Sonnenkamp was presented to the bridal thus be courted also, and he prepared to pair. The bridegroom looked very weary, receive the homage with modest thankfulbut the bride, with her wreath of roses, ness. very animated; much regret was expressed that Manna was not at the fete with her family. ་ Frau Ceres sat in much discomfort next the Court Marshal, who left her to her own thoughts when he found that no conversation could be kept up. At last a pleasure came to her when the Cabinet minister's lady arrived, and expressed great pleasure at meeting her, as the Court Marshal gave his seat to her. The Court Marshal expressed his pleasure at meeting Herr Sonnenkamp again, and at making the acquaintance of his wife and of his handsome son, of whom he had heard so much. A glow was thrown over the whole evening, when he said rather loudly, with evident intention, that Sonnenkamp had been most honorably mentioned at the Prince's table, on the preceding day. Frau Ceres, still wearing her white cape over her richly ornamented dress, was seat-ged her to take her arm to go into the gared next the Court marshal. The Wine-count had three sons and three daughters; the oldest daughter was already married to an officer of noble family. Of the three sons, one had disappeared in America, after having squandered large sums of money for his father; the second was a member of a theatre orchestra in a capital of middle Germany, and it was said he had written to his father that, for his part, he would not be ennobled. The third and oldest son was the Wine-chevalier, who had striven very eagerly for the honor of nobility, and was very happy in his success. The Wine-count was most cordial in his manner; there was a remarkable elasticity in the movements of the slender, white-haired old man. He went from guest to guest, with an appropriate friendly word for each, and on all sides received double congratulations, for on this very day the Prince had ennobled him. He expressed his thanks very modestly, for he could assure himself that he might have attained this honor two years before, but at that time there was a certain patriotic vertigo abroad which had seized even a wine-grower. He answered all the congratulations by saying that the Prince's great kindness made him extremely happy. Sonnenkamp kept smiling to himself, looking forward to the time when he would Still greater was Frau Ceres' happiness when Frau Bella also came up; even in this circle, where there were many of her equals, she seemed to take a leading position. She was very gracious to Frau Ceres, and beg den-saloon, where the rich outfit of the bride was exhibited; there was a universal expression of admiration, and some glances of envy from those who returned from its examination. Frau Ceres managed her long train very awkwardly, while Bella held hers up gracefully, and moved as if she were sailing through light clouds. Sonnenkamp was greeted by the Russian Prince in a most friendly manner, and delighted at his shaking hands with him; but his pleasure was soon strewn with ashes, as the Prince said, "I forgot that you were to tell me some particulars of the treatment of the slaves; I'm afraid I shall not find any of them left, when I make up my mind to visit America." He soon turned away, as the General was introduced to him. Sonnenkamp began to feel somewhat strange and neglected in the circle, but his countenance brightened as he saw Bella and Frau Ceres walking together so confidentially. 66 Ah, I'm thinking of something quite different," answered Eric. "I should like to hear our new Baron tell his servants: John, Peter, Michael, from this day you must address me as Gracious Herr, or Herr Baron. He must appear ridiculous to himself." "Perhaps Doctor is a finer title," replied Sonnenkamp sharply; "or is that born with a person?" Eric's remark irritated him, and he would have been glad to send him out of the company. But he suddenly became more amiable, as Bella approached and said to him, "Do you know, Herr Sonnenkamp, what we are all really here for, and what this whole fete means? It is a christening feast, and our gracious Prince has played off a good joke. The Wine-dealer has striven for nobility so long, at last offering up his daughter as a sacrificial lamb, that the Prince could not help granting it to him at last. And isn't it good that he has given him the name Herr von Endlich? (At Last.) Then in a very amusing way she went on to describe how fine it would be if so old a candidate for baptism suddenly cried, I don't want that name, I want another. Turning to Eric, she sketched the whole assemblage for him with apt, though somewhat malicious strokes. She ridiculed with most sarcasm a knot of young girls, who evidently could not forget the heavy weight of hair upon their heads, for the hair-dressers from the Baths and the Fortress had been hurrying, since early morning, from house to house, to deck out the girls' heads in proper company style. Bella mimicked the girls as they said to each other, "Please tell me if my chignon is still on." With much merriment she pointed out a tall, lank Englishman, coming in sight with his stout wife and three slim daughters, who wore long curls and extraordinarily brilliant dresses. He lived in winter in the capital, in the summer at a country-seat, passing the time in angling, while his daughters were constantly drawing. He was considered very rich, and his wealth had a singular source; many years before, a brother of his wife had been sent to Botany Bay, and, being an experienced trader, had there succeeded in establishing a large export business, and laid the foundation of the family