The Adventures Of Don Pasquale.

often placed in a very perilous , not to say delicate , position . I would put it rather in this way . That pleasant girl , Lotty Manners , wants to marry her own dear Walter , Lotty ' s mamma , like other mammas , wishes her " darling chyild " to accept the proposal of rich Mr . Blagton . " Blagton ' s awfully gilded , " Walter says to me , " sotto voce , "— " made his money in silk stockings ; and I ' m blessed if that old gal isn't going to make Lott y marry that' old dust . ' I won ' t stand it . "

What can I say to console the impetuous and improvident youth , except "take it coolly , my boy . " " She ' s too civil to him , a long way—much too kind to him , " he turns round to nio and adds , with agitation expressed on his manly countenance . " Go up to her , "' I say to him ; " why do you give way to Blagton 1 If she is worth anything , you are her ' plus cheri ; ' if she is not worth anything , give her up—or

as the French say , ' rompons nous . '" Poor AValter Morton—he is not her " plus cheri , "—at least she won't say so , whatever she may think , and Walter gives her up . We all of us know what a splendid marriage that was at St . George ' s , when the Bishop of St . Neots married the well got up and the blushing and better-dressed lotty ! Poor Walter Morton !

And hence it is not always quite easy to discern the difference between affected and real interest between those agreeable " empressemens " which are the " ordre du jour , " and those which flow from inborn sympathies and a loving heart . But still , amateur photographer that I he , I think that I can always catch a " true impression , " ( at any rate to my own satisfaction , ) and though the negative may he " a little "dim " the positive seems very clear to what the vivid scientificist terms the " hoptic nerve . " As an old friend used to like to say , " in such little matters I can see as far as most

people . " I often like to survey from my safe insignificance the human game of chess , and I flatter myself that I am ahle to discern , when these fair beings who do so adorn society , who dress so well and so low , mean anything . For instance , Emma Benson ' s outward attentions to Sir Henry Callendar meant nothing . Emma ' s pleasant words to Charles Sloper are quite another thing . She

means to be , and duly becomes , Mrs . Sloper . Ethel Lacy , who is quite delighted with Captain Jones , his merry stories and his charming songs , ( and he is a very good fellow , ) yet means to marry , and does marry , her stupid cousin , Wm . Danvers , M . P . And even the bold widow , Mrs , O'Flynn , who has buried two husbands in India , though she is '' mighty taking " with her countryman , Mr . O'Dowd , actually is scheming

to marry , and does marry , old Mr . Dubbington , the great city hanker . I pity Mr . Dubbington ! But Mrs . Jorum , " au contraire , " asks me decidedly , as is her wont , " Who can pity him ? A vulgar old man marrying a vulgar old woman—surely we have something hotter to do than waste any ' sentiment' on them ? Who cares whether they marry or whether they don't ? How can it interest anybody ? " Mis . Jorum is as usual

probably quite right . So at Borne it was quite plain to the- careful observer that all of the little society except Paesiello had now been drawn within the " maelstrom " of love . But he , sing lehearted and philosophic as he was , had " piaddled his own canoe " safely through tho " boiling surf , and seemed rather inclined to pity his companions , who reminded him flies , whether in amber , or falling one by one into the engulphing preparation of cloyMo that

sweetness . For the moment that Paesiello saw Stanelli really cared for Eva , and Eva truly sympathised with Stanelli , as he abhorred unreality , and disliked flirtation , ( merely as such , ) he withdrew himself from the " melee , " and wished his friend and tho gentle Eva all success , and " God speed . ' What a good example for us all ! How many of "both sexes seem to treat their fc" ° * creatures as "fair game / ' objects of sport , amusement , simply either " pour passer *