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Cloth; "x" jl' The Statement of Stella Maberly The aianfs Robe. Iii„,.rated »mo. Cloth. $..,,. p,p,,_ ^^ The Brack Poodle, and Other Stories "-0. 11,..,^,,,,. p^p^^ -^ Tourmalin's Time Cheques. Boards . The Tinted Venus. i^mo. . n '"?;"IS?s^Sn1'S&"''«*''-«ories "mo.Jllustrated. Cloth, $..50. »• APPLETON Ai^Jol^ANY. New York. 50c. L 3Cobt among tije mom A MATRIMO- NIAL EXPERI- ENCE, BY F ANSTEY, AU- THOR OF "VICE VERSA." ETC ■^ I Toronto 1899 P R V -•? 5 7 oS f! Authorized Edition. V List of Illustrations PAUB The exquisite face looking out over the wire blind . 4 iEneas Polkingbcrne 7 Still I persevered 9 The introduction of Mr, Blenkinsop to ^liss Lurana de Castro 13 "And whom should I marry, Mr, Blenkinsop?" . 18 " Let us be married in the Lions' Cage " . .28 " Yes, papa, we are a little late " . . . .81 "First-rate idea of yours, Blenkinsop" . . . 88 " Well, if the lady's as game as she seems, and the gentleman likewise, I don't see any objection " . 41 We were still chatting when Lurana returned . 43 A cleric of the broad-minded school . . .61 " If you go on like that I shall begin to think you want to frighten me " 55 Mademoiselle 61 VI List of Illustrations " A De Castro can never marry a Craven " •' If them two got together, there'd be the dooso's delight " . I was forlornly mopping when Xiono returned My wedding toilette was complete " It's a swindle " * • • • A kind of small procession entered the arena Then he addressed the audience " If only you had been firmer, Theodore " PAOB 71 77 80 85 89 93 99 109 strations PAQB 71 )oses 77 80 85 89 93 99 109 LOVE AMONG THE LIONS PART I In the following pages will be found the only authentic account of an affair which pro- v.ded London, and indeed all England, with matenal for speculation and excitement for a period of at least nine days. . ^° "^"y i'J'i'^eurate versions have been circulated so many ill-natured and unjust aspersions have been freely cast, that it seemed advisable for the sake of those principally eon- cerned to make a plain unvarnished statement of the actual facts. And when I mention that I who ™te this am the Theodore Blcnkinsop whose name was, not long since, as familiar in he public mouth as household words, I ven- t"e .0 think that I shall at once re;all the 1 M 2 Love among the Liens matter to the shortest memory, and establish my right to speak with authority on the sub- ject. At the time I refer to I was— and for the matter of that still am— employed at a lucrative salary as taster to a well-known firm of tea-merchants in the City. I occupied fur- nished apartments, a sitting-room and bed- room, over a dairy establishment in Tadmor Terrace, near Baalbec Tvoad, in the pleasant and salubrious district of Highbury. Arrived at the age of twenty-eight, I was still a bachelor and had felt no serious inclina- tion to change my condition until the memor- able afternoon on which the universe became transformed for me in the course of a quiet stroll round Canonbury Square. For the information of those who may be unacquainted with it, I may state that Canon- bury Square is in Islington; the houses, though undeniably dingy as to their exteriors, are highly respectable, and mostly tenanted by members of the medical, musical, or scho- I A Matrimonial Experience lastie professions; sonic have balconies and verandahs whicli make it difficult to believe tliat one has not met them, like their occu- piers, at some watering place in the sum- mer. The square is divided into two bv a road on which frequent tramcars run to the City, and the two central enclosures are neatly laid out with gravelled paths and garden seats; in the one there is a dovecot, in the other there are large terra-cotta oil-jars, bringing recollec- tions of the Arabian Xights and the devoted -Morgiana. All this, I know, is not strictly to the point, but I am anxious to make it clear that the locality, though not perhaps a chosen haunt of Eank and Fashion, possesses compensations of its own. Strolling round Canonbury Square, then, I happened to glance at a certain ground floor window iu which an art-pot, in the form of a chipped egg hanging in gilded chains and enamelled shrimp-pink, gave a note of femi- Love among the Lions ninity Jiat softened the dusty severity of a wire blind. Under the chipped egg, and above the top 01 the blind, gazing out with an air of list- less disdain and utter weariness, was a lovely vivid face, which, with its hint of pent-up pas- sion and tropical lan- guor, I mentally lik- ened to a i)onicgran- ate flower; not that I have ever seen a pomegranate flower, though I am more fa- miliar with the fruit — which, to my pal- ate, has too much the flavour of fire-wood to bo wholly agree- able — but somehow It seemed the only appropriate comparison. After that, few days passed on which I did not saunter at least once round the square, and several times I was rewarded by the sight The exquisite face looking out over the wire b'ind. A Matrimonial Experience 5 of that same exquisite face, looking out over the wire blind, always with the same look of intense boredom and haughty resentment of her surroundings— a kind of modern Mariana, with an area tc represent the moat. 1 was hopelessly in love from the very first; I thouglit of nothing but how to ob- tain admission to her presence; as time went on, I fancied that when I passed there was a gleam of recognition, of half-awakened in- terest in her long-lashed eyes, but it was dif- ficult to be certain. On the railing by the door was a large brass plate, on which was engraved: ''^Eneas Polkinghorne, Professor of Elocution. Prospectus within." So I knew the name of my divinity. I can give no greater indication of the extent of my pas- sion, even at this stage, than by saying that I found this surname musical, and lingered over each syllable with delight. But that brought me no nearer to her, and at last a plan occurred to me by which the abyss of the area that separated us might " Love among the Lions possibly bo bridged over. Xotbing could be simpler than my device— and yet there was an audacity about it tliat rather startled me at first. It was this: the brass plate said " Pro- spectus within." Very well, all I had to do was to knock boldly and ask for one, which, after s()iii(> natural hesitation, 1 did. Any wild hope of obtaining an interview M'ith ]\lis3 Polkinghorne was doonunl to in- stant disap])ointment. I was received by the Professor himself, a tall, stout, flabby person, with sandy hair combed back over his brow and worn long behind, who showed a most sympathetic interest in me, inquiring whether I wished to be prepared for the Church, the Stage, or the Bar, or whether I had any idea of entering Parliament. I fear I allowed him to suppose the latter, although I am about as likely to get into Parliament as into an im- perial pint measure; but I had to say some- thing to account for my visit, and the tea-trade does not call for much in the way of ora- torical skill from its votaries. :l^ ^■•'l»'5 ^neas Polkinghorne. ii 8 Love among the Lions Our interview was brief, but I came away, not only with a prospectus, but with tickets, for which 1 paid casli, entitling me to a course of six lessons in elocution. This was rather more than I had calculated upon— but, at least, it gave me the entree to tho house, and it might lead to something more. It did not seem as if it was going to lead to much; the Professor's method of teaching was peculiar: he would post me in a study at the back of the liouse, where I was instructed to declaim some celebrated oration at the top of my voice while he retired upstairs to dis- cover how far my voice would carry. After twenty minutes or so he would re- turn with the information, which I have no reason to disbelieve, that he had not heard a single word above the first landing. Still I persevered, sustained by the thought that, when I was delivering the ora- tion of Brutus over Cfosar, or the famous pas- sage about the Queen of France and the " ten ^ M If A Matrimonial Experience thousand swords leaping from tlicir scab- bards," my words might perchance reach Miss Polkinghoruc's ear and excite in her a pass- ing emotion. But I came to the end of my tickets and still I was as far as ever from my goal, while the exertion of shoutin"- had rendered me pain- fully husky. Yet I would not give in; I set myself to gain the Professor's good opinion; I took more tickets. It was not till after I had run through these that I as- certained, by an appar- ently careless inquiry, that there was no such person as Miss Polking- liorne — the Professor was a widower and had never had a daughter! Still I persevered. 10 Love among the Lions The thoiiglit tliat I liad wasted so iiuK.h time and niunoy for nothing was bitter at iirst, and 1 vcrv ncarlv decided to discontinue my studies there and then. jJnt 1 eon(iuered my feelings. 'J'hough tlie Professor was no rela- tion to this young lady, he must know her name, he must be able to give me some in- formation about her; a little judicious punii)- ing might render him eommuiueative. " My dear Sir," he said, after I had been beating about the bush for some lime with cautious delicacy, "1 think 1 understand. You are anxious to make this young lady's acquaintance with a view of paying your ad- dresses to her? Is not that so^ " I confessed that he had managed to pene- trate my motives, though I could not imagine how. " You will not be the first who has sought to win Lurana's affections," he said; "more than one of my pupils— but the child is am- bitious, difficult to please. Unfortunately, this is your final lesson — otherwise I might, &lf )ns A Matrimonial Experience 1 1 after preparing the ground, so to say, have pre- sented you t(. her, and 1 daresay siie would have been ])leased to give you a eup of tea occa- sionally after your labours. Indeed, as .Miss Lurana de Castro's stepfather, I can answer lor that — however, since our aecpuiintance un- hapi)ily ceases here " Jt did not cease tliere; 1 took another dozen tickets at once, and if even Polkinghorne had sounded sweetly to my enamoured ear, you may conceive what enchanting melody lay in a name so romantic and so euphonious as Lurana de Castro. I'he Professor was as good as his word; at the end of the very next lesson I was invited to follow him to the drawing-room, where I found the owner of the brilliant face that had so possessed mo seated at her tea-table. She gave me a cup of tea, and I can pay her witchery no liiglier comi)liment when I state that it seemed to me as nectar, even though my trained palate detected in it an in- artistic and incongruous blend of broken teas 3 ' n .-i- l^^^:^ r- 'i^ Love among the Lions am utterly without either style or quality. 1 not sure that I did not ask for another. She was astonishingly lovely; her Spanish descent was apparent in her nuignificent hiaek The Introduction of Mr. Blenkinsop to Mies Lurana de Castro. tresses, lustrous eyes, and oval fnce nf olive tinted with richest carmine. A. 1 afterwards learnt, she was the daughter of a Spanisli Gov- ernment official of an ancient Castilian fam- ily, who had left his widow in such straitened <^ap»*^i Lions I am vAJ A Matrimonial l^xperience 13 circunistances tl.at ^hv was coiiipclled to sup- port lieraolf by oxliibitiiio- purforining mice and .•aiiarica at juvonilc parties, until sli,. mot :"i.l iii.irric'cl the Professor, who at that tiin.