wealth. Bella was full of charming humor, and Eric felt as if he had done her injustice. He had listened to the sharp judgment, the mental dissection, of Bella from the physician, when he ought to have contested it decidedly. He looked at her as if asking pardon for something, and she, well satisfied, showed a fresh cheerfulness, which was not wanting in magic power. She treated Eric with marked attention before the whole company. "It's just as if a Christian were to turn Turk! Ah, you may laugh, but Fräulein Milch is right. All that beautiful money, which has been earned with so much trouble, is now to be thrown away on the nobles, and we commoners may stand aside, and never have any more notice taken of us." Eric silently pressed the Major's hand, and the latter asked: "But where's Roland ?" He had Indeed, where was Roland? vanished soon after their arrival, and was nowhere to be seen. The evening came on gradually, and wonderfully beautiful music from wind instruments was heard in the thick shrubbery; for a while, the guests in the garden were silent, and then it seemed as if the music made them only the more talkative. Eric looked for Roland, but no one could tell him anything of him. The music ceased, and darkness gathered. On the balcony of the house appeared a trumpeter, in a costume of the middle ages, and sounded a call; the company, repaired to the house, up the steps to the great hall and the adjoining rooms. Here a few seats were placed; in the foreground, two great arm-chairs, dressed with flowers, for the bride and bridegroom; behind them, a line of chairs for the oldest and most distinguished guests. Frau Ceres was conducted to a seat near Bella; Fräulein Perini had managed very adroitly to get near her and pull gently at her cloak. Frau Ceres understood, and all eyes, which had been resting on the bridal pair, now turned to her. Such ornaments, imitating a wreath of wheat-ears of which each grain was a great diamond, such a dress, sown thick with pearls and diamonds, were never before seea; a long-continued murmur of applause ran through the assembly. Frau Ceres stood by her chair, as if rooted to the spot, till Bella begged her to sit down; she looked smilingly at the splendid jewels: it was all very well for the American woman to put those on, but she couldn't put on such a neck and arms as her own. Count Clodwig joined the group, and remarked that he was always surprised anew to see how many odd characters settled here on the banks of the Rhine. The Major stood apart and looked at Herr Sonnen- Now it appeared that one of the walls of kamp, as if he would say: I beg you, don't the room was only a curtain, which was presdo this too; stay with us. It would be pleas-ently drawn up. Vine-dressers were disanter to me than to give her the prettiest covered, who sang and spoke praises of bon-bons which I shall carry home, to be the family, and finally presented a myrtle able to say to Fräulein Milch, What they crown. say about Herr Sonnenkamp isn't true! For again had Fräulein Milch penetrated the well-guarded mystery. Eric pitied the Major, who looked unusually dull, and he succeeded in getting at the cause of his low spirits, for the Major said, The curtain fell amidst the expressions of delight of the whole company, and as they were about to rise, a voice behind the curtain, cried: :- "Remain seated!" The curtain rose again, and, behind a and still more to be attentive for these last few days, but I wanted to surprise you." Eric recovered himself, and decided that thin gauze, Apollo was seen among shepherds and vine-dressers, and Apollo was Roland; the curtain had to be twice raised again, for all were enraptured with the tab-it would be best not to lay much stress on leau, and especially with Roland's god-like appearance. Bella nodded exultantly to Eric, who was standing apart; but he felt as if benumbed, as he asked himself what effect all this would have on Roland, and how Roland could have concealed it from him. It was not long before Roland joined the company in his ordinary dress; he was admired and praised on all sides, and nearly taken off his feet. Frau Ceres was congratulated almost more than Roland, on her happiness in having a son of such divine beauty; repeated regrets were expressed that her daughter was not at the fête. Frau Ceres received all this most amiably, saying constantly: "I thank you most sincerely, you are very kind." Fräulein Perini had taught her her lesson. New rooms were opened, where tables were spread, and the guests seated themselves. Roland went to Eric. the matter, so that it might be less likely to have any hurtful effect; he only warned Roland to be careful not to take too much wine. The boy was so full of happiness that he preferred to sit near Eric, to show him that he was moderate, rather than to take a seat which was reserved for him at the table of the bride. Pranken, who, with the portrait painter's aid, had arranged the tableau, was in a state of singular excitement this evening, for the idea kept ringing in his head that he might have married the Wine-count's beautiful daughter; here was new-varnished nobility, to be sure, but everything was made sure of; here would be now an attractive widow, or, better still, an attractive unhappy wife. He drove the thoughts away, however, saying to himself that he loved Manna. As a former comrade of the bridegroom, and as friend of the family, Pranken proposed the toast to the bridal pair; he spoke "Are you the only one to say nothing to well, and in a humorous tone, as was best, me?" he asked. Eric was silent. "Ah," Roland continued, "it has cost me much trouble to conceal anything from you, and the company were well pleased. The discharge of a cannon gave notice that the fireworks were beginning, and the guests betook themselves to the veranda and the garden. has who is not prepared to recognize in every red man an object of our common Father's love and care, and perform the duty heartily as unto the Lord. Friends' Review. A BENIGN PURPOSE. The President elect, U. | S. Grant, impressed with the integrity of purpose and the earnest friendship for the Indians, and desire to do them justice, evinced by the Society of Friends through the delegated members who recently advocated their claim caused letters to be written to certain Friends in Philadelphia. His desire is set forth of inaugurating some policy to protect the Indians in their just rights, and enforce integrity in the ANECDOTE OF SYDNEY SMITH.