After All.

CHAPTER XII . " . / Esthetic transfiguration . "—GILBERT . T ^^ - ^ to lo ° k vei 7 fascinating , you know , " said the comely Phillis - * - Belsize to her friend , Louisa Delcote , as she arranged some pale lilies in her beautiful auburn hairthat hung in long lacy curls over her well-rounded

, shoulders . " Of course , dear , I know it is not your vanity so much that prompts you this time , as your love of revenge , " replied fclic aforesaid Louisa , candidly . ' "Say , rather , my love for frolic , " returned her companion , testily . "In fact , you ' re mad after that flirt Merisslope ; more so than ever I w as , " she continued , in an affected indifferencebut eagerly watching her friend ' s face .

, " Indeed ! I fancy it looks like it when I snubbed his lordship in your presence , and to your great annoyance , " said the other , with a triumphant curl of her lip and a satisfied toss of her prett y little head . " Oh . ! of course , you will always bring that in , " said Phillis , pettishly ; " a little bit of show off on your part , that ' s all , my dear ; " and she gave an obstreperous lily a vicious twitch .

"Oh , very well ! Just as y ou like . Anyway , you ' re taking a lot of trouble to serve out that poor Miss Phane by entrapping her late sweetheart , Humberton . I believe you really love the fellow , after all , " answered Louisa , insinuatingly . " Well , and what if I did ? Perhaps y ou think lie is specially reserved for you ? Poor Miss Phane , indeed , after rejecting him and then taking Mr . Merrisslope ! Oh , yes ! " retorted Phillis , getting angry and excited . " Then , I suppose you think you are fully able to eclipse Violet Cumberland with this gay Lothair ? " taunted Louisa .

"Oh , do talk sense , my dear ! You know he is no Lothario , but I want to turn his head . Don't you think I can do it ? You promised to help me , you know , " and the spoilt girl of some twenty summers turned her neat figure gaily round , draped as it was according to the latest aesthetic craze . A loose , flowing _ dress of a pale greenish hue enveloped her shapel y form , while a girdle of golden sunflowers shone resplendent from her dainty waist . Even

tricked out thus she was a very charming little daughter of Eve , and it would takea stout heart to defy her temptation . Her friend could not restrain her admiration , and she cordially assented that she was very pretty , and would no doubt overcome the vacillating Humberton . "You do , indeed , look deli ghtfully ' utter , '" she exclaimed ; "just like one of dear Monsieur Du Maimer ' s pictures cut out of Punch . Oh can't helbut

, you p catch him now ! Why Burnand himself would fall in love with y ou , and the ' love-sick ' maidens in : Patience ' would all be jealous of you if they saw y ° > " "Am I really pretty ? Thanks , love ! " and the vain girl turned and viewed herself sideways in the long glass before her . " Fancy , we'll make a regular Bnnthorne of him ; and then , when we ' ve carried him as far as possible , leave him to ine with his music

p , poor fellow ! " laughed the gay Phillis . "I wonder if there really is such a thing as ' a transcendentality of delirium , ' such as the inimitable W . S . Gilbert speaks of , or 'an acute accentuation of snpremest ecstacy . ' I sometimes fancy I have almost experienced such when I am having a delicious yawn , or just when 1 am going to faint . I am afraid it is only to be found in the fleeting visions of dreamland or in the anodyne poison of death ! " mused the philosophical Louisa , as she gazed at the mystic emblems with which her friend Phillis had carefull y decorated her room .