> was .leliveriii- reeitatioiis illustrated hy an oxy-hydntgen laiiU.Tn. The seeoiid marriage liad not I)een alto- gether a suceess, and, now that the Professor was a widower, 1 fancy that his relations with I'is imperious stepdaughter were not invari- ably of the most cordial nature, and that he would have been grateful to any one who suc- ceeded in winning lior liand and freeing him from her sway. I did not know that then, however, though 1 was struck by the deferential politeness of his manner towards her, and the alacrity with which, after he had refreshed himself, he shuffled out of the room, leaving Lurana to entertain me single-handed. That first evening with her was not un- mixed joy. I had the consciousness of being on trial. I knew that many had been tried hf : H Love among the Lions and found wanting before me. Lurana's atti- tude was languid, indifferent, almost disdain- ful, and when I went away I had a forlorn conviction that I should never again be asked to tea with her, and that the last series of tickets represented money absolutely thrown away ! And yet I was asked again — not only once, but many times, which was favourable as far as it went, for I felt tolerably certain that the Professor would never have ventured to bring me a second time into his daughter's presence, unless he had been distinctly given to under- stand that my society was very far from dis- tasteful to her. As I grew to know her better, I learnt the secret of her listlcssness and discontent with life. She was tormented by the unbounded aml;-.tions and the distinct limitations which embitter existence for so many young girls of our day. The admiration which her beauty excited gave her little satisfaction; such social success m A Matrimonial P:xperience jr as lliglibiiiy (,r Canonburj could offer left iior cold and unmoved. She was pining for some distinction which should travel beyond her own narrow little world, and there did not seem to bo any obvious way of attaining it She would not have minded being a popular author or artist-only she could find nothin<. worth writing about, and she did not know liow to draw; she would have loved to be a ^•reat actress— but unfortunatelv she had Hcver been able to commit the shortest part to memory, and the pride of a de Castro forbade her to accept anything but leading nVes. A^o wonder that she was devoured by dul- ness, or that there were moments whe^n she beat her pinions like some captive wild bird against the cage of her own incompetence. J^^ven T, althongh fairly content with mv lot would sometimes flap my own wings, 'so to speak, from sheer sympathx'. "It's maddening to l)e a nobodv! " she would declare, as she threw herself petulantlv baek in her chair, with her arms raised behind ( 'III mw m ^^ Love among the Lions lier and lier interlaced fingers forming a charm- ing cradle for her head— a favonrite attitude of hers. " It does seem so stupid not to be celebrated when almost everybody is! And to think tliat 1 have a friend like Ruth Kake- strnw, who knows ever so many editors and people, and could make me famous with a few strokes of tlie pen— if only I did some- thing to give her the chance. But I never do."' Miss Rakestraw, I should explain, was an enterprising young lady journalist, who con- tributed society news and " on dits " to the leading Islington and Ilolloway journals, and was understood to have had " leaderettes " and " turnovers " accepted by periodicals of even greater imjiortance. "If only," Lurana burst out on one of these occasions, " if only I could do something once which would get my name into all the papers, set everybody thinking of me, talking of me, staring after me wherever I went, make editors write for my photograph, and inter- )ns A Matrimonial Experience viewers beg for n.^biograph,, I think I should be content." I ..mde the remark, which was true but not perhaps startling i„ i„ ,,.; j,,^,,,^ f-o of th.s kind was apt to be of briei dura- "What should I care?" she cried; -I 'I'oulJ have had it. I co.dd keep the ™";"8S they would always he there to 2""^ .ue that once at least-hut what's '; "- °1 talking? I shall never see 'Z :T '" "" "'^ i'"l'-- 1 know I sha n t. „ "Th«o,V a way! "I ventured to observe- jou m,ght have your name in all the papers' if you married." 1 tpc-rs, "Asif Imeanttta<./"shesaid, witha d h«o.,s!y contemptuous pout. " A., when, sl-ould . marry, ,f yo,, p,,,,,^ ,,,, j^,^_^^. __ ^_^__;;Vo„ might marry me!" I suggested "You! "she retorted. " How would tfm< i:fl fl ^^ Love among the Lions make me a celebrity. You are not even one yourself.'' " I do not care to boast," I said, '' but it is the simple fact that nobody in the entire tea-trade has a j^ialate a^jproaching mine for "And whom should I marry, Mr. Blenkineop ?"' keenness and delicacy. Ask any one and they will tell you the same." " You may be the best tea-taster in the world," she said, '' but the purity of your pal- ate will never gain you a paragraph in a single society paper. And even if it did, what should 1 gain ? At the best a reflected glory. T want to be a somebody myself! " A Matrimonial Experience 19 '' What's tlic use of trying to make our- selves what we are not?" I broke out. ''If Fate has made us wooden nine-pins in the world's nursery, we may batter our head against the walls as much as we like— but we can never batter it into a profile! " I thought this rather neatly put myself, hut it did not appeal to .Miss do Castro,' who retorted with some asperity that I was the best judge of the material of my own head, but hers, at least, was not wooden, while she had hitherto been under the impression that it al- ready possessed a profile— such as it was. She could not be brought to understand tliat I was merely en^ploying a metaphor, and for the remainder of the evening her de- meanour was so crushingly chilling, that I left in the lowest spirits, persuaded that my unlucky tongue had estranged me from Lu- rana for ever. For some time I axokhd Canonbury Square altogether, for I felt unequal to fac- ing an elocution lesson unrecompensed by tea 4 H } i 1 20 Love among the Lions with Miss de Castro, and the half-hour or more of deliglitfiil solitude cl deux which followed the meal— for it had never occurred to the Professor to provide his stepdaughter wath a chaperon. .^t last, when on the verge of despair, hope returned in the form of a little note from Lurana, asking whether I was dead, and invit- ing me, if still in existence, to join a small party to visit the World's Fair at the Agricul- tural Hall the next evening, and return to sup- per afterwartls at Canonbury Square, an in- vitation which, need I say, I joyfully accepted. We were only four; Miss Kakestraw and her fiance, a smart young solicitor's clerk, of the name of Archibald Chuck, whose em- ployer had lately presented him wath his ar- ticles; myself, and Lurana. The Professor was unable to accompany us, having an en- gagement to read "Hiawatha" to a Young Men's Mutual Improvement Society that evening. Part of the hall was taken up by various A Matrimonial Experience 2 1 side-shows, shooting-galleries, and steam mer- ly-go-rounds, which produced a discordant and deafening din until a certain hour of the ^'nn.^, when the- noises subsided, and V\ ooker and Sawkins' World-renowned Circus gave a performance in the arena, which occu- pied the centre. ^Miss Kakestraw's connection with the Iress piv.cured us free passes to the re- serve.] seats close to the ring; my c-hair was next toLurana's,and she was grac-iouslvpleased to Ignore our recent difference. The enter tamment was of the usual variety, I suppose; b ;t, to tell the truth, I was so absorbed in the bliss of being once more bj her side and watch- ing Iier face, winch looked more dazzling- than over through the delicate meshes of he^ veil tl^at I have the vaguest recollection of the' earlier items of the programme. -But towards the close there came a per- formance which I have good reason to re- member. An enormous elephant entered the circle, ^ f. 22 Love among the Lions \\\ (i if drawing a trolley, upon which was aii iron cage containing forest-bred African lions. After the electric globes had been lowered, so as to illuminate the interior, " Xiono, the Lion King," a dapper, well-made man, of very much my own height and figure, so far as I could judge, went into the cage and put the animals through various exercises. Xiono was succeeded by Mile. Leonie, the " Circe of the Carnivora," a pretty Frenchwoman, who, as it seemed to me, surpassed him in coolness and daring. There was nothing disagreeably sen- sational about the exhibition; all the animals were evidently under perfect control; the huge, black-maned lions leaped through paper hoops and blazing circles without the slightest loss of either temper or dignity; the fe- males followed obediently. Only one lioness showed any disposition to be otfensive, and she did not venture to go beyond yawning ostentatiously whenever Mile. Leonie's eye was upon her. Altogether it was, as I remarked to Lurana A Matrimonial Experience 23 at the tiiiio, a wonderful instance of the natu- ral dominion of man over the animal world. «he eiitliusiastically commended the symmetry of Mr. Xiono's fi^uiv, which did not strike me as so very much above the average; and to pique lior, I expressed equal admiration for Mile. Leonie, and was gratified to observe un- mistakable signs of jealousy on Lurana's })art. But we were both agreed that the profession of lion-taming looked more dangerous than it actually was, and Archibald Chuck mentioned that some townsman in the provinces had, for a very trifling wager, entered a den of lions in a travelling menagerie with perfect impunity, iriss Kakestraw capped this by a case from America, in which a young couple had actu- ally chosen a lion's cage to be married in, though she admitted that the story was pos- sibly a fabrication. I walked back with Lurana alone, as we somehow lost sight of Mr. Chuck and his fanck in the crush going out, and on the way home I could not refrain from pleading my il ^4 Love among the Lions cause otieo more. I tokl her how I had loved lier at lirst si^ht, and liow many elocution les- sons 1 had endured for her sake; 1 pointed out that 1 was already receiving a salary sufficici.-i to maintain a v ife in comfort, if not luxury; and that her married life could hardlv he more monotonous and uncongenial than her present existence. She listened attentively, as if moved. Presently she said, " Theodore, J will he per- fectly frank. I do like you; I heiieve T could even love you. I3ut T have Spanish blood in my veins. I could never be satisfied with a humdrum conventional marriage." I was inexpressibly shocked. I had no idea that her views were so emancipated. " Lurana," T said, " believe me, never mind what the lady novelists say against marriage; it may have its disadvantages, but, after all, as society is constituted " "You don't understand," she said. "I am not opposed to marriage — with a man who is willing to make some concession, some slight A Matrimonial Experience 25 -nfico, to gratify uu. B„t .^o von tl.at ^•'''^/ol,nan,Thoo(loro, I wonder^" I saw tlu.t .ho was already beginning- to '''' ' -"^^' " l'^' i"y wife., Lurana." "^ " ^ '''^^"''^ ^''^^^^ >'^>" to do nothing that I ^"ly-MK-rfeetly prepared to do nivself," she ^ani. "A ten.porary inconvenience, a risk ;:!"''. ^'^ ^''^^ — ^ trifle. Still, von nu^y think It too much, Theodore." ' " A'ame it," T renliorl " ti ,., ' ^ ^q>n(.u. J he opportimi- ;oswhKnl,e tea trade affords f,,,.HK'.,,,tiva- non o± Jieroism are rare- hnf ti . , ''*- ^'ircj out there are few nsks that I would shrink from n,n„i„„ „,h, you." *= " ''It is only this," she said. ^ don't want a commonplace wedding. I ,vant nno .1 . wil] hr. foil 11 ^ °"^ that ;: , "'' *f "' ■■"^°"' -"1 ™ako a sensation. ^\ .1 ,Vou let „K. ho married in ,„v own way? " ; "'"' '''^'' ■■'■""•ed by what seemed so moderate a demand. " Certain,,, dariing" I sard;" we w.,1 be married in Westminster lb- 26 Love among the Lions bey, by the Archbishop of Cantcrbiuy, if you wish it, and it can be arranged. AVhiit matter where or how the ceremony take place, or what it cost, provided it makes yon mine for ever^ " "Then, The- odore," she said, pressing my arm impulsively with her slim fingers, while the rays of a street lamp in the square fell on her upturned face and shining eyes, " let us be married at the Agricultural Hall— in the Lions' Cage! " I confess to being considerably startled. I had expected something rather out of ' Let us be married in the Lions' Cage." .^1; A Matrimonial Experience Jo «mmon, 1„„ „oUn„g i„ ,he least like Wo, d„-t tl,at 1.. ratLcr .„.