-It was at this administration of their affairs, as well as to im- same dinner (at the Foundling Hospital) that prove their general condition." He requests a the great wit met with a retort that he was list of names of members of the Society of Friends never tired of referring to afterward. He had who can be indorsed as suitable persons for been conversing, in the half-bantering manner Indian agents. He will encourage and protect in which he was inimitable, with his vis-a-vis any attempt which Friends shall make for the at the table, a Swiss gentleman of education improvement, education and Christianization of connected with his country's embassy at the the people. It cannot be doubted that well-dis- Court of St. James, upon the relative merits of posed and patriotic citizens will approve the de- Swiss and English soldiers, and urged the supetermination of the President elect, and that they riority of the latter, inasmuch as they fought will concur in his judgment that Friends are the for honor, while the Swiss fought for money. true, disinterested counsellors of the aborigines. The fact is," answered the Swiss gentleman, May this trust be wisely and conscientiously"we each of us fight for what each most wants.' met and discharged. Let no one accept position Lippincott's Magazine. CHAPTER LXIX. THE TEMPTRESS. mostly for my sake, and when I tell her that I will wait twenty years if it is necessary, she tells me I do not know what MR. MONK's bill was read the first time waiting means. But I will- and be happy, before Easter, and Phineas Finn still held and will never really think myself a Marihis office. He had spoken to the Prime ana. Dear, dear, dear Phineas, indeed I Minister once on the subject, and had been won't. The girls are half sad and half surprised at that gentleman's courtesy proud. But I am wholly proud, and know for Mr. Gresham had the reputation of that you are doing just what you ought to being unconciliatory in his manners, and do. I shall think more of you as a man very prone to resent anything like desertion who might have been a Prime Minister, from that allegiance which was due to him- than if you were really sitting in the Cabiself as the leader of his party. You had net like Lord Cantrip. As for mamma, I better stay where you are, and take no cannot make her quite understand it. She step that may be irretrievable, till you have merely says that no young man who is goquite made up your mind," said Mr. Gres-ing to be married ought to resign anything. Dear mamma sometimes she does say such odd things. ham. 66 66 I fear I have made up my mind," said Phineas. "You told me to tell you everything, and so I have. I talk to some of the people here, and tell them what they might do if they had tenant-right. One old fellow, Mike Dufferty -I don't know whether you remember him- asked if he would be required to pay the rent all the same. When Nothing can be done till after Easter," said the great man," and there is no knowing how things may go then. I strongly recommend you to stay with us. If you can do this it will be only necessary that you shall put your resignation in Lord Cantrip's hands before you vote or speak I said certainly he would, then he shook his against us. See Mr. Monk, and talk it over head. But as you said once, when we want with him." Mr. Gresham possibly imag- to do good to people one has no right to ined that Mr. Monk might be moved to expect that they should understand it. It abandon his bill, when he saw what injury is like baptizing little infants. he was about to do. At this time Phineas received the following note from his darling Mary: — "FLOODBOROUGH, Thursday. "DEAREST PHINEAS, We have just got home from Killaloe, and mean to remain here all summer. After leaving your sisters this house seems so desolate; but I shall have the more time to think of you. I have been reading Tennyson as you told me, and I fancy that I could in truth be a Mariana here, if it were not that I am so quite certain that you will come. And that makes all the difference in the world in a moated grange. Last night I sat at the window and tried to realize what I should feel if you were to tell me that you did not want me; and I got myself into such an ecstatic state of mock melancholy that I cried for half an hour. But when one has such a real living joy at the back of one's romantic melancholy, tears are very pleas ant. They water and do not burn. "I must tell you about them all at Killaloe. They certainly are very unhappy at the idea of your resignation. Your father says very little, but I made him own that to act as you are acting for the sake of principle is very grand. I would not leave him till he had said so, and he did say it. Dear Mrs. Finn does not understand it as well, but she will do so. She complains "I got both your notes seven words in one, Mr. Under-Secretary, and nine in the other! But the one little word at the end was worth a whole sheet of common words. How nice it is to write letters without paying postage, and to send them about the world with a grand name in the corner! When Barney brings me one he always looks as if he didn't know whether it was a love-letter or an order to go to Botany Bay. If he saw the inside of them, how short they are, I don't think he'd think much of you as a lover, nor yet as an UnderSecretary. 