Volume V Part 60 (1/2)
By Westar, a rich young Englishman, who lived a careless and joyous life I had made his acquaintance at Lord Pembroke's, and he had dined with me several tireeable, and we had passed ether I tried to avoid him, but he saw me, and came up and took ? Co to deliver so, we shall have a pleasant party”
”I can't coo”
”What's the nized you, you looked so sole? You should look at your face in the glass Now I feel quite sure that you are going to coood denying it”
”I tell you there's nothing the ain”
”It's no good, I won't leave you Co to fall onhis hand on the other pocket he felt the other pistol, and said,--
”You are going to fight a duel; I should like to see it I won't interfere with the affair, but neither will I leave you”
I tried to put on a smile, and assured hi for a walk to pass the tiar, ”then I hope my society is as pleasant to you as yours is to o and dine at the 'Canon' I will get two girls to coay little party of four”
”My dear friend, you must excuse et over it”
”You can be alone to-ht in the next three hours, and if not, why I will share your ?”
”Nowhere; I have no appetite I have been fasting for the last three days, and I can only drink”
”Ah! I begin to see daylight So to let it kill you as it killed one of ued, insisted, and joked till at last I said to er will not matter, I can do the deed when he leaves er”
When Edgar heard that I had no particular object in crossing the bridge he said that we had better turn back, and I let ed him to take me somewhere where I could wait for hiave him my word of honour that I would meet him at the ”Canon”
As soon as I was alone I emptied my pockets, and put the leaden balls into a cupboard Then I lay down and began to consider whether the good-natured youngsuicide, as he had already made me postpone it
I reasoned, not as one that hopes, but rather as one that foresaw that Edgar would hinderlish , and was pleased to findyour word,” said he
”You did not think that I would break ht; I see you are on the way to recovery”
The sensible and cheerful talk of the young an to feel better, when the two young wantons, one of as a Frenchwoh spirits They seereat attractions I appreciated their charms, but I could not welcoan to think h I was in tor of vanity ave thear to tell his fellow-countrywoman that if I were not three parts dead I would prove how lovely and charht her They pitiedis almost incapable of any voluptuous excitement, but mere words would not have convinced these priestesses of Venus if Edgar had not given them my name I had a reputation, and I saw that when they heard who I was they were full of respect They all hoped that Bacchus and Comus would plead the cause of Love, and I let the that their hopes were vain
We had an English dinner; that is, a dinner without the essential course of soup, so I only took a few oysters and a draught of delicious wine, but I felt better, and was pleased to see Edgar a irls should dance a hornpipe in the costume of Mother Eve, and they consented on the condition that ould adopt the dress of Father Adam, and that blind musicians were sue the able to imitate the seductive serpent I was allowed to retain my dress, on the condition that if I felt the prick of the flesh I should ireed to do so, and the blind musicians were sent for, and while they tuned their instruht me same useful lessons I learnt from it that aaiety I sat gazing at three naked bodies of perfect grace and beauty, the dance and themade any impression on me