A CONDENSED NOVEL.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 501, 18 August 1871, Page 2

A CONDENSED NOVEL.

By Beet Harte

LOT HA W:

08, TUB ADVENTUBES .OF A YOTTN9- GENTLEMAN

IN SEABOtf OF A BEUfiION.

By Mb. Benjamins,

Chapter i,

" I eeheMbeb him a little boy," said the Duchess. "His mother was a dear friend of mine; you know she was one of my bridesmaids."

"And you have never seen him since, mamma?" asked the oldest married daughter, who did not look a day older than her mother.

" Never: he was an orphan shortly after. I have often reproached myself, but it is so difficult to see boys." This simple yet first-class conversation existed in the morning-room of Plusham, where the mistress of the palatial mansion sat involved in the sacred privacy ; of ijji circle of her married daughters. One derterously applied golden knitting-needles to the fabrication of a purse of floss silk of the rarest texture, which none who knew the almost fabulous wealth of the Duke would believe was ever destined to hold in its.silken meshes a less sum than £1,000,000 ; another adorned a slipper exclusively with seed pearJs; a third emblazoned a page with rare pigments and the finest quality of gold leaf. Beautiful forms leaned over frames glowing with embroidery, and beautiful frames leaned over forms inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Others, more remote, occasionally burst into melody as they tried the passage of a new and exclusive air given to them in MS. by some titled and devoted friend, for the private use of the aristocracy alone, and absolutely prohibited for publication. The Duchess, herself the superlative of beauty, wealth, and position, was married to the highest noble in the Three Kingdoms. Those who talked about such

matters,- said that their progeny were exactly like their parents, —a peculiarity of the aristocratic and wealthy. They all looked like brothers and sisters, excepi their parents, who, such was tbeir purity of blood, the perfection of tbeir manners, and the opulence of their condition, might iiave been taken for their own children's elder son and daughter. The daughters, with one exception, were all married to Dhe highest nobles in the land. That exception was the Lady Coriander, who, there being no vacancy above a marquis und a rental of £1,000,000, waited. Gathered round the refined and sacred circle of their breakfast-table, with the glittering coronets which, in filial respect to their father's Tory instinct and their mother's Jiitualistic tastes, they always wore on their regal brows, the effect was dazzling as it was refined. It was this

peculiarity and their strong family resemblance which led their brother-in-law, the good-humoured St. Addlegourd, to., say that, " Pon my soul, you know, the whole precious mob looked like a ghastly pack ofcourtcards.you know." St. Addlegourd was a Kadical. Having a rent-roll of £15.000,000, and belonging to one of the oldest families in Britain, he could afford to be. " Mamma, I've just dropped a pearl," said the Lady Coriander, bending over the Persian hearth-rug. " From your lips, sweet friend," said Lothaw, who came of age and entered the room at the same moment. " No, from my work. It was a very valuable pearl, mamma; papa gave Isaacs and Sons £50,000 for the two." " Ah, indeed," said the Duchess, languidly rising; "let us go to luncheon." " But your Grace," interposed Lothaw, who was still quite young, and had dropped lon all-fours on the carpet in search of the missing gem, " consider .the yalue-^-" " Dear friend," interposed the Duchess, 1 with infinite tact, gently lifting himby : tbp tails of his dress-coat, " lam waiting for your arm.''..,,; .t- ~-.,•.,. -.-:> ........, r>.i :- ■n j Chapter 11. Lothaw was immensely rich.. The possessor of seventeen castles, fifteen villas, nine, shooting-boxes, ..and , seven < town houses, he had other estates of which he had not even lizard. ■ ■ it

Everybody at Plusham plaj ed croquet and none badly..:-Next to their purity of blood and great wealth, the family were famous for this accomplishment, Yet Lothaw soon tired of the game, and after seriously damaging ; his:: aristocratically large foot in an attempt to " tight croquet" the Lady -Aniseed's ball/he-limped away to join the Duchess.

" I'm going to the hennefy;" she said; " Let me go with you. I dearly love , fowls—broiled," he added thoughtfully. . 'r,?. The Duke gave Lady Montairy some large' Cochins the-other' day,'1' continued the Duchess, changing the subject with , deliGtite tact. :i • s! '■ :'._■• !" Lady Montairy, Quite contrary, . .- • '•• How do your Cochins grow ?" sang Lothaw gaily. The Duchess looked shocked. After a prolonged' silence- Lot-haw abruptly and gravely said, "'lf you please, ma'am, when I come into my property I should like to build some improved dwellings for the poor, and marry Lady. Coriander," " You amaze me, dear friend, and yet both your aspirations are noble and eminently proper," said the Duchess; ''Coriander is but a child,—and ye-t," she added looking graciously upon her companion' " for the matter of that, so are you." • Chapter IIT. Mr. Putney Giles's was Lothaw's first grand dinner-party. Yet. by careful watching the others, he managed to acquit himself creditably, and avoided drinking out of the finger-bowl by first; secretly testing; its contents with a spoon; The conversation was peculiar and sineularlv interesting. J