„,, ,.,„,„:, « oul,l,„,vp,„tho lions, .vou know;- "li.v, tl,c lions vonl,! i,e tl.cr of foursc," she said, '• or els,. th<.,.,.',i I ■ " K I am to be married in a lion-cage " I 7^"''"'"™''J'fooWea,te,„|,tatIevitV"I Jo,,,,,ver,m,.el,p,.efert,,attl,ere„.a.notl,- b>, t, after all .yo„r professions, surely yo, won't ,.efnsetl,ev,.r, first indnl^enee'Tk ^ou™aythi„kitamerewl,i,n,;gi,,is,,;; Pnee; b„t understand this-I am tlLo, ^l y '" <^^™ost abont it. If vou are willing to •n-ry me as I .is,,, „„ ...^ding may be oonas ,^^^^^ But if not Jell me - Plamly and let us part for ever. Eithe '('* 28 Love among the Lions # i I will be married in my own way, or not at all." What could I do? It was simply impos- sible to give her up now, the very moment after she was won. And to lose her for such a mere punctilio; for, of course, this condition of hors was too fantastic to be practicable; the Professor would ccrtainlv refuse his consent to so eccentric a ceremony; Lurana herself would probably realise before long the absurd- ity of the idea. In the meantime, as her acknowledged fiance, I should have the im- mense advantage of being on the spot when she returned to a more reasonable frame of mind. So I gave way, and assured her that I had no personal objection to lions, and would as soon be married in their presence as elsewhere, provided that we could obtain the necessary permission; and even if I had thought this more probable than I did, I believe — so potent was the witchery of Lurana's voice and eyes — I should have said precisely the same. A Matrimonial Kxperience 29 "Dearest Theodore! " she murmured, ''I never really doubted you. I felt so sure that you would be uice and sympathetic about it. If we couldn't agree about such a trilling thing as whore we are to be married, we should be unsuited to one another, shouldn't we? Xow wo will just walk round the square once more, and then go in and tell the others what we have arranged." They had sat down to supper when we en- tered, and the Professor cast a glance of keen inquiry through his spectacles at us, over the cold beef and pickles with which he was re- cruiting his energies after " Hiawatha." "Yes, papa," said Lurana, calmly, "we are a little late; but Theodore has been asking me to marry him, and I have said I would."'' There was an outburst of congratulations from Miss Rakestraw and Chuck. Old Pol- kinghorne thought fit to conceal his joy under a cloak of stagey emotion. '' Well, well " he said, "it is Nature's law; the young birds spread their wings and quit the warm nest, and 30 Love among the Lions the old ones are left to sit and brood over the past. I cannot blame you, child. As for you, \nx boy," he added, extending a flabby hand to me, " all I can say is, there is no one to whom I would so willingly surrender her." T\\QVQ was scarcely any one to whom, in my opinion, he would not surrender her with the utmost alacrity, for, as 1 have already hinted, Lnrana, with all her irresistible fascina- tion, had a temper of her own, and was apt to make the parental nest a trifle too warm for the elder bird occasionallv. '' And when am I to lose my sunbeam? " he asked. " Xot just yet? " " Theodore wishes to have the marriage as soon as possible," said Lnrana, "by special licence.'' " Have you settled where? " inquired ^iliss Rakcstraw, with feminine interest in such de- tails. " Well," said Lnrana slowly, evidently en- joying the effect she was producing, " Theo- dore and I have quite made up our minds to be i "Yos, pnpa, we are a little late." ^M 14, 3^ Love among the Lions married at the Menagerie — in the Jen of lions. "How splendid!" exclaimed the lady journalist. " It's never been done over here. What a sensation it will make! I'll do a full descriptive report for all my papers! " " That's what I call a real sporting way of getting spliced," said Chuck. " Only wish I'd thought of it myself before I had our banns put up, Ruth. First-rate idea of yours, Blen- kinsop." "Of course," I said, "if the Professor thinks it in the least unsafe " " Oh, it's safe enough," put in Chuck, who was a little too apt to volunteer his opinion. " '^^' hy, we've seen the lions. Professor; they're as quiet as lambs. And anyway, they'd have the lion-tamer in with them, you know. rZ/e/y '//be all right!" "I think," said the Professor, "we may disregard the danger; but the expense—have you thought what it will cost, Theodore?" " I have not," I said, " not till you men- "First-rate idea of yours, Blenkinsop. 34 Love tioned it. It will probably than I could possibly afford— unle among the Lions enormous, more ss you are ready to go halves? " I concluded, feeling per- fectly certain that he was ready to do nothing of the sort. "But look here," gaid Chuck, "why should it cost you anything? If you go the right way about it, you ought to got all your expenses paid by the circus, and a share of the gate-money into the bargain." "Oh, Mr. Chuck! " cried Lurana, ''how clever of you to think of that! wasn't it, Theodore? " 1 could have kicked Chucu, but I said it was a stroke of positive genius. " That's simple enough," he said. " The rock / see ahead is getting the special licence. You see, if you want to marry anywhere else than in a certified place of worship or a registry office, you must first satisfy the Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Surrogate, or whoever the old Josser is at Doctors' Com- mons who looks after these things, that it's ( A Matrimonial Experience 35 a 'convenient place' within the Marriage Act of 1836. Xow, the point is, will a cage of lions strike them as coming under that de- scription? " If it should, the ecclesiastical notions of convenience must be more than peculiar. For the first time I realised what an able fellow Chuck was. " My dear Chuck! " I said, " what a mar- vellous knowledge you have of law! You've hit the weak spot. It would be perfectly hopeless to make such an application. It's a pity, but we must give it up, that's all— we must give it up." " Then," said Lurana, " we must give up any marriage at all, for I certainly don't in- tend to marry anywhere else." " After all," said the irrepressible Chuck, " all you need a])ply for is a licence to marry in the Agricultural Hall; they won't want to know the exact spot. I tell you what, you go and talk it over with the circus people and fix the day, and I'll go up to Doctors' Commons ft p. ■ I 3^ Love among the Lions and get round 'em somehow. You leave it to me." " Do you know," said the Professor, beam- ing, " I really begin to think this idea of yours can be carried out quite comfortably after all, Theodore. It certainly has the attraction of novelty, besides being safe, and even, it may be, remunerative. To a true lover, a lions' cage may be as fit a temple of Hymen as any other structure, and their roars be gentle as the ring-dove's coo. Go and see these people the first thing to-morrow, and no doubt you will be able to come to terms with them." This I agreed to do, and Lurana insisted on coming with me. Miss Eakostraw was in ecstasies over our proposal, and undertook to what she called " boom the wedding for all it was worth " in every paper with which she had any connection, and with other more influ- ential organs to which the possession of such exclusive intelligence as hers would procure her the entree. A Matrimonial Experience 37 By the end of the evening she had com- pletely turned Lurana's ]«ead, and even I my- self was not quite untouched by the general enthusiasm. It seemed to me that being mar- ried in a den of lions might not be such bad fun after all. When 1 awoke next morning with the dawning recollection of what I was in for, the glamour had in a great measure departed from the idea, which seemed to me at best but a foolish piece of bravado. It had been ar- ranged that I should call for Lurana imme- diately after breakfast, and interview the cir- cus proprietors on my way to business, and I rather expected to find that the night had borne counsel to her as well as myself; but she was in exuberant spirits, and as keen about the project as ever, so I thought it better not to betray that my owai ardour had abated. But what, after all, were we going to re- quest? That these people should allow their lions to be inconvenienced, quite unnecessa- rily, by a w^edding in their cage between two J« Love among the Lions perfect strangers who had all London to choose from ! I believed that they would decline to en- tertain the suggestion for a moment, and, if so, I could not blame them. I felt that they would have both right and reason on their side. On arriving at the Hall, we inquired for Mr. AVooker or Mr. Sawkins, and were re- quested to wait, which we did in a draughty passage smelling strongly of stables, while loud snorting and wheezing reached our cars from the arena, whore they seemed to be exercising the circus stud. At last we were told that Mr. Sawkins would see us (I don't know to this day whether Mr. Wooker had any real existence or not), and were shown up to his office, which did not differ from any other office, except that it had a gaudy circus poster and a bill announcing the sale bv auction of some rival menagerie pinned against the wall. As for Mr. Sawkins, he was a florid, jowly man, with the remnants ons lose en- , if ley eir for re- ity ud )m ng ns er 0, ot id ig ie s, t9 A Matrimonial Experience 39 of his hair dyed and parted down the middle, a kind of anialn:ani of a eountry job-master and the dignified person wlio bows customers into chairs in a fashionable draper's establish- ment. He heard Lurana, who acted as spokes- woman, with magisterial gravity, and, to my surprise, without appearing to regard us as a pair of morbid maniacs. " There's no denying," he said, " that the thing would draw if properly billed, always supposing, mind you, that it's capable of be- ing done at all. And the only person able to give an opinion about that is Mr. Onion, the gentleman," he explained, " who is our Lion King. He spells his name ' Xiono ' profes- sionally, which gives it more of an African flavour, if you follow my meaning. I'll call down the tube for him." I awaited Mr. Onion's arrival with impa- tience. He presently made his appearance in a short-braided tunic, with black lamb's wool round the collar and cuffs. By daylight his I ' 40 Love among the Lions countcnanpo, tliongh far from ill-looking, was sallow and soaniod; tliorc was a glance of ad- miration ill his hold, dark eves as thcv rested on J.nrana's spirited face. " Well," he decided, after the ease had been explained to him, '' if the lady's as game •as she seems, and the gentleman likewise, / don't see any objeetion. Along with me, there'll be no more danger than if it was a cage of white mice — provided you've the nerve for it." Lnrana said proudly that her own mother had been an accomplished animal trainer — she did not mention the kind of animals — and that she herself was quite incajjable of being afraid of a lion. "Tf you've got nerve," said Mr. Xiono, "you're right enough, but you can't create it; it's a gift. Take 7ne. I'm hardly ever away from my animals, I get downright impatient for every performance. But if ever I got the feeling that I was afraid of them lions or they weren't afraid o' me, do you think T'd trust Km ^M r...,.'ry Well if the lady's as gamo as she seems, and the gentleman likewise. I don't .sec any objection." ■ i ! ill! 42 Love among the Lions myself inside that cage? No fear I They've left their marks on me as it is — my 'trade marks,' as I call 'em — seel " and here he bared his ann and exhibited some fearful scars; " but that's affection, that is." He then offered to introduce us to his pets, and I should have accompanied Lurana to see the cage, only on the way we met Mile. Leonie, to whom Mr. Sawkins presented me, and, natu- rally, I was compelled to stop. She was a piquant-looking woman, not quite in her first youth, perhaps, but still attractive, and with the indescribable, airy grace of a Parisian, though I believe she came from Belgium. Mademoiselle was charmed with our project, complimented me upon my Britannic phlegm, and predicted that I should find the little ex- perience " all," as she put it, " that there was of the most agreeable," which I devoutly hoped would be the case. AVe were still chatting when Lurana re- turned, enraptured with the