made more than one girl's heart ache, you good-looking ruffian!"

Then we switched over to politics, and Robert became an interested
listener. Quarter of an hour later the women returned, and certainly
they made a picture which was most satisfactory to the masculine eye.
Ah, thou eager-fingered Time, that shall, in days to come, wither the
roses in my beauty's cheeks, dim the fire in my beauty's eyes, draw
my beauty's bow-lips inward, tarnish the golden hair, and gnarl the
slender, shapely fingers, little shall I heed you in your passing if
you but leave the heart untouched!

Bob jumped to his feet and kissed them both, a thing I lacked the
courage to do. How pleased they looked! How a woman loves flattery
from those she loves!

Well, William is in front with the carriage; the women are putting on
their cloaks, and I am admiring the luxurious crimson fur-lined
garment which brother Robert had sent to Nancy from Paris. You will
see by this that he was not altogether a thoughtless lad. Good-by,
Mr. Robert; I leave you and your guiding-star to bolt the established
orbit; for after this night the world will never be the same
careless, happy-go-lucky world. The farce has its tragedy, and what
tragedy is free of the ludificatory? Youth must run its course, even
as the gay, wild brook must riot on its way to join the sober river.

I dare say that we hadn't been gone twenty minutes before Robert
stole out to the stables, only to return immediately with a bundle
under his arm and a white felt hat perched rakishly on his head. He
was chuckling audibly to himself.