66 But I think ever so much of you as both-I do, indeed; and I am not scolding you a bit. As long as I can have two or three dear, sweet, living words, I shall be as happy as a queen. Ah! if you knew it all. But you never can know it all. A man has so many other things to learn that he cannot understand it. 66 Good-bye, dear, dear, dearest man. Whatever you do I shall be quite sure you have done the best. Ever your own, with all the love of her heart, "MARY F. JONES." This was very nice. Such a man as was Phineas Finn always takes a delight which he cannot express even to himself in the receipt of such letters as this. There is "It is odd enough that we should both be going at the same "But you will not go?" "I think I shall. I have resolved upon "But you will stay in London, Mr. Finn ? " nothing so flattering as the warm expression | should be driven away? of the confidence of a woman's love, and Phineas thought that no woman ever ex- time." pressed this more completely than did his Mary. Dear, dearest Mary. As for giving her up, as for treachery to one so trust-this-that if I give up my place, I will give ing, so sweet, so well beloved, that was out up my seat too. I went into Parliament of the question. But nevertheless the truth with the hope of office, and how can I recame home to him more clearly day by day, main there when I shall have gained it and that he of all men was the last who ought to then have lost it ?" have given himself up to such a passion. For her sake he ought to have abstained. So he told himself now. For her sake he ought to have kept aloof from Mr. Monk. That very day, with Mary's letter in his pocket, he went to the livery stables and explained that he would not keep his horse any longer. There was no difficulty about the horse. Mr. Howard Macleod of the Treasury would take him from that very hour. Phineas, as he walked away, uttered a curse upon Mr. Howard Macleod. Mr. Howard Macleod was just beginning the glory of his life in London, and he, Phineas Finn, was bringing his to an end. "I think not. After all that has come and gone I should not be happy there, and I should make my way easier and on cheaper terms in Dublin. My present idea is that I shall endeavour to make a practice over in my own country. It will be hard work beginning at the bottom - will it not?" And so unnecessary." "Ah! Lady Laura-if it only could be avoided! But it is of no use going through all that again." 66 How much we would both of us avoid if we could only have another chance!" said Lady Laura. "If I could only be as I was before I persuaded myself to marry a man whom I never loved, what a paradise the earth would be to me! With me all re "And with me as much so." 66 No, Mr. Finn. Even should you resign your office, there is no reason why you should give up your seat." "Simply that I have no income to maintain me in London." With Mary's letter in his pocket he went up to Portman Square. He had again got into the habit of seeing Lady Laura frequently, and was often with her brother, who now again lived at his father's house.grets are too late.” A letter had reached Lord Brentford, through his lawyer, in which a demand was made by Mr. Kennedy for the return of his wife. She was quite determined that she would never go back to him; and there had come to her a doubt whether it would not be expedient that she should live abroad so as to be out of the way of persecution from her husband. Lord Brentford was in great wrath, and Lord Chiltern had once or twice hinted that perhaps he had better " see Mr. Kennedy. The amenities of such an interview as this would be, had up to the present day been postponed; and, in a certain way, Phineas had been used as a messenger between Mr. Kennedy and his wife's family. She was silent for a few moments, during which she changed her seat so as to come nearer to him, placing herself on a corner of a sofa close to the chair on which he was "seated. "I wonder whether I may speak to you plainly," she said. "I think it will end," she said, "in my going to Dresden, and settling myself there. Papa will come to me when Parliament is not sitting." "It will be very dull." "Dull! What does dulness amount to when one has come to such a pass as this? When one is in the ruck of fortune, to be dull is very bad; but when misfortune comes, simple dulness is nothing. It sounds almost like relief." "It is so hard that you should be driven away." She did not answer him for a while, as he was beginning to think of his own case also. Was it not hard that he too "Indeed you may." 66 Yes -on any subject." "I trust you have been able to rid your bosom of all remembrances of Violet Effingham." 66 Certainly not of all remembrances, Lady Laura." I Of all hope, then? " 66 66 I have no such hope." 66 And of all lingering desires?" "Well, yes and of all lingering desires. know now that it cannot be. Your brother is welcome to her." 66 Ah! of that I know nothing. He, with his perversity, has estranged her. But I am sure of this that if she do not marry him, she will marry no one. But it is not on account of him that I speak. He must fight his own battles now." |