J "I hen you think that -monogamy, is simply v question to tlie?therihomeJef ?" said Mrs. Putney Giles to her companion "Icertainly think that polygamy should he limited by isothermal linos," replied liotliavr. ,■».' • ■,- ■>icriT ■ Ci

i *-,/.- ltl u Bay, {t was 'r■ waiter 'of latitude, observed a loud, talkative man opposite. Ho was an Oxford Professor with a. taste for satire, and had mad • himself very obnoxious totlie SoWpSny durini> dmner, by speaking disparagingly of a former well-known Chancellor of the l<"x-clu-quer,—a «reat sUtesinau, and brilliant novelist,—whom we:fearedla'hd'ihat:ed*.™' ' Suddenly there was a sensation iv the room; among the femalejS|,it absolutely.

amounted to a nervous thrill. ffiT^ nence.the Cardinal, was announced w . ntered with great suavity of manner ,5? after shaking hands with ev£W* asking after their relatives, and cffi^' the more delicate females under S e l? g ' with a high-bred grace v, ,m to his profession he saldown S' And how do we all find ouSi 8' thu evening, my dears?" in different languages, which he 111' fluently. SP°« Lothaw's heart was touched. HisrWi religious convictions were impressed rv instantly went up to this gifted L confessed, and received absolution "T? Rp morrow," he said to himself, "I win °-'~ take of the communion, and endow T Church with my vast estates. pl;?e present I'll let the improved cottag^ Chapter IV. As Lothaw turned to leave the Cardinal he was struck by a beautiful face It that of a matron, slim but shapely a«™ lonic column. Her face wag G™i»< i with Corinthian temples; HdIeSTS that looked from jutting eyebrows fit dormer-windows in an attic fafo£ completed her perfect Athenian outline'! She wore a black frock-coat tightly but < toned over her'bloomer trousers and - standing collar. . ~. ( , , ' ,7^ * «• Your lordship is struck by that face" said a social parasite. ' ' : wS "I am; who is she P" .. : ,y r » " Her name is Mary Ann. She is mar ried to an American, and has lately inv e n] ted a new religion." ■.. » * " Ah !" said Lothaw eagerly, witn diffi culty restraining himself from rushine to" ward her. B " Yes; shall I introduce youp" Lothaw thought of Lady CorianderT Hi*h (Jhurch proclivities, of the Cardinal and hesitated; " No, I thank you, not now." Chapteb V. Lothaw was maturing.' He had attended two woman's rights conventions, three Fenian meetings, had dined at WhiteV and had danced vis-a-vis to aprinc6ofthe' blood, and eaten off of gold plates at Oreey-house.

His s:ables were near Oxford, and occupied more ground than the University. He was driving over there one day, when" he perceived some rustics and menials endeavouring ,to stop a pair of.W away horses attached to a carriage in which a lady and gentleman:were seated. Calmly awaiting the termiuation of the accident, with highbred courtesy Lothaw fubore to intefere until the carriage was overturned, arid the occupants thrown out, and the runaways secured by the servants, when he advanced and offered the lady the exclusive use of Jiis Oxford stables.

Turning.upon him a face whose perfect, Hellenic details he remembered, she slowly;';-, dragged a gentleman from under the wheels into the light and presented him with ladyjau like dignity as her husband, MajorGeneral Uamperdown, an American.

" Ah," said Lothaw carelessly, "I believe I have some land there. If I mistake not, my agent, Mr. Puteny Giles, lately purchased the State of—lllinois—l thinkyoucall.it." " Exactly. As a former resident brine city of Chicago, let me introduce mj«elf rn as your tenant." .. ,' ; •■•,'■ f i.othaw' bowed graciously to the gentle-,', man, who,.except that he seemed:better.:;, dressed than most Englishmen, shoived.no.iv other signs of inferiority and plebeian.^ extraction.

" We have met before," said Lothavr to the lady as she leaned on his arm, while they visited his stabhss, the Uniyersityr; and other places, of interest in Oxford! . " Pray tell mo what is this new religion of yours?" " It is Woman; Suffrage', Prel I&v!,/] Mutual'- Affinity 1, Jand' Commuiaisnlr.^ Embrace it and me."

Lothaw did not know exactly what to do. She,/howeyer.sopthed>ahd-Bii&aih fejl M his agitated frame and sealed with an embrace his speechless form. The General approached and coughed slightly with gentlemanly tact./. .'■iSOHO ,'AM.WO ,i.ar|l '; My husband will be too happy to talk J»ith you further on this subject," she said with quiet dignity, as she regained.-the General's side. " Lome witli us toOneicla. Brook Farm is a thing of the past."