lions, one of whom had actually allowed her to tickle him > We were still chatting when Lurana returned. I! 44 Love among the Lions behind the ear. Niono testified that her nerve, at all events, was beyond question. She was anxious that I should go and tickle the lion, too; but this T declined, being occu- pied in talking to Mile. Leonie at the time. " There's one thing," said Mr. Sawkins later, as we were discussing the arrangements, "we shouldn't object to paying for the special licence; but where are you going to find a par- son to marry you? You must have a parson of some sort, you know." Again Fate seemed to have interposed an insurmountable barrier between us and our de- sire. I had to admit that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a clergyman cour- ageous enough to enter the cage with us. V\' ell, there's no call for him to be inside of it," said Mr. Niono, who was with us, heart " and soul, by this time. " In fact, the lady and yourself are about as many as I could un- dertake to be answerable for. We could rig him up a perch outside to read the service from, comfortable." w / / 45 A Matrimonial Experience Even so, 1 said, I was afraid that it was hardly a service one could ask any divine to perform. " I know a party who'd jump at it," said Mr. Niono, who was full of resource. " The Reverend Skipworth. You know who I mean, Sawkins. Little chap in a check suit and gop-gles I introduced to you at the bar the other evening— always dropping in, he is. He'd do it, just for the lark of ' he thing. And he's a regular professional, you know," he added for my benefit, " though he don't sport a white choker in his off hours; likes to go about and see life for himself, and quite right. You get the licence, sir, and I'll guarantee that the Reverend Xinian Skipworth will do the job for you." So we left the hall, delighted, especially Lurana, with the unexpected ease with which our object had been attained. It had seemed at first the wildest extravagance, and now there was apparently every prospect that Lurana and I would really exchange our marriage vows in 4-6 nM Love among the Lions a den of forest-bred lions, unless (which, of ^•ourse, was a possibility that had to be taken into account) the ecclesiastical authorities should refuse to grant a special licence. I was unable to apply in person at Doctors' Commons, for Lurana insisted that I should leave the whole matter in Chuck's hands, but 1 impressed upon him the necessity of abso- lute candour with the officials. Whether he told them all, whether they were remiss in making full inquiry, or whether —as I would rather not think— he intention- ally deceived them, I cannot say, but at all events he came back triumphantly with the special licence. Wooker and Sawkins had fixed an early date, and wished the wedding to take place at night, so as to figure in the evening pro- gramme, but the Surrogate, or somebody at the office, had insisted that it must be in the afternoon, which would, of course, oblige Mr. Sawkins to introduce it at a matinee perform- ance. f'i* A Matrimonial Experience 47 Miss Rakestraw proved herself a born journalist. She placed her news at the dis- posal of an enterprising evening journal, whose bills that very same evening came out with startling and alliterative head-lines such as: Love Laughs at Lions! Canonhury Couple to Marry in Cageful of Carnivora and from that moment, as the reader will recollect, Lurana and I became public char- acters. There were portraits— quite unrecognis- able—of us in several of the illustrated week- lies, together with sketches of and interviews with us both, contributed by Miss Ruth's fa- cile stylograph, and an account of the Pro- fessor, contributed by himself. As for the daily papers there was scarcely one, from the Times downwards, which did not contain a leader, a paragraph, or a letter on the subject of our contemplated wedding 48 Love among the Lions Br! t Some denounced me violently for foolhardy rashness, others for the selfishness with which I was encouraging an impressionable girl to risk her life to gratify my masculine vanity. Several indignantly demanded whether it was true that the Archbishop had sanctioned such a scandalous abuse of marriage rites, and if so, what the Home Office were about? There was a risk that all tliis publicity would end in the authorities being compelled to interfere and counteri .and the ceremony, and yet I cannot honestly say that I disliked the fuss that was made about it. In the City, to be sure, I had to put up with a certain amount of chaff; facetious inquiries as to whether I intended to present the leonine bridesmaids with bones or pieces of raw meat and the precise locality in which my wife and I thought of spending our honeymoon. But such badinage covered a very genuine respect •for my intrepidity, and I was looked upon as a credit to the tea trade. The appointed day was getting nearer and I* A Matrimonial Experience 49 nearer, and still~so wonderfully did Fortune befriend us— the authorities gave no sign of any intention to interfere. Parliament had not y-t reassembled, so no one could rise and put a questior. in the House to the Home Sec- retary, and if Government officials ever read the morning papers, it seemed that they did not feel called upon to take cognisance of any- thing they vead there, unless compelled to do so by pressure from without. Kor did the Archbishop take any steps. ^0 doubt he may have been unaware of the precise conditions under which the ceremony was to be sanctioned, and the same remark ap- plies to the Bishop of London. It is true that their attention was drawn to the facts bv more than one postcard, as I have reason to"' know. But some people make a practice— and it is not^ for me to condemn them— of taking no notice of anonymous communications. However, as the time drew on, I thought it would be only proper on my part to go and call upon the Keverend Xinian Skipworth, the so Love among the Lions Mn curate with whom our energetic friend, Mr. i^iono, had now made all the necessary ar- rangements, and find out, quietly, what his state of mind was. He might be wavering, iu which case I should huve to strengthen his resolution. Or he might not yet have real- ised all the possible consequences of his good nature, and if so, I should not be acting fairly towards him if I did not lay them before him, even though the result -hould be that he with- drew from his engagement. Kiono had given me his address, and I looked in at the curate's unpretentious lodg- ings one evening on my way home. I found him in, and as soon as he learnt my name, he offered me whisky and soda and a cigar with most unparsonical joviality. The Eeverend Xinian, I found, was a cleric of the broad-minded ^hool which scorns conventional restrictions; he held that if the Church was to maintain its influence, it must follow the trend of modern progress, and neglect no opportunity of winning the hearts -I A Matrimonial Experience 51 of the people. He was only sorry, he told me, that the prejudices of his Bishop would prevent him from reading the service inside the cage. I replied gratefully that I was sufficiently A Cleric of the brond-minded school. indebted to him as it was, since if his connec- tion with the affair reached the episcopal ear, he would be in serious danger of being sus- pended, even if he did not receive some still heavier punishment. "Oh, don't you bother about that! " he 8 f ! I f'jl I 5^ Love among the Lions said, cheerily; "it's awfully good of you to trouble yourself on my account; but if the Bishop is such an old stick-in-the-mud aa to haul me up for a little thing like this, I shall simply chuck up the Church altogether, that's all! In fact, I've almost decided to do it in any case, for I believe I could do more real good outside the Establishment than in. And I admire your pluck, my dear fellow, and your manly straightforwardness in coming here like this; and I'm hanged if I don't marry you and chance the consequences, so don't say anothet word about it." I didn't, though I need not say I was pro- foundly moved by the genuine sympathy and assistance which our project seemed to inspire in the most unexpected quarters. My one anxiety now was about Lurana. Outwardly she appeared cheerful and even gay, and thorouglJy to enjoy her position as the heroine of the hour; but how could I be sure that this was genuine and not a high- strung hysterical self-repression which would .ions u to the L3 to ihall lat's t in real ind and ling irry saj 310- md )ire na. ^en as be rh- ikl A Matrimonial Experience 53 l)e succeeded hy a violent reaction, it might be in the lions' cage itself? From that at all hazards she must be saved. Earnestly, seriously, I pointed out how much would depend on her maintaining per- fect coolnes8 and composure during the cere- mony, and implored her, if she felt the slight- est misgivings, the smallest tendency to shrink in secret from the coming ordeal, not to allow any false pride to close her lips. There was still time, I reminded her. If on second thoughts, she preferred to be married in the old time-honoured way, instead of in a Men- agerie den, she had only to say so. Her hap- piness and comfort were the chief things to consider. "Withdraw now, Theodore?" she said, " after announcing it in all the papers ! Why, how could we?" " I would take all that upon myself," I told her; " I need only say that you don't feel quite equal to facing lions." " But I do, Theodore," she said, " the dear, w V .:: 54 Love among the Lions iliu'ky, pussj-fami old things! Who could possibly l)c afraid of lions— especially with Mr. ^.'iono to protect us? " "If you knew more ahoiif lions, I.nrana," I said, "you would know how liahjr they are to sudden raovs, and h(,w little cvi-n lion- tamers themselves " " If you go on like that, Theodore," she said, '• r shall begin to think that you want to frighten me— ajid even that you are just a little frightened yourself. But I'm not to be frightened. I should not be my mother's daughter if I had any fear of animals. And once for all, you will either marry me in the lions' cage or not at all ! " I saw that I should only be exposing my- self to further misunderstanding if I pursued the subject. Lurana had that quality of courage which springs from a total lack of imagination; she had never seen a performing lion ramp and roar, and it was inconceivable to her that one could ever indulge in such exer- cises. Still less did she understand that there ions uuld with na, are ion- slie t to 5t a ) be er's Lnd the ny- icd of of ng to cr- "If you go on like that I shall begin to think vou want to frighten lue." 56 Love among the Lions is another type of courage, which sees all the difficulties and dangers beforehand, even ex- aggerated by distance, and yet advances calm- ly and undauntedly to encounter them. My courage was of that sort, and it is generally ad- mitted that it belongs to a far higher order than the other. Xow that the die was cast I found myself anticipating the eventful day wdth philosophic equanimity. It was an uncomfortable meth- od of getting married, no doubt, but after all, what man ever was comfortable at his own weddinff? And surely one crowded quarter-of-an- hour (for it woul 1 certainly be crow^ded in that cage) of glorious life would be w^orth an age without Lurana — who was not to be won by any other means. i ^'-'Z PROPERTY CF 3CARB .)kO PU BLIC LIBR^r. . PART II It was now the eve of mj wedding-day, and it was generally taken for granted that Liirana and I would be allowed to enter the lion-cage without opposition from any quarter. Whether we should find it as easy to come out again was a point on which opinions dif- fered considerably, but the majority must have been confident that the ceremony would pass off without any unpleasant interruption— for the rush to obtain seats was tremendous. I was just as tranquil and collected as ever* I could not detect that my valour had " ul- laged," as wine-merchants say, in tlie slightest degree, though Lurana was perpetually ques- tioning me as to whether I was sure I would not rather withdraw. Of course, I indignantly repudiated the 57 ;li III !")