LADY.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 232, 8 March 1875, Page 3

LADY.

the property of Captain Ashleigh. ' 0 Lord ! ' lie gasped; ' then I'm— I'm—' ' Collared !' said the victor dryly, as he entered the room, and, giving Fanny his arm, led her away in triumph. ' You very queer girl!' he said, as he unhooked her strange necklet outside. ' What on earth made you bring this thing ?' ' I don't know mischief, I suppose. When I thought that creature was coming, I slipped into the conservatory and put it on. But really I didn't know he was so—so far gone, poor fellow !' ' " Poor fellow" indeed ! He deserves to have his head broken.' ' Don't be ferocious, sir; besides, what a bad compliment to me !' 'How so?' ' Why, you suggest that a broken head is a worse punishment than being—what did you call it ? — eollared.' ' Serve him right, for his insolent pretensions. You couldn't love a cad.'

' Yes, dear, that may be true; but a cad might love me.' ' Not a bit of it! The first touch of real affection for such as you would turn him into a gentleman.' ' That's—a—very—pretty —speech, Charley ; but it doesn't do what I want. I want to persuade you that Mr Fitzwalter-Smith. has suffered enough for his tricks, and to make you promise there shall be no quarrel.'

' Have I not already done so ?' ' Yes ; but you know that was before—before—' She hesitated, picking at the flowers of her bouquet. 'Before the lathe,' he* laughed. 'Did that little episode wipe out all previous obligations ?' ' No, sir; but that little episode, as you call it, gave you certain rights which you did not possess when you made that promise—amongst them, one of defending me from such a proposal as Mr FitzwalterSmith's.' ' So it did ; but remember, please, that he did not know of our engagement, and that therefore I have no right to call him to account for his declaration.' ' And he gave up the moment he read what was on the collar,' she pleaded. 'He did; but as it is not yet the fashion for engaged young ladies to go about ticketed in that way, and as the commonest sentiments of humanity require the adoption of some other means for warning off trespassers, I have "asked papa."' ' 0 Charley, I did not say you might do so—that is, not to-night.' ' You didn't tell me I might not.' ' What did he say?' 'He was quite taken aback—thought it was the other—told me to see him to-mor-row at home.' 'But he didn't say "no"?' ' He didn't say anything one way or the other—that's for to-morrow.' 'Did he—do you think that he looked "no"?' ' I can't judge by looks.' ' 0 you wicked story-teller! Did you not say two hours ago that you—well, that you did all that because you thought I looked "yes" ?' ' True,' he replied. ' But you see I'm not in love with " papa 1 " ' ***** Nevertheless, papa did not say 'no.' After a long and serious conversation with his daughter, in which he carefully impressed upon her what twelve thousand a year meant, and she observed that Mr FitzwalterSmith would be insupportable at twelve thousand a day, he said ' yes ; and like the good old fellow that he was, spared Ashleigh that state of temporary idiotcy into which the aspirant who has to ' see papa' in the library is plunged, by giving him both hands in the hall, and sending him at once to the drawing-room. I have said that there were some good points about the Marquis. If he had not had twelve thousand a year, he would have been almost a gentleman. He was on the road to become one, and the rebuke administered by Fanny Balfoure spurred him on into a gallop. At first it put him in a rage ; but as he drove back alone in the dog-cart, and thought things over under the quieting stars, he came to the conclusion that he had made a fool of himself; that his contemplated dodge with regard to the keys would not pay ; that he had got himself into a stupid mess, and that the best Avay out of it was to tell the truth and face the consequences. So when the three met at breakfast he walked straight up to Ashleigh, laid the keys down beside his plate, and said. * Captain Ashleigh, I played you a mean trick last night, of which I am ashamed. I want to beg your pardon, and if that won't do I'm ready to give you any other sort of satisfaction you please.' In an instant the Bird hopped between them. 'Not another word,' he chirped; ' Marquis, you've acted like a man. You did play a mean trick, but you take the sting out of it by saying so. Charley, shake hands with him this moment. Hang it all, old man, he did you no end of a good turn without knowing it.' This last was an 'aside,' and materially assisted the reconciliation. Upon the eve of her wedding-day Fanny Balfoure received a morocco case containing svcli a collar necklet. It was two inches wide, looked like a solid bar of dull gold, and was as flexible as a snake. Three lockets, 'rough with gems,' hung upon it. The centre one—the grandest of all—contained a photograph, and behind it was engraved : THE property of Fanny Ashleigh. There was a note in the case, which ran as follows : 'Mr Fitzwalter-Smith presents his compliments to Miss Balfoure, and, with the permission of Captain Ashleigh, begs that she will do him the honour of acceptmg the accompanying necklet, to replace _ one with which she was good enough to give him a salutary lesson.' ' Don't you ever call him a cad again, she said, when she showed it to Charley. She wore the golden collar to church, but Lady never got the iron one. ' You silly boy, you bought it for her, said

ruadame. 'lt has been round your neck,' said monsieur.'

' And yours too,' she laughed. ' That doesn't matter; but what has clasped my darling shall never be worn by a dog.'