CAMELLA OR AN IGNORANT WRANGLER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2899, 12 February 1891, Page 4

CAMELLA OR AN IGNORANT WRANGLER.

By Mrs L. Fnosr Rattray (Author uf " Briitondell.")

CHAPTER, VI. (cuxnxi;i;i>). • ,'amklla had thought much of hor unfortunate incnd, and she and ilrs Sl'ingston united in linarty abuse of Mr Robert ]iront. who, it wishes could have had any c fleet, in deterriiii.iu;,' his future, wcild assuredly Ji.iM; uujoyi-d u terrible life.

Camella hoped lie was even now rugriiting liin choicf. and that as years rolled on. h»: v.ou : d regret it more and more. Mrs Hlangston ■was still more uuchariUibli.-, and fervently trusted that hi , : wife would turn out a perfect shrew, and so punish him for throw.ng omt ■■> thoroughly good tempered, >■.:■;<:' t young lady. " What I can't understand about, Kate's conduct just now i:,, thai :;he doea not half blame him She was quite prepared ro tind a dozen ftveuaes for his conduct, if 1 would have listened to them, and indeed, hhe was almost au«ry with mo tor living (ihe ww well rid of bun, 's.'.id Came! la,

'• VVhcil yOU :l"O x> old ;l:i 1 ■.111)." s tid Colonel Slangston," - you will learn that it is absolutely impossible to sco what a woman will or will nnt, do in any given case. ' •■ Mv clear,' , ronionstrn!''d Jus v. \u; '-'though w wonder fit liereon.luet. it is really vory noblo of Miss I'o'vyf, and vory nico of her to bo willing to for-iveMr I|'rollt1 | ' rollt - n Ir 1; ::ioh: than ti uiiia would do.' " Well, a man would givo a fellow the choico of .renpons in such a wii," saiiltli..! »;ol<in«l, "that is if (ho follow woru not too much of u hoiuiil lo bo worth tigliting, when ho would simply horso-whip him." r,:,,,.!!:, ilio'iyht 'ho understood

ali'tli-of KiU'.-'« l'ei;!iu<;\ though slio '■ui'lil iiii!. ii^i , ' , ! , with li'-r altogether in ,-:iii ri'i.-iiniiii: any ,1,1 th nights c;l ;l . mini like li'.li'Tf I-sront.

■ • |f I Diirn lo>t my respect for anvone,'"' she said. '• L should also Ins- in-,- allVctidii for llioin. l.ovo thai- !■■ !ia:-ed on anything but 05:,„.,.,. :,„.,.,. \.< u>, , , worth having.' , •• I ),, you think a mother loves ]„,;. ~|,i|,'l !»„:; when it- has done , n . ii; ,i ; ;'" asktd Mrs Slnujrstnn. ■■ lliiil. -oil of idiuetioii \a instinctivi,. iii-otcelive : a different I'ee'.iu.u; iiiiin the one we wuro dise.us.siii:.-. ' •■ Will, Mipi)DS<: your iii:!..T n.jd doiv ;:. dishonourable dued ; would you have eeabed tc love him, bu-i-iiuso you could no longer rc-iKict hi,n 'f' asked the Colonel.

Camel hi hesitated. '-It may sound hard, but I am sure, had such an impossiblo ovout happened. I could never have felt the same trusting feeling of love, which is so delightful, I should think, from a i.-hild lu a parent.' . And the girl sighed, tor sho had never known her parents, they having both d.st of fever in India, when she was only six mouths old. , . . The Colonel was sorry ho had introduced n puinf ul subject, and tried to turn tho conversation by sotno of his favourite remarks on the youth of the present day, who, as Camella otton lau»-hin?ly told him. wore a standing°dish%£ grumble for him when alf ofhor causes of complaint wore, for the moment exhausted. The old soldier invariably retorted, "My dear, your observation oxnctly proves" my argument that young people now-a-days are cxtremoly impertinent.' , '• Have you written to jour uncle, Camella?" asked Mrs Slaiigstou, as her husband, murmurin o- some excuse about a turn in the fresh air. went off to the smoking-room. "No, I have hardly had tuno, vet," "1 hope you do not mean to be married out hero ?" " Wo have scarcely settled anything about that," was Caniella's rathor evasive answer, for she know that Mrs Slangston was anxious to avoid aa much us possiblo, the responsibility of her marriage. •'The colonel and 1 will both write to the Professor, if it is necessary, but 1 trust you _ and Mr TaJTorson will see that it is better you should return with us, and then, if you are still of the same mind, lie could cumc home, and marry you with your uncle's approval." Camolla conjectured from this return to a question she hoped she had sett-led that the Colonel and Mrs Slangston had been talkingover her engagement, and that they had determined to make another effort to induce their wayward charge to lieur reason, as they had expressed it. Sho knew very well that Mrs SlangstoK also hoped that by postponing the marriage, she should succeed in preventing it altogether, and sho was rather annoyed at the good lady's persistent and steady objection to the young settlor as a husband for her.

