Wynnie

“ I turned away.
"You like that better, don't you, papa?" said Wynnie tremulously.
"It is beautiful, certainly," I answered. "And if it were only one, I should enjoy it—as a mood. But coming after the other, it seems but the same thing more weakly embodied." ”

“ We must keep those men off, for they are hunting for the sunken boat, too,” concluded Wynnie.
“My goodness! how exciting!” cried Grace Hedges.
“And we’ll actually win the prize your father offered us, Bess!” gasped Percy Havel.
“I don’t see that we have had much to do with it,” said Frank. “Wyn made the discovery.”
“What is for one is for all,” declared Wynnie. “But we won’t win Mr. Lavine’s prize unless the boat is raised and the silver images are delivered to Dr. Shelton. ”

“ I wish Wynnie were as happy as I am.”
“Why? Do you think she’s not happy, my dear?”
“That doesn’t want any thinking, papa. You can see that.”
“I am afraid you’re right, Connie. What do you think is the cause of it?”
“I think it is because she can’t wait. She’s always going out to meet things; and then when they’re not there waiting for her, she thinks they’re nowhere. But I always think her way is finer than mine. If everybody were like me, there wouldn’t be much done in the world, would there, papa?” ”

“ She was with Connie, who was now awake, lying pale and frightened. I told Ethelwyn that Percivale and Joe were on board the little schooner, which was holding on by her anchor, that Wynnie was in terror about Percivale, that I had found her lying on the wet grass, and that she must get her into a warm bath and to bed. We went together to her room.
She was standing in the middle of the floor, with her hands pressed against her temples.
“Wynnie,” I said, “our friends are not drowned. I think you will see them quite safe in the morning. Pray to God for them.” ”

“ From the truth comes the power, but the shape it assumes to the man is from the man himself.”
“You are quite beyond me now, papa,” said Wynnie.
“Well, my dear,” I answered, “I will return to the words of the boy Jesus, instead of talking more about them; and when I have shown you what they mean, I think you will allow that that feeling you have about them is all and altogether an illusion.”
“There is one thing first,” said Connie, “that I want to understand. You said the words of Jesus rather indicated surprise. But how could he be surprised at anything? ”

“ No man should paint a picture like that. You are not bound to disseminate hopelessness; for where there is no hope there can be no sense of duty."
"But surely, papa, Mr. Percivale has some sense of duty," said Wynnie in an almost angry tone. ”

“ Young Shepard appeared at once and, seeing Wyn, ran down to the shore.
“Will you help us?” gasped Wyn. “Quick! get the boys! Move your diving float where I tell you; those men will find it first, if you don’t.”
“Find what?” demanded Dave. “Are you sensible, Wynnie?”
The explanation tumbled out of Wyn Mallory’s lips then in rather a jumbled fashion; but Dave understood. He turned and gave the view-halloa for his mates. They all tumbled down the bank save Tubby.
“Get a move on, fellows,” commanded the leader of the Busters. “We’ve got to move that raft. Wyn will tell us where. ”

“ I might have known Robinson wouldn't manage when I left him?"
"Why not?"
"English!" said Wyn, most expressively. "No one can stand the airs he puts on."
Now, such airs as Mr. Moore possessed--and they were neither few nor far between--were not put on, but were perfectly natural to him.
"Can't you come in and get your tea?" I asked as he handed me the baby and helped his wife down.
"No: I must go over directly and compose matters. Good-bye, little woman: by-bye, baby! Do you know, we think she's beginning to say 'papa?'" said Wyn, proudly; and then he kissed his wife and child and drove away. ”

“ Jonah brought the bill.
Mr. Force paid it, and gave the waiter half a crown.
Wynnette pulled his sleeve and whispered:
“Papa, give me half a sov. to tip the chambermaid. It’s the regular thing, you know. I mean, papa, dear, that it is usual for ladies to offer some such modest recognition of such young persons’ services.”
“What, my dear, have you no money?” inquired her father, looking at her in some surprise.
“‘Oh, sir, you see me here,
A most poor woman, though a queen,’” sighed Wynnette, in a very humble air, as she held out her open hand. ”

