THE STORY-TELLER,

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3187, 26 November 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE STORY-TELLER,

THE BALL AT THE LUNATIC ASYLUM. By Hope Carlyox. He went, entirely against bis own wishes, against bis better judgment. Why did he go at all? you will ask. Simply because Dick Murray " made a point of it" : and when Dick Murray" made a point" of anything , , his friends generally found they might as well '' give in first as last."

Then Will Grant was a goodnatured young fellow, aud always up to a lark.

But be didn't ''see the joke of this ? " as be frankly confessed.

He said be " had found no difficulty in securing a sufficient number of nearly idiotic partners, without descending to the absolutely insane"; and Dick only answered, " You'll find, my boy, that the insane are often highly intelligent ; and, unless you touch on their one weak point, you'd never know there was a screw loose anywhere."

He said he" hated intellectual women, and that, by an odd sort of fatality," he " always touched on the weak point directly he was introduced to anyone possessing that undesirable article."

Dick declared that was the fun of the thing, and it was like being at a real " fancy ball," when you found a man trotting round to get up subscriptions for the man in the moon, for instance !

This was too idiotic, and while Will took a whole minute to think of a sufficently- cutting sarcasm by way of an appropriate answer. Dick left the room, whistled for a cab, routed out greatcoats, and carried off his friend by the sheer force of decision.

" Hang it all ! " he said. " I've accepted for you, man ; I knew you wouldn't let me go .alone, the only evening we can spend together." Will hereupon started on another argument, but found himself at the Asylum before he had half " opened his case," which he was entering upon in really brilliant form.

" Here we are ! What a fellow you are for pursuing your subject!" cried Dick, cheerily. '' You are like u terrier with a rat! They hit the right nail on the head when they made you a barrister. Come along ! Don't be bashful ! I've a charming young lady, with only an art craze, in my mind's eye, waitinsr for you !"

" There she may wait!" said Will, stubbornly, roused to rebellion at last. " Dance away old chap ! I'll stay here and take a look round for a bit."

And he planted himself in a fairly sheltered spot near the doorway, and meditated on mind and matter, and on the fantastic combinations which go to make up the sum of what we call human life.

Presently somebody troJ on his toe. However deep your reflections may be, trifles like this cause you instantly to rise, as doth the wisest fish when the gaudy simulacrum of the fly floateth on the clear surface of the pond. Will then looked up with a fiery glance, which softened as it met a pair of lovely frightened blue eyes, while a sweet voice most humbly begged his pardon !

" Your foot is not so heavy as all that! I'm not seriously hurt! "he answered amiably. She was a most prepossessing lunatic he thought, and for once it was a comfort not to have to stand on ceremony; so he asked her to dance without more ado, and they danced together again and again. He ventured on the most extravagant compliments. To be sure they were well deserved ; but telling your acquaintance of five minutes that she looks like an angel and dances like a fairy is coming it a little strong.

However, she only blushed entrancingly, and by-and- by Will found he was somehow talking about himself ; there was a sweet sad look of pity, of sympathy in the blue eyes which led him on all unconsciously. He told of some early troubles through which he had struggled. She sighed deeply, and there were teai - s—yes, ho could swear there were tears, on her long lashes.

How strange it all was ? Why, oh, why, condemn a being so lovely, so gifted, to this miserable place ?

"If she had been mine," he thought, "howl would have prized and cherished her. What a heart the man must have, whoever he may be; that wretch who let her be placed in a common asylum instead of using every human means, and the tenderest care, to overcome any hallucination which may have haunted her, and caused the look of sorrow which dwells in those beautiful eyes." Then she turned to him again, and her look was bright and kind.

" We have been talking upon sad subjects," she said. "I am afraid it has wakened old memories, and now you look so lost in gloomy thoughts I scarcely dare to speafc. Come, let us dance again. I want you to enjoy the evening." He pressed her hand tenderly, and said all manner of foolish things ; ho danced with her all the evening. He forgot all the other lunatics! Nay ! If she were mad why he would be mad too ! For one evening, bien entencki, ! Next day he would be the rising young barrister again ; ingenious in argument, brilliant and effective in speech, but with nothing soft about his character, oh, dear no. He'd no enthusiasm, except in the strictly business line. Even Dick Murray would have taken his oath of that.

