning, and besides, Priscilla was plainly his business. But when the carriage was announced, and she returned to the parlor, after an absence of a few minu

o Lady Throckmorton for me," he sa

was very foolish, of course, but she felt as if something pain

my affairs are in such a condition that I may be compelled to remain across the channel for some time. Be good enough to say to Lady Throckmorton that I regret de

l her," sai

there is something else, a subject upon which I wish to ask your unbiased opinion, my dear Theodora, before I say good-bye. When a man finds himself in a danger wit

unning a life-and-death race with her leapin

"You are quite right.

will answer me another question. This morning, when you spoke to me through the carriage window, you began to say som

rhaps, you had better tell the coachman to drive on. I will deliver your message to Lady Throckmorton; and as I

d it, to all appearance quite calm, as he looked down at the lovely face the

," he called to the coachman, and in a moment more,