■ I. i 58 Love among the Lions very idea, but it is well known tliat a perfectly sober person, if suddenly taxed with being drunk, will seem and even feel so, and it is much the same with any imputation of cow- ardice. I began to think that constant tea tasting, even though the infusions are not actually swallowed, probably has some subtle effect upon the nervous system, and that it would brace me up and also show me how little cause I had to be uneasy, if I dropped into the Agri- cultural Hall once more and saw Xiono put his lions thiough their performances. So I left the City early that afternoon and paid for my admission to the hall like an ordi- nary sightseer; I did not ask Lurana to accom- pany me, because I knew she nmst have plenty to keep her at home just then. I was just in time for the performing lions, and found a place in the outer edge of the croAsd; it was strange to stand there unrecog- nised and hear myself being freely discussed by all around; strange and decidedly exhilara- A Matrimonial Experience eg ting, too, to think that in another twentv-four hours I should be, not a spectator of what was to take place in that arena, but one of the prin- cipal performers, the centre of breathless in- terest, the hero of the hour! But with the appearance of the cage, this unnatural exhilaration suddenly died down. It was not so much the lions, though they struck me ?« larger and less easy-tempered than on the first occasion, while the lioness was as nearly in open revolt as she dared. What troubled me most was that the cage con- tained another inmate, one whom I did not re- member to have oeen before — a magnificent specimen of the Bengal tiger. It seemed perfectly clear to me that the brute was only about half-trained; he went through his tricks in a sullen perfunctory way, with a savage, snurring snap every now and then, which, even at that distance, made my flesh creep. And, whenever he snapped, clouds of steam issued from his great jawsj I could see, m 60 Love among the Lions too, that the lioness was secretly egging him on to fresh acts of defiance, and that he was only watdiing his oi)portunity to crouch and spring as soon as Niono's back was turned. I was perfectly determined that I would not have that tiger at my wedding; he would never keep still for a moment; he would upset all the other animals, and how could I be ex- pected to remain cool with a great, hot, steam- ing beast like that at my elbow? Why, he must raise the temperature of that cage to the atmosphere of a Turkish bath! For Lurana's sake as well as my own, I really mir^t draw the line at tigers — they were not in th. bond. Another thing that annoyed me was the senseless tomfoolery of the clowns, who per- sisted in running after the cage at the conclu- sion of the performance, and teasing the poor defenceless animals by making grimaces and dashing their ridiculous conical hats against the bars. It was painful to think that any one could be found to smile at such cheap buf- foonery — if I had been the ring-m. y^h , I A Matrimonial Experience 6i would have given those cowardly idiots a taste of the whip! 1 decided to go round afterwards and see Onion about that tiger. I did not see the lion-taxuer, as he had just left the hall, and :\rr. Saw- kins, I was told, was en- gaged, but I saw Mile. Leonie, who was most f rien :ll y. I remarked carelesslv, that I saw they had put a tiger into the cage. Mademoiselle said he was a member of the troupe, but had been r,.idis- posed and temporarily transferred to the hospital Mademoiselle. cage. I hinted that a tiger, however convales- cent, was hardly a desirable addition to our wedding party. Mademoiselle was astounded ; a so gracious beast, a veritable treasure, with 62 Love among the Lions ; I him present, the ceremony would have a style, a cachet, an elegance. Without him — ahl bah! it would be ti^iste — banal, tame! I admitted thi -. but urged that we were quiet peo])le who wanted to be marri<.;d as quiet- ly as possible, and that a tiger, for persons in our cciidition of life, was a ridiculous piece of ostentition. It was always better Lo begin as one meant to go on. She differed from me totally. [ was too modest, for, of course, it was incredible that I, who was so full of sangfroid, could object to the tiger for any other reason? " Personally," I replied, " I had no preju- dice against tigers whatever — but Mademoi- selle would understand that I was bound to consider another person's convenience." " Not possible ! " exclaimed Mademoiselle, " a young lady with so much veixe to be timid ! "Why, Mons. Onion raved of her fearlessness! " I said it was not timidity in Lurana's case — she merely happened to have an antipathy for tigers. Some people, as Ilademo'sclle was A Matrimonial Experience 63 doubtless aware, were unable to remain in the same room with a cat: .Aliss de Castro could not stay in the same cage with a tiger-it was temperament. "Ah," said irile. Ilortense, "I under- stand that. A sensitive?" " Yes," I said, " a sensitive." "But ^lono says she is one of us' " ob- jected Mademoiselle, " that she was brought up amongst animals-that her mamma was her- self an animal-tamer," ^^ " Of white mice and canary birds," I said but that is not quite the same thing as tigers' and I am perfectly certain that if that tiger is retamed, the wedding will not take place " Her keen grey eyes flashed with compre- hension. Ah, the poor little one! in that case It was another thing. She would speak to the Patron and to Mons. Onion; the tiger should not be permitted to trouble the fete I could rely absolutely upon her-he should be accommodated elsewhere. I went back to Lurana in a somewhat re- m m W J ■ i ^h' M": ^^m.- k ^■^f 64 Love among the Lions licvcd frame of mind, and wlicn she asked me where I had been, I mentioned, perhaps un- wisely, tliat I had dropped in at the Circus and had a little chat with .Mile. Lt'onie. I did not say anything about the tiger, because there seemed to be no object in disturbing her, now that the matter was comfortably settled, not to mention that if Lurana had known I had di- rected the removal of the tiger without con- sulting her, she was quite self-willed enough to insist on his immediate restoration to the lion-cage. Most girls would have been impressed by my courage in going near the Circus at all at such a time; not so Lurana, who pre- tended to believe that Mile. Leonie was the attraction. " Oh, I noticed she w^as making eyes at you from the very beginning," she declared; "you had better marry her, and then Mr. Kiono could marry me. I daresay he would have no objection." " My darling," I said, gently, " do not let A MatrimoniaJ Experience 65 us quarrel the very last evening we mav spend together on earth." ^ ^ " You might take a more cheerful view of ^t than that, Theodore! "she exclaimed I thmk .you are a little inclined to treat It too lightly," I replied '' T 1 1 b ,), -Litpiiea. 1 have been study- ".ghosehons,Lura„a,a„diti„nj.d,,it,J„ "P""on tl,at the, are in a condition of sup- pressed excitement which will break out on the sl.gl.tcst pretext. Unless you can trust j-our- self to meet their gaze without faltering, vith- out^muchasat,iekeroftheevelid,;o'uwill, unless I am greatly mistaken, stand consider- able chance of being torn to pieces " " Nonsense, Theodore! " she said. " Thev oant possibly tell wl:othcr I am meeting their gaze or not, or even shutting n,y eyes-L of ooursc, I shall be wearing a veil." ' But / should not-and it really did not -mfatr. " I rather thought of putting o^a green shade myself," I said. It had only just occurred to mo. ^^ jusi "I>on't be absurd, Theodore!" she re- 66 Love among the Lions plied. " What can you want with a green shade?" " Mj eyes are not strong," I said, " and with those electric lights so close to the cage, I might blink or even close my eyes. A green shade, like your bridal veil, would con- ceal the act! " " As if anybody ever heard of a bride- groom with a green shade over his eyes! I certainly will not entrr that cage if I am to be mad'^ publicly ridiculous! " " Do I understand," I said, very gravely, " that you refuse to enter the lion-cage? " " "With a man in a green shade? Most cer- tainly 1 refuse. Xot otherwise." " Then you will sn rifice my life to mere appearai. .')s? Ah, Lurana, that is only one more proof that vanity — not love — has led you to this maxiiage! " "AVliy don't you own at once that jou'd give anything to get oui A it, Theodore? " " It is you," I : 'tr^ , " ijou, Lura ■ i, who are secretly dread' tl ordeal, and you are A Matrimonial Kxperience 67 trying t.. throw the rcsponsibiJit.y of giving lip tlie whole tiling on me— it's not fair, v'ou know! " '' I want to give up the whole thing? The- odore, you hiow that isn't true! " "Children, ehildi.n! " said the Professor, who had been a silent and unnoticed witness of our dispute till then. " What is this talk about giving up the marriage? I itnplore you to eonsider the eonsequenees, if the wedding is broken off now by your default. You will be mobbed by a justly indignant crowd, which will probably wreck the hall as a sign of their displeasure. You are just now the two most !'' iinent and popular persons in the United Kingdom— you will become the objects of uni- versal derision. You will ruin that worthv and excellent man, .Afr. Sawkins, offend A^ ai- bald Chuck, and do irretrievable damage to Miss Rakestraw's prospects of success in jour- nalism. Of myself I say nothing, though I may mention that the persons who have paid me fancy prices for the few seats which the 10 M r! V m It W 6^ Love among the Lions iiianngcnifnt placed at my disposition will in- fallibly demand restitution and damages. [ might oven he forced to recover them from you, Theodore. On the other hand, by merely facing a hardly ui)preciable danger for a very few minutes, you cover yourselves with undy- ing glory, you gain rich and handsome wed- ding gifts, which 1 hear the proprietors intend to bestow upon you; you receive an ovation such as is generally reserved for Royal mip- tials; and yet you, Theodore, would forfeit all this— for what? For a green shade, which would probaldy only serve to infuriate tlio animals? " This had not struck me before, and I could not help seeing that there was sonK-ihing in it. " I give up the shade," I said; '' but I do think that Lurana is in such a nervous and overstrung condition just now that it is not safe for her to enter the cage without a medical certificate." Lurana laughed. " Wliat for, Theodore? To satisfy the lions? Don't distress yourself Lions A Matrimonial l^xperience 69 on my account— I am perfectlv xvdl. At tlic apimintcci time 1 siiall i,rcscnt myself at the— the altar. If you arc not there to receive ,ne, to .stand by my si^ balcony and at some distance from the g"..gway between the stabh. and the rin.' was comparatively private and secluded " Here, after asking an assistant to let llr A.ono know I had arrived, and would like to -e lam, I waited. The Cirens had begun, l! I I' vm Mi If I! 74 Love among the Lions I knew from the facts that the blare of the orchestrions was hushed, and that a brass band overhead began and left off with the abrupt- ness peculiar to Circus music. Screens of board and canvas hid the audi- torium from view, but I was conscious of a vast multitude on the other side, vociferous and in the best of humours. Betwe-n the strains of the orchestra and the rattling volleys of applause, I heard the faint stamping and trampling from the stables, and, a sound that struck a chill to my heart —the prolonged roar of exasperation and ennui which could only proceed from a bored lion. Then there was a rap at the door, which made me start, and Xiono burst in. " So you've found your way here," he said. " Feeling pretty fit ? That's the ticket ! The bride ain't arrived yet, so you've lots uf time." " You've heard nothing from the Home Office yet, I suppose? " I asked. " Not a word — and, between you and me 11 •• >5 mc. A Matrimonial Experience 75 Imados„,.ethoy„,o„„ttocrnbthesi>ow You've the devil's ou-n luck'" "l have, indoed," I eaid, with fooling. Jtdi,.o,..ust„'tbot„os„o-tho,n,a,4 "They may try i, „„_i,„t ,„ ,^^ g.tho„.,„st™o,io„s. If they ,;,-^ come now ey wouldn't got near the ring Hi, ;, „,, :lT'-' ^» "»•* ^™" --y yourself abo,:: . \f "'' "'<'0-tliing seemed to have been ad- ™% arranged, " Ey the way," I .