Arnold, as the most of our gallants do. In my eyes
Miss Verne is far above her sister."
Hubert Tracy now felt a nervous sensation which made him uneasy, and
yet he was compelled to remain. His curiosity was aroused, and he
leaned eagerly forward where he could almost feel the speaker's
breath upon his cheeks.
"It was reported that Mrs. Verne was very anxious to secure Sir
Arthur Forrister for Miss Marguerite, but it was hinted at Mrs.
Arnold's drawing-room, not many evenings since, that Mr. Tracy is
the lucky man."
"What--not that young fellow who is so much in the company of
Arnold?"
"Yes, the very one, Ernest. It is to be hoped that he will give up
his bad habits, for if all reports be true he is not a proper
husband for Miss Verne."
"Who the deuce can they be?" thought Hubert, as he tried to get a
better view of the pair. Lovers they certainly were not. As he
listened he further learned that they were brother and sister, who
had met after some weeks of absence--the former being a cadet in a
military school in a neighboring borough.
"Egad, my young fellow, if it were you who made the speech there
would be some fan before you shouldered your knapsack again,"
muttered Hubert Tracy, as he sat eyeing the pair with no very great
affection; then adding, spitefully, "curse the women; they are first
and last in everything," stealthily crept out and was soon in the
open walk, jostled in turn by every pedestrian that crossed his
path.
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