At present Dick is puzzled. He leans against the wall and bites the end of his moustache.

" Will is going it, by Jove. Who'd have thought it was in the beggar ?' he mutters to himself, for the said Will is utterly regardless of looks or hints, and shows plainly that you may take a horse to water, but it is difficult to stop him from drinking once he's in the river.

It came to an end at last, as all things must, the fair lady vanished with an attendant, whom she called aunt! Under the very nose of that austere-looking individual Will took an impassioned farewell.

The old lady almost dragged the lovely Sybil (for Sybil was the name to which "blue eyes" had confessed) away, and, as she shut the door of the room, Will could hear her say in tones of deepest indignation.

" Well, if ever I let you do such a thing again! Talk of lunatics behaving themselves ; I was positively afraid of the man's vehemence, and the look in his eyes !"

'" Such handsome eyes," Sybil began softly; but AVill heard no more, for Dick pounced upon him.

" Get into your coat, man alive," he said sharply. " Haven't you done about enough for one night ?"

Then someone called out, " Miss Borradaile's carriage," and 10, and behold, the fair Sybil emerged, in a becoming dark reel cloak, lined with white fur.

She started and coloured most becomingly, on seeing Will in his great coat, also ready to depart; in fact, her confusion was so great that perhaps she did not notice his, or know that his hand almost trembled, as he helped her into her carriage.

"Thank you! I require no assistance," declared her aunt, as she followed, evidently under the belief that one of the lunatics was effecting his escape under cover of darkness. As they drove off, Dick and AVill looked at each other dubiously for one brief moment, and then Dick burst into a ioar of laughter. " She took you for a madman, old fellow. They both did," he added, stating this obvious fact with much contentment and recovered good temper.

" Pact is we get up these fortnightly entertainments to give pleasure to the poor creatures yonder." and he nodded his big head at the asylum. " Some of the townsfolk come up, and Miss Sybil, who is philanthropic in addition to her other charms, never rested, once I'd told her of it, till she coaxed old Miss Borradailo to bring her. That's why I was so bent on going to-night," he explained unnecessarily, " and then I didn't like to do the inhospitable and leave you alone! I never kue-v anything more killing than to think of the pretty frightened girl dancing with the same lunatic all night, because of course, she wouldn't dare to refuse!" and he roared again, but again Will didn't seem to " see the joke."

Dick, the Scotchman, however, having allowed the humour of the situation to take possession of his brain, was not disposed to let the thing drop so easily. "Bless my soul! " lie ejaculated. " You don't mean to say you took her for a lunatic, too! And you set up for being clever! Ha ! ha! Some folks can see through a stone wall, perhaps that's the reason they see so little on this side of it! "

" Oh, shut up with your chaff," cried Will, half angrily. . Then— persuasively —" I wish you'd introduce me properly to your friends to-morrow. We might call and inquire how they are after the ball before I leave."

Across Dick's mind there somehow flashed a childish memory, long since forgotten. It was Will's first visit, and Dick, the naturalist, had shown him a secret of his own —a kingfisher's nest. Will had dug it out next day, and secured the eggs; and how little Dick, going for comfort to old nurse, remembered even now how she had shaken her head, and remarked, sententiously, " Teach the cat the way to the cream, an' she'll be aye lickin.' Eh, my bonny bairn ! I misdoubt me sair, but ithers 'ull be getting the cream fra' you, all your lifelang!" It was a whimsical fancy, no doubt. Yet Dick then and there determined not to introduce Will to " his friends." A visitor of a day ! What need was there for any explanations concerning a ridiculous mistake, over which he and Sybil might laugh together in the future ? He pointed out her home though cheerfully enough, as he drove Will to the train next day, and dropped him at the station, remarking with unwonted duplicity —