^ d, wiicre have joii put the tiger?" " Do jou mean old Rajah ? " he said • «r.^ I«thatI../meanoldRaiar'^^' » hy, he's all right— in tl,„ „ with the others-who.e did V ^^' ''""^ be-loose ? " ^"^ '""PI""" "^^''f « ,1 '7, '""■!'7'»''b- requested," I explained hat he nnght be put somewhere else during "It'snoMngtodowithila'amselVhe i li\ ^. If ■ ''^ It '. ■ J; * • 7^ Love among the Lions said, huffily; ''she don't give orders here, Ma'amsell don't." " I mean, she promised to mention the mat- ter to jon," 1 said, more dii^lomatically. " She never said nothing about it to me," he replied; "I expect she forgot." " I can only say it was extremely careless of her," 1 said. " The fact is, I have my doubts whether that tiger is to be trusted." " Well, you never can trust a tiger same as you can a lion," he replied, candidly, " so I won't deceive you. But old Rajah ain't so particular nasty — as tigers go." " He may not be," I said, " but, in Miss dc Castro's interests, I must beg you to shift him into some other cage till this affair is over. I can't allow her to run any unnecessary risk." " I don't say you're wrong," he answered. " I wish I'd known before, I'd have asked the ?> gov nor. "Ask him now," I urged, "surely you can put the tiger back in the hospital cage for an hour or two." "If them tM-o got together, there'd be the doose's delight." f w ill r 78 m i It Love among the Lions " 'I The Jaguar's in there," he said; " he was a bit oil" colour, so we put him there this morn- ing. And if thom two got together, there'd be the doose's dehght." " Couldn't you put hin^ somewhere else, then ? " I suggested. " I might ha' shunted him on to the Arma- dillo at a pinch," he said thoughtfully, " he wouldn't ha' taken any notice, but the gov'- nor would have to be consulted first, — and he's engaged in the ring. Besides, it would take too much time to move old Rajah now — ^you must put up with him, that's all. You'll be right enough if you keep your head and stick close to me. I've taken care they've all had a good dinner. I say," he broke off suddenly, "you're looking uncommon blue." " I don't feel nervous," I said, " at least, not more nervous than a man ought to feel who's just about to be married. If you moan to suggest that I'm going to show the white feather ! " " Xot you," he said, " what would you get A Matrimonial Experience 79 l'yit,youknow? After billing , hi, „ff,„v „„ "vor the tow,, we can't afford to cli.u„,oi„t tl.o p.. ,l.e„nd if I saw J.OU ,n,„gi„^, ,,,.,_ why, I, ablest if I wouldn't carry you into the (•age myself." I retorted angrily that I would not ,,„tl,i,„ to that .nconvenience, that I was as cool as he was, and that I did not understand his re,„ark tiiat 1 was looking- blue. _ " Lord, what a touchy cliap you are! " he ^nec ; I „,eant looking blue about the iaw that's all. If I was vou TV1 l. , J- was J ou, 1 d have a clean shave. It s enough to put any lady off if she sees you with a ehin like the barrel of a nuisieal-box." Somehow I had omitted to shave myself as -ual that morning, intending to get Shaved nter, but har^ forgotten to look for a hair- dresser's shop during my walk. "You'll find a razor in that drawer," he said " if you don't mind making shift .vith oold water, for there's no one about to fetch jou any hot. Kow I must be off and get into If Hi ;,:ii II ^o Love among the Lions my own togs. Make .yourself at liome, you know. I'll give you anotiicr call later on." Porha})s the razor was blunt, i)erliai)3 it was the cold water, anyhow I inflicted a gash on the extreme point of my chin which bled profusely. I dabbed and sluiced, but nothing 1 could do seemed to check the flow; it went on, obstinate and irrepressible. I was still forlornly mopping when Xi- ono returned in his braided jacket, tights and Hessian boots, whistling a tune. " The bride's just driven up," he announced, "looking like a picture — what pluck she's got! I wish I was in your shoes! Ma'amsell's taken her to her room. My word, though, you've given yourself a nasty cut; got I was forlornly mopping when Niono returned. A Matrimonial Experience 81 tTme.""''"''' "'■'' "^"' ^'""^ ^''•"'^= " ■■" "" As 1 do not happen to go about festooned m cob,vel«, l,is suggestion u-as of little practi- ealy„,,e„ndsoli„tin,ate,l,.ntl,ersl,a,.plv. \\ oil ,l„„'t get in a rtnsfer," |,e ;aid, vvc re oniv a eonple of tnrns off ,l,e Cage Ac as u ,s; ,.ou slip into them spiey lavenal trousers an.l that classy ft,,ek-ooat of vours as qu.okasyouean, ami I'll try if Zean't' borrow bit of eonrt-i-laster off one of our ladies " I had just put on a clean shirt when he was back again; "I eould onlv get gold- Ws skin;, he re,nark.^^^^ little of that, so be careful with it. And the parson s con.e, and would like to have a look at tne licence." 1 handed him the document, and tried to apply the goldbeater's skin, which curled and 3hrn.elled, and would stick to nothing but my fi..8.rs-and still the hemorrhage continued -It s all over your shirt „o„! ",, id t,,^ hon-tamer, as if I was doing it on purpose. « I i f %. ^> M V^» '*a?' .0.. %% ^„A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I S Ui i2.0 IL25 i 1.4 1.6 'a PhnfnnpQriViir» Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ,.v i/.J. ml lif' v. ^^ Love among the Lions wouldn't have had this happen for something. " Why, I've known 'em get excited with the smell of blood, let alone the sight of it." "Do you mean the lions?" I inquired, with a faint sick sonsation. " Well, it was the tiger my mind was run- ning on more," was his gloomy reply. My own mind began to run on the tiger too, and a most unpleasant form of mental exercise it was. " After all," said Xiono with an optimism that sounded a trifle forced, " there's no saying. lie maynH spot it. None of 'em. mayn't." "But what do you think yourself?" I could not help asking. " I couldn't give an opinion till we get in- side," he answered, " but we'll have the red hot irons handy in case he tries on any of his games. And if you can't stop that chin of yours," he added, taking a wrapper from his own neck fnd tossing it to me, " you'd better hide it in this— they'll only think you've got a sore throat or something. But do hurry up. >ns A Matrimonial Experience ^3 I'm just going to see the old elephant put in he shaf^, and then ni come back for /ou don't dauvl^c." ^^jou, so Once ,„„rc I „,,s alono; I felt so chilly a,nUon„,,o,cl„,„ta„dw„W„atagai,' tor 1 d„l not verture to touch my „e„ ,„; un..n,vehi„,eftoffh,occliug,Jiri:e; noxhausfble, thon.h tl,c p.ecio.s .„ L «erc shpp,„g. b,. f„,t„. ^,^j j.^^^^_^ silcn't'l'"n''f"'«'"''8™"-n suddenly ^nt I could almost fool the air vibrating "(h the suppressed exciten.ent of the vast „„! en crowd which was waiting patient,' for the lions, and Ln,-ana-and me Soon 1 heard a voice-prohnblv a »en- agene ass,sta„fs-in the passage ouiside nd preseiuly a shuffling tread anLnd then T „„ ■ , appioacliing, and i t of T *"™™^ ^''°™ "- --de„ ured 1 Ke a niounta.n side, and touched where 12 •f ¥: IM °4 Love among the Lions I stared helplessly up at his uucouth pro- file, with the kiiohhy forehead worn to a shiny black, and the sardonic little eye that met mine with a humorous intelligence, as though recora- -Tiending me to haste to the weddina' Ho plodded past, and I realised that I had no time to change now; my new wedding suit was a useless extravagance— I must go to the altar as I was. :Xiono would be back to fetch me in a moment. Lurana would never for- give me for keeping her waiting. Hastily I wound the muffler round my neck till ray chin was hidden in its folds, - ^ put on my hat. Could I have mislaid spectacles? Xo, thank heaven, they were in the pocket of my great coat. I put them on, and niy wedding toilet— such as it was— was complete. Then I cast a hurried glance at myself in a tarnished mirror nailed against the match- boarding, and staggered back in dismay. I was not merely unrecognisable; I was— what is a thousand times worse — ridiculousl Lions A Matrimonial Experience g. Yes, no bridegroom i„ tl.o world could l.opo to ,„ake a nodituW,. a,,,,oaranoe with his nose only j„st showing above a worsted com- forter an,! his eyes hidden behind a ,,„ir of smoked s])cet;icl(\s. It was ejioiigli to make any ]ioii roar— the au- dience would receive me with Jiowls! I liad been pre- pared—I was still pr... pared — for Lurana's tlio spoctados— but in that case 1 oould not trust mv nerve; or r might take off tlie muffler, but then I could not trust the tiger. And in either ease T should be eourting not only my own destruc- tion, but that of one whose life was far dearer to me than my own. I asked myself solemnly whether I had the right to endanger her safety, simply from a selfish unwillingness to appear grotesque in her eyes and laose of the audience. The an- swer was what every rightminded reader will have foreseen. And, seeing that the probability was that Lurana would absolutely decline to go through the ceremony at ail with the guy I now ap- peared (for had she not objected even to my assuming a green shade, which was, compara- tively, becoming), it was obvious that only one alternative remained, and that I took. Cautiously opening the door of my cabin, I looked up and down the passage. At one end I could just see the elephant surrounded by a f! A Matrimonial Experience 87 " ; '"'"'^-'^"'S '"•" •'• "'e -ge and L . .nl.c. other were „fo„.cl,«„,„, 3,^,,^ •'"d nll,.-p,|,e,,e,s, «.i,„se proprietors had all gonet03,,t,,eero.dofspeeta.or. „,,„.:. ^ t J .see as rniieli as tliey could of mv ...g, audi, began to «,.,n,ikel, that t.; would see very little indeed. I was about to make for the nearest «it rjr^'"^-<'''-^-™uidprobabi;b: :i::f:l::;i::;:rvr%''""'''^'''« ah 1 .,• , '''y^^^^^^h 1 slipped qu otly un « broad ibght of stairs, oueaeh of „ Inch w,s n..on„nendation to try son.ebodV. «R ^ . s for Pale People," au J ,,,i,,3,',^; ■"""'"T ^"*''°M "ttraeting attention I folt instinetively that my best ehanee of «oap,no. deteetion was to mingle with til crowd and beside, I was natnram. enrl know how the affair would end, ;«, see "a door and pigeon-hole with the plae rd '' Bal oor.7 Seats, Sixpence," I went'in, and Z .'I 88 Love among the Lions i (I liickj onough to soeuro the only cano bottom chair left in the back row. ^ After removing my siicctaclos, T liad a fairly good view of the ring below, with its brown tan enclosed by a white border cush- ioned along the toj) in faded crimson. The reserved stalls were all full, and beyond the barriers, the crowd swayed and surged in a dense black mass. Xobody was inside the ring except a couple of nondescript grooms in scarlet liveries, who hung about with an air of growing embarrassment. The orchestra op- posite was reiterating " The Maiden's Prayer " with a perseverance that at length got upon the nerves of the audience, wliicli began to stamp suggestively. " It's a swindle," said a husky man, who was obviously inclined to scepticism, and also sherry, " a reg'lar take in ! There won't be nobody married in a lion's cage— I've said so all along." "Oh, it's too soon to say that yet!" I replied soothingly, though I had rea'^ons for A Matrimonial Experience ... »9 WiM„l „„K, that's „||.