“ How much love I give thee in return thou knowest, but to pay in this coin will never beggar us. I love thee because thou art all I can desire, and again because thou lovest me, and again for this same dear reason which is all I can say to excuse my mother-folly. Thy father is well, but weary of this great town; and we both long to be at home.”
Then there was more about my Aunt Wynne, and some woman-talk for her friends about the new fashions, which do not concern her, she being not of this world. “Am I not?” ”

“ When Wynne departed from that erudite circle he felt almost sublime—like nightingales sang their words of praise. A wild elation prompted him to sing, to dance, to fill his lungs with the thin air of the high peaks to which he had leapt. With youth in one hand and success in the other there were no limits to the achievements which might be his. ”

“ He nods towards Llangorren Court.
“You are merry, Monsieur. But your jests are out of place—in presence of the misery around us.”
“You may some day,” he goes on, without heeding her observation.
“Yes; when the sky falls we may catch larks. You seem to forget that Mademoiselle Wynn is younger than either of us, and by the natural laws of life will outlive both. Must, unless she break her neck in the hunting field, get drowned out of a boat, or meet some other mischance.” ”

“ Wynne feels in you. It is not every minister who is the confidant in such a domestic tragedy as that of your poor mother was, Ishmael. It is not only the circumstances of your birth that interest him in you so much, but those taken in connection with your recent successes. I should advise you to meet Mr. Wynne's advances."
"I shall gratefully do so, sir."
"And now I really do suppose it is time to order the carriage, if we mean to go to church to-day," said the judge, rising and touching the bell. ”

“ He looked at me so steadily as we came near that it gave me a rather unpleasant impression; for those who do not meet the eye at all are scarcely less disagreeable than those who too continually watch you, as was this man’s way. I was rather young to be a very careful observer of men’s faces, but I did see that Captain Wynne’s bore traces of too convivial habits. ”

“ Odalite, Wynnette and Elva came in, in their poke bonnets and buttoned coats.
“Oh, Miss Grandiere, excuse us, but yours was the only light we saw gleaming around the edges of the blinds, and so we knocked at your door,” said Wynnette, who always took the initiative in speaking, as in other things.
“My dear child! how is it that you children are out, after dark?” inquired the lady.
“We have been making the rounds to bid good-by to the neighbors. Mamma and papa went out yesterday, and we to-day. ”

“ And so you are Wynne of Wyneote, and lost it.”
“For a greater gain,” said my father. “My son has a silly fancy for the old place, but it is lost—lost—sold; and if we could have it at a word, it would grieve me to see him cast in his lot among a set of drunken, dicing, hard-riding squires—a godless set. It will never be if I can help it. My son has left the creed of his father and of mine, and I am glad that his worldly pride cannot be further tempted. ”

“ Miss Wynn gathered books about her, and in the days of April and May she and Alwyn read up on education. He marvelled at the subtlety of her mind, and she at the relentlessness of his. They were very near each other during these days, and yet there was ever something between them: a vision to him of dark and pleading eyes that he constantly saw beside her cool, keen glance. And he to her was always two men: one man above men, whom she could respect but would not marry, and one man like all men, whom she would marry but could not respect. ”

“ I heard Andre say to Darthea, “It must please the general; a great success. I shall write it all to London. Ah, Miss Peniston! how to describe the ladies!”
“And their gowns!” cried Darthea, “their gowns!”
“I am reduced to desperation,” said Andre. “I must ask the women to describe one another; hey, Wynne?” They were now standing apart from the rest, and I, hid by the bushes, was not five feet away.
“A dangerous resource,” returned Wynne. “The list of wounded vanities would be large. How like a brown fairy is Miss Pranks! Who shall describe her? No woman will dare.” ”

“ Wynne, Play?” said Archie. “The Honourable Harold Wynne. He’s heard of you—yes, you bet your hoofs on that.”
“I dare say you’ve heard of me, Mr. Wynne,” said the man. “It’s the black sheep in a flock that obtain notoriety; the colourless ones escape notice. I’m a black sheep.”
“You’re about as black as they make them, old Play,” remarked Archie, with a prompt and kindly acquiescence. “But your blackness doesn’t go deeper than the wool.”
“You say that because you are always disposed to be charitable, Archie,” said Mr. Playdell. ”

