310 THE LOVER OF BEAUTY ; 



for this nursling of St. James's-street, we must see what effect 

 beauty will have upon our young Chevalier." So saying, the 

 Colonel smiled mischievously, and passing his arm through that 

 of his half-ahashed brother, drew him from the apartment. 



The pictures, the marbles, the bronzes, the weapons, even 

 the tapestry and china, were all listlessly examined by the 

 Captain before he had spent the first week of his sojourn at the 

 Abbey, and having no great passion for shooting or fishing, 

 although he affected these accom{)lishments of the fine gentle- 

 man, he began to think that the date of his return to the 

 enjoyments of Crockys, could not be so " very far distant." His 

 brother and his brother's lady were, still, a couple of turtles, and 

 who, ever, felt interest in the billing of turtles, however amiable 

 and nearly allied ? Poor Harry ! he had sketched two or three 

 broken sheds, a clump of oaks, and a group of deer ; he had 

 fished for very minnows in despair, and had sent the stately 

 bells of the water-lily sailing after each other down the dark 

 transparent tide that stole murmuring through the arches of the 

 woodland bridge; he had roved through every green glade and 

 bright dell in the place, had pierced every thicket and hazel 

 copse, and had pried into every old woman's cottage in the neigh- 

 bourhood. But "all was vanity and vexation of spirit!" there 

 was not, even, one rustic helle to be seen ! not a single blue- 

 eyed, flaxen-haired, light-footed maiden within ken. " As a 

 flirtation pour passer le terns, it would have been something," 

 soliloquised he as he was, despondingly, retracing his steps, 

 having, in the forlorn hope of an adventure, sauntered after a 

 female, who, when overtaken, turned upon him a broad, 

 freckled, and coarse-featured visage, well seasoned by time, and 

 answered inquiry as to the road with a bob and " ana^i surJ" 

 "They are alt savages — ourang-outangs ! there is not one 

 passable amongst them!" his fancy flew back to the brilliant 

 witcheries of the circles of totu "Dear, captivating creatures !" 

 he continued, "all grace and elegance and feeling and senti- 

 ment ! How different are these cannibals — these atrocities that 

 cross a man's path, like evil genii, and tempt him to make use 

 of a cord or a pistol shot, to put an end to his misery ! mais 

 nimporte, in a short time I shall return to your happy spheres, 

 and may I be visited by the vapours till the day of my death if 

 again I forsake them !" 



" Lady Eleanor Byrne has arrived. Sir," half-whispered Ben- 

 nett, the gamekeeper, who was going into the park, " shall I 

 take your rod and basket. Sir ?" continued he, touching his hat. 

 "Ah! indeed, has she!" returned the Captain, heedless of the 

 latter part of the speech, " how long since?" "About an hour. 

 Sir," replied the man, " her Ladyship's carriage drove up to the 

 lodge a iiiw minutes after you left the gates." 



" So ! so ! I must be quick," thought Henry, as he recollected 

 that he was in angling costume, and had no desire to be pre- 



