A Mental Struggle. S-'5
friendly nonsense in between her songs, Patricia looks a
thing to be desired. Her air is gracious ; her voice is gay
and suggestive of a possible bonne camaraderie in the
future. Felix, looking down upon her, cannot faQ to con¬
trast her manner with the cold haughty demeano'ar of her
elder sister. And yet—even in this early hour of the fate
that is hurrying upon him—he well knows he would gladly
exchange all Patricia's pretty smiles for one gentle glance
from Imogen.
"Patricia," says Lady Olivia presently, "will yoir bring
me Hugh's last photo to show to Mrs. Brown ? "
This breaks up the tete-a-tete at the piano, as Patricia,
rising instantly, leaves the room to bring her mother the
picture in question. Hugh is the youngest amongst the
boys, and, being an acknowledged beauty, is admired and
idolii^jd (to his intense discomfiture) by his fond mother,
who cannot refrain from showing off her private Adonis
when practicable to her large circle of friends. When the
boy is not present in the flesh, his portrait is, as a rule, pro¬
duced and made to do duty for him.
Patricia being gone, Felix drops back again into his
former place near Lady Olivia, who, like all good-looking
middle-aged women, is distinctly partial to young men—
the younger the better, in fact^as then she can be taken
into their entire confidence, and learn all about their
college troubles, and administer to them what she considers
golden advice in her pleasant, tender way. Need it be said
that such partiality on her part is returned tenfold by its
recipients ? She is publicly adored, not merely by her own
sons, but by the sons of half the county, who confide to her
not only their few peccadilloes, but their numerous and
heart-rending aflfairs of love.
All this is very agreeable to Lady OliA'ia's soul, but Felix
has lived far beyond his college days, and has apparently
no suicidal love-grievance upon his mind; and to have a
young man who has no special misfortunes to relate, and
who has two undeniably pretty girls in the room with him,
choose her—Lady Olivia—as a companion for the evening,
strikes her as being, to say the least of it, a very peculiar
thing.
3—2
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