“ Wynne had never seen his father’s office, but at the age of seven he had already formed very pronounced and unfavourable views regarding it. To his mind the office and the City were one—a place which swallowed up mankind in the morning and disgorged them at night. The process of digestion through which they appeared to have passed produced characteristics of a distressing order.
A child judges men by his father, and women by his mother. From this standard Wynne judged that men might be tolerable were it not for the City. ”

“ It was enough, however, to put a new light in his eye and a faint color in his cheek.
“Could it have been Miss Nellie?” he asked, with half-boyish hesitation.
Mr. Wynn was too much of a Christian not to bow before what appeared to him the purely providential interposition of this suggestion. Seizing it and Low at the same moment, he playfully forced him down again in his chair.
“Ah, you rascal!” he said, with infinite archness; “that's your game, is it? You want to trap poor Father Wynn. You want to make him say 'No.' You want to tempt him to commit himself. No, sir!—never, sir!—no, no!” ”

“ Sitting in the open bow-window above the garden, my Darthea had most of the talk, while, when I dared no longer stare at her changeful face, I looked past her at the June roses swaying in the open window-space.
“Yes,” I laughed, “that is what men are for; but I have not done with you. I have also to thank you for my escape in the garden—you and Mr. Andre. He has a good memory, I fancy.”
“Oh, the fainting—yes,” said Miss Peniston, lightly. “It was fortunate it came just then. And Mr. Wynne was glad enough of it later. He said it had saved him from the most horrible regret life could bring. ”

“ Earle's measures."
"It seems to me," said Morris Clarke, "that these meetings are the Lord's measures."
"Well, well, doubtless you think so. I only hope they won't infringe upon business. 'Diligent in business,' you know, is just as much a command as a great many other passages that much stress is put upon."
"Yes, sir. And, Mr. Wynn, that is just what we boys mean to be. We have decided for Christ, and we find it to be a part of our Christian duty to do our very best at whatever we are set about, and we promise to be faithful to your interests. ”

“ What manner of man is thy father, O Wynne Rendall? Speak us fair, and do not seek to hide his calling.”
“I have not yet found out what manner of man he is,” replied Wynne, lightning quick to pick up the pedantry of his interrogator, “but it beseems me he is a fellow of heavy wit, who bears always a befrowning countenance. As to his calling he doth trade of import with our brothers of the Ind for the dried leaf of the tea plant.” ”

“ Wynne and Arthur cease to congratulate themselves and one another; the latter, on the valuable acquisition he and his sister had gained in such able cicerones as himself and his companion; whilst Mary and Mr. Temple, by their silence only, gave testimony to the same effect.
Yes, it were well for the good Mr. Wynne and the young and hopeful-hearted Arthur
"Cheerful old age, and youth serene,"
to yield themselves to the charm of sunny skies and classic ground, and to feel almost as if earth wanted no more to make it Heaven. ”

“ I did wonder, so big she was, where she meant to put the other women—and I said as much.
“Here is one,” she whispered, “who will like your uniform more than will the rest. Mr. Wynne of the army, my nephew, Miss Morris. And how is Mr. Gouverneur Morris?”
We fell to talking, but when others came and were presented or named by me to the Whig lady, my young woman said, “Are there none but Tories?” And she was short, I thought, with Mrs. Ferguson, who came in high good humour and a gown of Venice silk. I saw Aunt Gainor glance at her gold-laced handkerchief. ”

“ He flung himself into the work with an energy truly remarkable. From early morning till midnight he battled with the craft, and thought and talked of nothing else. In the cafés, where students met and thrashed out their thousand ideas, Wynne was well bethought, for although his skill with a brush was small he could advance and support a theory with the liveliest talker in the Quartier. His success in argument was, perhaps, not altogether of advantage to his immortal soul, since it led him to cultivate a cynical attitude toward most affairs. ”

“ A bell rang; an orderly came in and woke up an aide: “Despatch for West Point, sir, in haste.” The young fellow groaned, stuck the paper in his belt, and went out for his long night ride.
At last my friend returned. “The general will see you presently, Wynne, but it is a useless errand. Give me Andre’s letter.” With, this he left me again, and I continued my impatient walk. In a quarter of an hour he came back. “Come,” said he; “I have done my best, but I have failed as I expected to fail. Speak your mind freely; he likes frankness.” ”