Fell From Aloft.

into its place , and nothing remains to tell the tale of Avhat has passed , and no memorial stone is raised to keep green the memory of one Avho but a few hours ago lived and moved amongst us . Thank you for your interest , sir , and at any time you are welcome to a feAV more yarns from the CAPTAIN OE THE MAINTOP .

Beatrice.

BEATRICE .

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE " OLD , OLD STORY , " " ADVENTURES OF DON PASQUALE , " ETC . CHAPTER VIII .

1 N the meantime all Avas proceeding at Cayley much as usual , and all its denizens , - - nay , those mainly interested , were living in happy ignorance of plots and combinations of " tours de force , " of amiable conspirators . The little world rose and went to bed , eat and drank , laughed and sighed , talked of the petty details of the hour with " gusto" or Avith disapproval , ignorant of any " Avolf " to threaten the fold , unaAvare that their peace or their happiness were menaced in the slightest degree .

How Avondrous is the ignorance of man , the nnpreparedness of existence ! Persons speak and act , and things take place hourly which strike us with Avonder , nay , even fear , and Ave are utterly unprepared for the event , entirely surprised when we hear of it and discuss it . It would almost seem sometimes that this uncertainty constituted a charm of earthly existence , was one of its contemporaneous conditions , its counterbalancing advantages . It may be that this sense of veriest uncertainty lends

a zest to expectation , and gives piquancy to apprehension , though it is in itself , philosophically considered , one of the most affecting , nay , humiliating , aspects of our " poor mortality . " How often events come rapidly before us , crowd in upon us , Avhich Ave say we did not foresee , Avhich we profess never to have anticipated ! and perhaps after all it is as well as it is . Life would be very dull , the Avorld A ery commonplace indeedmore commonplace , if it be possible , than it is—if we forekneiv everything here , coidd

arrange confidently , could plan with certainty . I do not , however , think we should , any of us , be much happier , or better , if we kueAv what must inevitably be , after the lapse of feAver or more stirring years . I think , on the contrary , that it would have a very depressing and deteriorating influence on us . But to return . At Cayley , as I said before , there Ai ere many things happening evidently not " dreamt" of in " their hilosoph" though they were keeping the "

p y , even tenor of their Avay , " unaffected by fear , unmoA'ed by doubts or forereckoning ; and for some reason Cayley had " gotten to be , " as Ave used to say , something dull , and its societ y languished , in a semi-state , of course , only called into vitality by one or two spasmodic efforts at intervals .

Still , as usual , Beatrice shone forth , the admired of all , —the " pleasantest party , " as TAvamley would say , in the circle of " this comfortable coterie . " The poet evidentl y had her in his mind ' s eye , —if with a " fine frenzy rolling" or not matters not , —Avhen he said , — "And she Avas flattered , Avorsbipped , hoi-ed , Her steps Avere Avatched , her dress AA * as noted , Her poodle dog Avas quite adored , Her sayings were extremely quoted ;