" Sorry we started too late for our call at Holmwood. I'll explain your behaviour to Miss Sybil! Good-bye, old fellow. Afraid the mare won't let me stay chatting longer." Then he was off, spinning down the road ; and Will was left to his own dovices. " Look after this portmanteau for me, station-master. I go by a later train," aud, ten minutes later, Will's card was in Miss Sybil's hands, and he was bowing before her in the pretty drawing-room, with its open windows, and its abundance of flowers. " Aunt" was happily out. Happily I say, for both the young people were so confused in their mutual apologies and explanations that the presence of a third person would have proved highly embarrasing. However, a silver laugh from Sybil broke the ice, and helped

them over that stage, and then Will " made the pace" rapidly.

Sybil was going to Torquay next week. How strange a coincidence! The sea breezes, too, were being sought by him, and Torquay was the very place he had determined upon. Since when ? Oh, most ingenious William! Sybil asked, no sucL inconvenient question. She only looked frankly pleased, as she said, "Then we shall meet again"

They were getting on together capitally, when old Miss Borradaile returned.

A bomb could hare scarcely been more startling.

She stopped short on entering, and " eyed" Miss Sybil severely. Then she bestowed a glance upon Will, beneatli which he positively quailed, as she asked, in icy tones, '' To what am I indebted for the honour of this visit? " His explanation founded lame even to himself and before he had finished speaking, old Miss Borradaile marched across the room and rang the bell. She only said, " Tea, Thomas, at once ! " to the footman who entered ; but she spoke in such an aggressive manner, that Will plucked up spirit to say, •' Not for me, thank you ! I never take tea! " She quelled him instantly, with one look, as she said, slowly and distinctly, " I was not ordering it for you ; but for myself and my niece." Soon after this hint, which he naturally consiJered a strong one, it occurred to Will that he had better take leave. He shook hands with Miss Sybil, but her aunt arose, and bestowed upon him an awful form of salnatation, between a rigid bow and a sweeping contemptuous curtsey. Then he got out of the room as best he might; but he recovered his nerve before he reached the station, and, as ill-luck would have it, meeting Dick close by it, nodded carelessly, as he called out, " Missed the train after all! Going by the next."

Honest Dick was much puzzled, and consulted his watch and the time-table more than once that evening. " 1 made so sure we were early, though I never looked at the clock !" be thought, and then dismissed the matter from his mind.

The Torquay visit came off, and old Mis 9 Borradaile was most disagreeably surprised to find " that young man" turning up again. " It's like a fatality," sho remarked to her niece. " I shall take care to keep him at length." So she did, but she wasn't always out, and she wasn't a good walker. Sybil took a long ramble after her bath every morning, and returned with " really a lovely colour." She also accomplished some very creditable sketches, but devoted an unconscionable time to them, as old Miss Borradaile most justly observed. It is to be feared, therefore, that the constant assistance given by Mr. Will was not of much value.

" And what came of it all V you ask. "Oh ! the usual thing." The engagement was a short one, and Miss Borradaile had hardly recovered the shock before the wedding was over. The papers informed all who cared to know that the " beautiful and accomplished bride looked charming in a most delightful costume." They went into raptures over her diamond stars, her boquet, her veil, her bridesmaids' ditto ditto, but they didn't say a word about Dick, for why ? he was not there. " No, he couldn't get away ;" " though a trifle slow !" deolared Will, and Sybil assented, as she rather absently clasped the bracelet Dick had chosen with care and pains. Poor Dick! He drauk their health all alone that evening, and did not find the process exhilirating. "He laughs best who laughs last," says the old proverb, but it is hard to make merry over the raciest joke in solitude, and Dick couldn't enjoy the humourous side of Will's queer mistake at that "lunatic's ball," now that ho was left to enjoy it by himself. Sybil still colours scarlet if anyone accidently asks where she and Will first met.

She is perfectly happy, and thinks him the handsomest aa well as the cleverest of men. As to Dick, she never troubled her head about his possible feelings, so he has still one secret left, and that he will keep faithfully to the end.