- ■' '""*- "Idn,,,,.,„.;,„Mti.s,lK,.V.,,,,,i„j;M,o ,,. """. ';'■ "'" «™°"'''. "l'<'jii.g ii.»tn,etions *i-oni witliouf, liiid just sonc to tlio In- dicator - J)osf, PC. moved tin. numlicr foiTcsponiliiig with tliat of the weddiiif; lirogramme, and substituted another, ^^if, . ,w,„dk •■ "■'''■:'' "-^^ ""= «'■«""' for « gcuoral uproar. A carpet was spread for a performance bv a Lender, • who made his appearance in I ight snit of green spangles, as the " .Marvel- lous Boy Serpent," and endeavonrcl to wile a«-ay the popular discontent by writhing in -.d out of the rungs of a chair, and making a g.ttc„ngp„,cushionofhin,self. In vain, for they would have none of hi,n, and the ^oor ;J MB ' 90 Love among the Lions youth had to retire at last amidst a storm of undeserved hissing. Another long wait followed, iind the in- dignation grew louder. !So infections is the temi)er of a mob that I actually caught myself growing impatient, and banging loudly on the floor with mv umbrella — just as niv nciuh- hours were doing! All at once, to my extreme bewilderment, the stamping and hooting changed to tumul- tuous applause, the band began to bray out an air that was apparently intended for " The Voice that Breathed," the barriers were thrown open, and the great elephant lumbered into the arena drawing the cage. The brute had an enormous wedding fa- vour attached to each side of his tusks, and all the animals in the cage, down to the very tiger, were wearing garlands of artificial orange-blossom, a touch of sentiment which seemed to go straight to the hearts of the people. But even while I looked down into the A Matrimonial Experience 91 cnpo, with iniicli the same reflection as that of John IJnidford of ohl, that there, but for spe- eiai grace, I mi.^lit myself be figuring-, I was astounded by the audacity of the management. Could they really imagine that an intelli- gent and enlightened audience like this would l)e pacified by anything less than the spectacle they had i)aid to witness— a niarriagi' solem- nised in a den of lions? And liow did they propos(> to perform a ceremony at which, as they must be fully aware by this time, the bridegroom would be conspicuous by his ab- sence? Xo, it nn'ght be magnificent, but it was not business. I was still speculating, when a kind of small procession entered ' ; . arena. First came Mr. Sawkins, with the Reverend Xinian, look- ing rather like a cheap Cranmer; next was a smart-looking person in a well-cut frock-coat and lavender trousers that I seemed to have seen before. It was my wedding suit; the wearer had gunmied on a mustache and short side-whiskers which gave him a si)urious rc- 13 • I 9^ Love among the Lions .scnihlancc lo nivsclf, but if nolxxly dso know liiin, I (lid— it wns Onion, the Lion Kln^f And tlio next inoniont, I ivccivcd u si ill gmitcr shuck, jis I'i'ofcssor rolkin^hornc f,,!- lowed with tlic lofty hcnrino' ,,f ., N'irginius, and on liis arm was a sloncU'r shrinking figure, wliich, in si)ito of the veil she wore, I knew too well eonld he no other than Lurana. "There's the bridegroom, dye see!" ex- plained my hoarse neighbonr; "he's a deal better lookin' than the i)ictnres they've drawed of him in the papers. But he's as pale as plas- ter, he'll back out of it at the last moment — you jnst see if he don't! " T3ut r knew Xioiio better. I remembered his open admiration of Lurana, his envy at my good fortune, I felt convinced that his pal- lor was merely dne to the absence of rouge and the feai that lie would not succeed in his dar- ing imposture. For I saw now that he had been planning to supplant me from the first; hence his attempts to shake my nerve, and, when they failed, hence his treacherous loan »f 'W A kind of small procession entered the arena. *■,! if ; * 'i J If •■ ^' m .tl* I'; ' 94 Love among the Lions of a blunt razor. He was staking everything on the chance that the bride's natural agitation, and the thickness of her veU would prevent her from suspecting that ho was a fraudulent bridegroom until the ceremony was over, while the audience, not expecting to see a Lion King in a tall hat, would be equally deceived. " Pore young things! " said a stout female in front, with a nodding feather in her bon- net; " it's to be 'oped there won't be any un- pleasantness, I'm sure. I'm 'alf sorry I came." There was time ( ven yet; I had but to rise, denounce the usurper, and take my rightful place at Lurana's side. I felt strongly im- pelled to do so; I actually stood up and tried to speak. But I realised that it was hopeless to attempt to make my feeble voice heard above the thunders of applause, even if excite- ment and emotion had not rendered me speech- less. Besides, what satisfactory explanation of my present position could I offer? I sat down again with a sense of spell-bound helplessness. A Matrimonial Experience 95 I looked on as the great are-lamps were lowered, hissing and buzzing, to the level of the cage, and the Reverend :\rr. Skipworth prepared to ascend the inverted white tnb that was to serve him as a reading-desk, and the un- scrupulous Onion took the bride by the hand and conducted her to the step liich led to the door of the lion-cage. " They're never goin' in among all them lions without nobody with them! " cried the stout lady. "It's downright temptin' of Providence, that it is! " " Don't you be afraid,'^ said the cynical man. "They ain't goin' in. Just look at that now! " As he spoke two persons in plain clothes, who had apparently been waiting for this mo- ment, stepped over the barrier from the shil- ling stalls into the ring, and, from their ges- tures, seemed to be insisting that the wedding should not take place inside the cage at all events. There was an animated dispute in the rino- 96 i. 1" i r Jfe Love among the Lions Xiono blustered, Luraiia pleaded, Sawkins ex- postulated, and the professor and Arcdiibald Chnclv (who had eontrived to pusl, himself into the party) argned, while Miss Rakestraw fillod page after page of her reporter's note- book, and the Kev. Xirdan sat upon his tnb with meekly folded hands, looking more than ever like a martyr who knew himself to be in- combustible. The audience booed, and hissed, and veiled with natural rage and disappointment; the hons remained unmoved, blinking behind their bars, with erossed forepaws, and an air of serene indifference. " T told yer there wasn't going to be no blooming wedding! " said my husky friend. " It's a reg'lar put-up job, that's what it is! " It was possible; but whether tlie inter- nipters of the proceedings were hired supers or genuine offieials, it was equally elear that there would be no wedding inside the eage. How bitterly I regretted that bv viohlino- to an irresistible impulse I had forfeited the A Matrimonial Experience ^y right to stand by Luraiia's side at this supreme moment ! I eoukl have done so with absolute imi)unity; 1 should have won a lifelong- repu- tation for courage; Lurana herself would have owned that I had done all that was possible to gratify her whim, and would have consented to marry me in the orthodox fashion. Whereas, here I was, separated from her by impassable barriers, in the ignominious se- clusion of a back seat ! However, this official prohibition had at least solved one of niy dif- ficulties; it had rendered it unnecessary for me to interfere personally. The storm of indignation rose to a hurri- cane when the entire wedding partv filed out of the arena with the officials, doubtless to dis- cuss the matter in greater privacy. The stout lady with the feather was par- ticularly annoyed. " Why shouldn't the two joung parties be allowed to please them- selves? " she wanted to know. " It was their M'cdding, not the Government's. But it was always the way whenever she came out for a 1 1* ! • H li i' 1 '1 t 98 Love among the Lions little amusement. Somethiuk was bound to go wrong." Another long interval, during which the wildest disorder reigned unchecked, the crowd, with the irrationality of an angry mob, actu- ally throwing pieces of orange-peel at the un- offending lions as the only creatures within the range of their displeasure. The hubbub was at its height when Sawkins reappeared and held up his hand for some time in vain be- fore he could obtain a hearing. Then he ad- dressed the audience as follows: "Ladies and Gentlemen," he said, "cer- tain individuals claiming to represent the Home Office and the London County Coun- cil " (here there were groans, and my neigh- bour remarked disgustedly, that "that was what came of returning those Progressives ") " have protested against a wedding in the cage as involving danger to the principal parties concerned." (Loud cries of "Shame! " and general uproar.) "I have the honour and pleasure to announce that we have succeeded \l Then he addressed the audience. 14 M I f lOO Love among the Lions in convincing these gentlemen that the pro- posed ceremony is no more open to objection than the ordinary performance, and tliat they have no legal power to prohibit it. Conse- quently the marriage will now be celebrated in the cage of forest-bred African lions, as ad- vertised." The revulsion of feeling after this most unexpected announcement was instant and tremendous; all hearts seemed touched with generous compunction for their uncharitable suspicions, and the hall rang with tumultu- ous cheers. For myself, I could not share the general exhilaration. This preposterous wedding was permitted after all, and, unless Lurana's heart failed her at the critical instant, she would in- evitably be lost to me for ever! I might still interpose; indeed I should have done so at all costs, but for a timely remembrance that no action I took now w^ould regain her. She might have been in ignorance before — but in the course of this delay she must have I Lions ;he pro- bjeetion lat they Conse- rated in , as ad- is most nt and id witli iritable imultu- general ng was s heart uld in- ht still ) at all hat no before it have A Matrimonial Kxperience lOI learnt that I had failed her, she must have ac- cepted the lion-tanior as a substitute, and, even if I were to present myself, she would only inform me that my place was already filled. I had too much spirit to risk a public snub of that kind, so I stayed where 1 was. It cannot have fallen to many men's lot to look on as passive spectators at their own wedding— but what choice had I? There was a deathlike silence as Niono slipt the bolt and gallantly handed the bride into the cage. She stepped in as collectedly as if it had been an ordinary Eegistry Office, and the great tawny beasts retreated sullenly to the other end, where they stood huddled in a row, while the Rev. ^^inian, mounting his tub, read an abbreviated form of service in a voice which was quite inaudible in the bal- cony. I tried to turn my eyes away from the scene that was taking place in that grim cage, and the two figures that were so calmly confront- ing those formidable brutes— but I felt com- I .if I02 Love among the Lions polled to look. And it was mortifying to see how trifling after all was the danger they in- curred. I am afraid I almost wished that one of the animals would give some trouble 1 don't mean of course by any actual attack- but by just enough display of ferocity to make Lurana understand what they inight do. But they never even attempted to cross the pole which had been thrust across the cage as a barrier. I was never told there would be a pole! They looked on, mystified— as well they might be— by proceedings to which they were totally unaccustomed, but still impressed, and sleepily solemn. Even the tiger behaved with irreproachable decorum. I understood then what Onion had been careful not to mention; their food had been doctored in some way. If I had only known ! Anybody could beard a hocussed lion! And soon the words which made that couple man and wife were pronounced, or rather mumbled— for the Rev. Xinian would iiavo been none the worse for a course of les- il Lio ns A Matrimonial Experience 103 sons from old Polkinghunio— and tlio newly- wedded pair came out of the cage without so much as a scratch, to the triumphant blare of the " Wedding .Alarch." There was frantic applause as the Professor embraced the bride with an emotion that struck me as overdone, while the Rev. IS^inian, Miss liakestraw, and Chuck offered their congratulations and Mi-. Sawkins presented the happy couple with a sil- ver biscuit-box (it may have been electro- plated), and a Tantalus spirit case. But for that unfortunate slip of the razor, those gifts would have been mine— but I was in no mood to think of that just then, when I had lost what was so infinitely more precious. I looked on dully till the party left the arena, declining with excellent taste to return in answer to repeated calls and bow their acknowledgments, and then, as the electric lights were hoisted up again and the elephant was led in to remove the lion's