The Money Moon | Page 2

you see George, is not love, is it? Though, personally, I think
all that sort of thing went out of fashion with our great-grandmother's
hoops, and crinolines. So George, I have decided to marry the Duke of
Ryde. The ceremony will take place in three weeks time at St. George's,
Hanover Square, and everyone will be there, of course. If you care to
come too, so much the better. I won't say that I hope you will forget me,
because I don't; but I am sure you will find someone to console you
because you are such a dear, good fellow, and so ridiculously rich.

So good-bye, and best wishes,
Ever yours most sincerely,
SYLVIA.
Now under such circumstances, had Bellew sought oblivion and
consolation from bottles, or gone headlong to the devil in any of other
numerous ways that are more or less inviting, deluded people would
have pitied him, and shaken grave heads over him; for it seems that
disappointment (more especially in love) may condone many offences,
and cover as many sins as Charity.
But Bellew, knowing nothing of that latter-day hysteria which wears
the disguise, and calls itself "Temperament," and being only a rather
ordinary young man, did nothing of the kind. Having lighted his pipe,
and read the letter through again, he rang instead for Baxter, his valet.
Baxter was small, and slight, and dapper as to person, clean-shaven,
alert of eye, and soft of movement,--in a word, Baxter was the cream of
gentlemen's gentlemen, and the very acme of what a valet should be,
from the very precise parting of his glossy hair, to the trim toes of his
glossy boots. Baxter as has been said, was his valet, and had been his
father's valet, before him, and as to age, might have been thirty, or forty,
or fifty, as he stood there beside the table, with one eye-brow raised a
trifle higher than the other, waiting for Bellew to speak.
"Baxter."
"Sir?"
"Take a seat."
"Thank you sir." And Baxter sat down, not too near his master, nor too
far off, but exactly at the right, and proper distance.
"Baxter, I wish to consult with you."
"As between Master and Servant, sir?"

"As between man and man, Baxter."
"Very good, Mr. George, sir!"
"I should like to hear your opinion, Baxter, as to what is the proper, and
most accredited course to adopt when one has been--er--crossed in
love?"
"Why sir," began Baxter, slightly wrinkling his smooth brow, "so far as
I can call to mind, the courses usually adopted by despairing lovers, are,
in number, four."
"Name them, Baxter."
"First, Mr. George, there is what I may term, the Course
Retaliatory,--which is Marriage--"
"Marriage?"
"With--another party, sir,--on the principle that there are as good fish in
the sea as ever came out, and--er--pebbles on beaches, sir; you
understand me, sir?"
"Perfectly, go on."
"Secondly, there is the Army, sir, I have known of a good many
enlistments on account of blighted affections, Mr. George, sir; indeed,
the Army is very popular."
"Ah?" said Bellew, settling the tobacco in his pipe with the aid of the
salt-spoon, "Proceed, Baxter."
"Thirdly, Mr. George, there are those who are content to--to merely
disappear."
"Hum!" said Bellew.
"And lastly sir, though it is usually the first,--there is dissipation, Mr.
George. Drink, sir,--the consolation of bottles, and--"

"Exactly!" nodded Bellew. "Now Baxter," he pursued, beginning to
draw diagrams on the table-cloth with the salt-spoon, "knowing me as
you do, what course should you advise me to adopt?"
"You mean, Mr. George,--speaking as between man and man of
course,--you mean that you are in the unfortunate position of
being--crossed in your affections, sir?"
"Also--heart-broken, Baxter."
"Certainly, sir!"
"Miss Marchmont marries the Duke of Hyde,--in three weeks, Baxter."
"Indeed, sir!"
"You were, I believe, aware of the fact that Miss Marchmont and I
were as good as engaged?"
"I had--hem!--gathered as much, sir."
"Then--confound it all, Baxter!--why aren't you surprised?"
"I am quite--over-come, sir!" said Baxter, stooping to recover the
salt-spoon which had slipped to the floor.
"Consequently," pursued Bellew, "I am--er--broken-hearted, as I told
you--"
"Certainly, sir."
"Crushed, despondent, and utterly hopeless, Baxter, and shall be,
henceforth, pursued by the--er--Haunting Spectre of the Might Have
Been."
"Very natural, sir, indeed!"
"I could have hoped, Baxter, that, having served me so long,--not to
mention my father, you would have shown just a--er shade more

feeling in the matter."
"And if you were to ask me,--as between man and man sir,--why I don't
show more feeling, then, speaking as the old servant of your respected
father, Master George, sir,--I should beg most respectfully to say that
regarding the lady in question, her conduct is not in the least surprising,
Miss Marchmont being a beauty, and aware of the fact, Master George.
Referring to your