" 1 have uo persona! dislike to Mr Taft'ersou,' , contiuued Mrs ISlaugston, as Camella did not speak, '• but asti suitor io<: your hand, as I have said bofore. 1 do decidedly disapprove of him, and I think ho has not behaved rjuito well in this matter, as 1 told you tho last time iv ( > mentioned tho subject.' .

t'iimolla rose. "Unless you will promise not to speak of Staulov like that, dour Mrs Shiugstou," slai .said in a coaxing tone, "' I shall not listen to a word you have to

'Mrs Slaugstou sighud She had no childvun of her own, and she had ill ways been very fond of Camella. Shu and Mrs I'ittersley, had boon attached friends during the short marriod life of the I'rofessDr's sister-in-law, and Mrs Slangstou would gladly liavo the suddenly ("irnlumed bnby. had she been near i.noiiiih at Ihc' tJiuo of the young nioUmr's do;itli to express such a dosiro. V>nt she and _ her iiusban'l won; i:i n distant nrovinci , at the time, aud she only arrived at Calcutta to find that the. infant child of Captain aud Mrs L'ittersley, had been sent home with her ayali, under the charge of the Majors wife, who was also taking her own little girl to England. Mrs Slaugston had to—reluctantly enough—abandon the idea of taking iit'V dead friend's child as her own, tor her husband was suddenly ordered to a distant part of India, and she, of course, accompanied him. "\Vhcn. in. the course of a few years, the regiment returned home. Mrs SLmgston found that i.hi: bonny little 1511 a had succeeded in completely subjugating the ProI'l's.sor's book-bound heart, and that • t would l)c an act of cruelty to him to v/iint to remove her. however vood it might be for the child to

•h placed under different manage-Mi'-i.t. Now, nlie felt that she had •. i : ry little influence over the proud liigii spirited Newnham girl.

■' l)(:ur Klla," ohe oaid, " you 1.n0. , , I oiily want to ensure your

li.ppiuev; SoTiic v,oiiilu arc natu r;aiy duuicstic. They have few ami:, bevojid the ordering of their ii'ju / few asipiiutionu boyond a

v ill i:o')l.t-il ilinni:r, imd ii fearfully i.'l-Mii. :'.bn.)rinally nont cstablishi;it>:it. L'u thi'Ui, lil'o consists of l-i-ilil,' ill tllC r.\i!cl l:'O:>!i:llt tlluy lia\i; lixed the luifoi-e, and 11 n> night tint ; having liroakfaat on t.hc same well-ordered lines in which ir. iv.n- laid over siiH'o ihrv inirricfi. Then they superinLend the house hold dusting, which consists 01 making an awful bother, and gently allying it !«y various soothing means. (My dear Ella, you would look sup"i'bly ineongruouy with a lirooni or n. duster in yottr hand). Then there is the governess to be turned over and sorted properly, to see that slio in imparting the right fjuautily of instruction per diem to

tlio white-pinaiored. tidy hnircfl. proper little girls in 'I' , ' snhoolroom. (Now you, Kiln, would insist, on (.reek us mere detail of nursery I:iiiL;u:i'_r*: '■) 'L'luMi this highly n , - Hpi'fjttttl find correct mother would allow her little ones to have a formal and very still' lunch with her, iust to set- that they behaved th,. : !i'isf-lv.!- ><s well brought-up i.-hildren should. Thou she would puss the afternoon in doing her duty to her neighbour, in nici'.ing the. last piece of news, and hearing the improbable conjectures on what will happen next 'to those dreadful Smiths I The evening is spent in ;i round of frivolous amusement. N T ow dear Ella-, is that the sort of life that would suit you f

Gamolla laughed. " I fancy a woman's life is just what she chooses to make it, as I have often stud. But dear -Mrs Slangston, it was only a ittlo while ago that you wore picturing the beauties of home life."

" 1 have never known much of home life mysHf," the lady confessed. "1 have always been travelling about with my husband, but I have seen something of it during my short visits to friends.' " A few weeks ago," laughed Camella, " you advised me not to shut myself up in my uncle's study; now you advise me not to marry, which advice, please, am I to follow ?''

" i am quite sure, Ella, that whatever 1 say you will do exactly as you like/' returned Mrs Slangston rather pettishly, for she did not like to he accused of inconsistency. " Ah, well," said Camella, pleasantly; "we will leave it to Mr TafFerson to settle. It concerns him, he seems to think, quite as much as it does me.'"

" Well, you had better go to bed, dear. I really do not know what to do about you.' , " Putting me to bed only defers the trouble," said the girl. " I appear in the morning just as much a cause of perplexity to you as I am now. You had better say at once, 'My tloar child, take my blessing, and I will make it all right with your uncle.'" T'.ut Mrs Slangston refused to agree to this treaty of peace.

{Tn bo continued.) \