cage, I thought it was time to go. It was all over; there was nothing to stay If 104 Love among the Lions Hi Hi for now, and most of the people were leaving, so I joined the erowd whicli streamed down the staircase and along the broad passage to the main exit. Onoe in the open air, I Imrried blindly past the flaring shops in the High Street, neither knowing nor earing where 1 was going, with only one thonght possessing my numbed brain — how different it might all have been if only things had happened other- wise ! Wherever I looked I saw Lnrana's lovely scornful face and flashing eyes painted with torturing vividness on the murky air. ITow flat and stale all existence would be for me henceforth! Life with Lurana might not have been all sunshine; it might have had its storms, even its tempests — but at least it would never have been dull ! I cursed the treachery which had induced her to link herself for life with a lion-tamer. Happy, I knew she could not be, for of one thing I was confident — she loved me; not per- haps with the passionate single-hearted devo- Lioiii e High A Matrimonial Experience 105 tion 1 folt for ha-, but still with a love she would ui.ver feel for any other. Perhaps she was aireadj ho^himuu; to repent her desertion <'f ine, and wishing slu- could undo tJiat rash irrevocahic aet. ^ 1 was pounding up Uigligate JlilJ, with no object beyond escaping by active motion tiie demons of recollection and regret that haunted nie— wlien suddenly, as I gained the top of the hill, ii thought struck mo. Was the act ir- revocable after all> AVas it so absolutely cer- tain that this Onion had the legal right to claim her as his wife^ He had certainly personated me. Had he not borrowed, not only my frock coat, and trousers, but als., my lumie for the ceremony? If lio had, and if Lurana was, as she could I'ardly help being, aware of the fact, it did not require much acquaintance with the law to know that there was a chance, at all events, of getting the Court to declare the marriage null and void. But he might have been married in his own io6 Love among the Lions name; I could not tell; owing to the indistinct- ness of Mr. Skipworth's utterance, only Lurana or those in their inuuudiate neigh l>ourhood could say. I must know that first; I must examine the register, if there was one, and then, if — if Lurana wished to be saved, 1 might be able to save her. I knew that a sort of wedding high-tea had been prepared at Canonbury Square, Avherc the whole party would bo assembled by this time, and I hurried back t^ > Canonbury Square as fast as the tramcar would take me. My blood was roused; she would not be Xiono's wife if I could prevent it. I would snatch her from him, even if I had to do so across the wedding-cake! But when I reached the well-known door and raised the familiar knocker — a fist clutch- ing a cast-iron wreath — in my trembling an- gers, there were no soundri of festivity wit^iin : the house was dark and deserted. I waited in the bitter January air; the •Jrect lamp opposite — the identical one under ? f A Matrimonial Experience 107 wFilch Lurana had first agreed to marry me— flickered at every gust of the night wind, n.s fhongh troubled on my account. Thev must have transferred tlie feast to the Circn.^, or to some adjacent restaurant; evidently there was no one there. I was just turning hopelesslv awav, when I heard the bolt being withdrawn, and Uie door was opened by a maid " Wliere is your mistress? " I anked breath- lossly. J eoukl not bring my.elf to ask for Lurana as :Mrs. Onion. " III tlie drawing-room, upstairs," was the unexpected reply, " with the 'istericks." So long as she was not with Xiono, I cared little; I bounded up, and found her alone. As I entered, she raised her flushed, tear- stained face from the shabby sofa on which Phe had thrown herself. Mio away! " she cried, " why do you come near me now ? You have no right— do you hear?— no right! " ' I know," T said hund^lv enough " T deserve this, no doubt; and yet, if 'you Ml 108 Love among the Lions 'I ''.'' V fWn knew all, you would find excuses for nie, .Lurnna! " " iS'^one, I'lieodore," she said ; " if you had really loved uiv, you would never have de- serted uie! " "1 could not help myself," I retorted; " and really, Lurana, if it comes to deser- tion ! " " iVh, what is the use of wrangling about whose fault it was," she moaned, " now, when we have both wrecked our lives! At least, I know I've wrecked minel Why was I so in- sane as to set my heart on our being married in a den of disgusting lions? If you had only been firmer, 'i'heodore, instead of giving way as vou did! " " At least it was not cowardice," I said, " When I show you the state of my chin ! " "Theod'^re!" she cried, wdth a little scream, "you are hurt! Tell me; was it the tiger?" " It was not the tiger," I said. " ISTever ; Lions for 1110, you had lave dc- etorted ; 3 dcscr- g about y, when least, I I so in- ii'i'iod ill ad only ng way I said, of my El little s it the ' N'evcr "If only you had been firmer, Tlicodore.' f*'; "I iiv 1 10 Love among the Lions mind tliat now. 1 was betrayed by that in- fernal Onion, Lnrana. I never knew till it was too late — you c/o believe me, don't yon? " " I do; we were both deceived, Theodore. I should never have acted as I did if that horrid Frenchwoman hadn't told mo — Oh, what would I not give if all this had never been?" " If you are truly sincere," I began, " in wishing this unlucky marriage cancelled " "If I am! Are you, Theodore? Oh, if only there is a way! " " There may be, Lurana. It all depends on whether my name was used at the ceremony or not. Try to recollect and tell me." " But I can't, Theodore. You were there — ^you must know! " " Mr. Skipworth wouldn't speak up; and I was much farther away than you were." "Than / was, Theodore! But — but I Avasn't there at all! " " Xot present at your own wedding? " I cried, " but I saw you! " If vi! " A Matrimonial Experience >) 1 1 1 "Jt was not me! " she said, - it was Mile Leonie. Is it possible you didn't know? " :Mj heart leaped. -For heaven's sake explain, Liirana; let us have no more conceal- ments." " ^Vhen I arrived," she said, " .Mademoi- selle explained about the tiger, and how sorrv she .vas it was too late to remove it, since she understood I had an antipathy to tigers; and T said, not at all, I adored tigers, so she took me to see the cage, and I-I only tried to tickle the tiger, but he was so dreadfully cross about it-I nearly fainted. And she said it was sim- ply madness for me to go in, and that you were every bit as frightened as I was." ^^ _ /'She had no right to say that," I said- " It's absolutely untrue! " ' "I know, Theodore," she replied; "you have proved that you, at least, are no cow;rd -but I believed her then. And I wrote you a hne to say that I had altered my mind, and did not think it right to expose vou or mvself to such danger, and that I would wait for vou tr 'FT' ^B' <''-! ! ; if f \ ( . 112 Love among the Lions by the Mjddelton Statue. She promised to fi'ive you the letter at once! " '' I never got it," I said. " ]^o, slie took care you should not. And T waited for you — how long I don't know — Jiours, it seemed — but vou never came! Then I saw the people beginning to come out, and — and I went across and asked someone whether there had been any marriage or not, and he said, ' Ves, it had gone off without any acci- dent; the bridegroom looked pale but was plucky enough, and so was the bride, though he couldn't tell how sJie looked, because of her veil.' And then, of course, I knew that the deceitful cat had t^ken my place and managed to make you marry her ! And at first I wanted to go back and stab her with my hat pin, but I hadn't one sharp enough, so I came home instead. And oh, Theodore, I do feel so ashamed! After boasting so much of my Spanish blood, and taunting you with being afraid as I did, to think that you should have shown the truer courage after all ! " A Matrimonial Experience And hell "3 I could not triumph over her then; I wa^ too happ^, . c,,„.^,g^^ ^^,^ ^j^^^j. ^^. .^ ^^ ^^^^_^_ Y ''^''''' ^"''^^^^>''" J ^^^id. '^ Heaven forbid tliat u-e should be held accountable for the state of our nerves—even the bravest of us." ^ "I^ut this marriage, Theodore," she said what can jou do to have it set aside ^ " " ^ol Kotlung," I replied; - after what jou^have told me, I no longer care to try." " You despise me, then, because I broke down at the critical moment?" ''iVot at all. I can never be grateful enough to you ! " " ^'^-"tof ul ! Then do you mean to say you prefer that coarse, nnddle-aged, lion-taming person to me, Theodore? " " I'^rana," I said, " prepare yourself for a p:reat surprise-a pleasant surprise. If any- body is now that lady's lawful husband it is \iono-not I; and a very suitable match too " 1 added (I saw now why the authorities had been compelled to waive their objections to it), liie fact IS, 1 never went into the cage at all." ' 'i 'M ''if' i'fi 'I I; J ' 114 Love among the Lions i tin ' " You didn't go into the cage, Theodore! but how, why^ " " Do you imagine," I asked, *' can you really suppose I should be capable of entering that cage with anybody but yourself, Lurana'^ How little you know me! Of course I de- clined! " " But you didn't know I had run away then, Theodore! Why, you thought only a few minutes ago / was the person Mr. Xiono married! Perhaps you will kindly explain? " For the moment I was in a fix, but I saw that the moment had arrived for perfect can- dour, and accordingly I told her the facts pretty much as they have been set down here. She could hardly blame me for having be- haved precisely as she herself had done, or re- fuse to admit that by taking any other course I should have imperilled our joint happiness, and yet I thought I could see that, with fem- inine unreason, she was just a little disap- pointed with me. The true explanation of that marriage, if ■"" I ii! ig the Lions go, Theodore! ed, " cau you )le of entering .rself, Lurana'^ t' course I de- had run away lought only a ion Mr. Xiono .dly explain? " fix, but I saw )r perfect can- hcr the facts set down here, for having be- ad done, or re- y other course )int happiness, hat, with fem- a little disap- it marriage, if A Matrimonial Experience it was a marriage, in the den of lions, I have never been able to discover, nor for that matter liave I been particularly curious co inquire whether Onion attempted to get rid of me in order to secure Lurana; whether Mile. Leonio phiyod upon Lurana's fears with the hope of becoming my bride, or his; or whether the Lion King and his fellow artist gallantlv sacri- ficed themselves to get the management"' out of a difficulty, I don't know, and, as I say I haven't cared to ask. But however it was, they were ablv sec- onded by old Polkinghorne, who was naturally unwilling to be called upon to refund the money he had got for his free tickets, and by Miss Rakestraw and Archibald Chuck, whose reputations were also more or less concerned^ ^Nevertheless, although everv effort was made to keep the public off .ue scent, and the circus people behaved, I am bound to sav, with commendable discretion, sundry i^arbled ver- sions of the facts did get about, and altogetlier Lurana and I have found the task of denyin* ig \fn u • ■ i ii6 Love among the Lions 'M or correpting them such a constant nuisance that I have felt compelled, as I said at starting, to furnish, once for all, a statement of what actually occurred. Now that it is written I have no more to add, except to append a cutting from an an- nouncement which appeared not long ago in the principal papers. The arrangements for its publication w^ere entrusted to Archibald Chuck, who I think must have added the last two words on his own responsibility. BlenMnsop — De Castro. — On the 15th inst., at the Parish Church of St, Marv, Islington, by the Rev. Merton Sand- ford, D.D., Vicar, Theodore Pidgley Blenkinsop, of Highbury, to Lueana Carmen de Castro, only daughter of the late Manuel Guzman de Castro, for- merly Deputy Sub-Assistant Inspector of Spanish Liquorice to the Government Manufactory at Madrid. Xo lions. THE exd. Morang's "Florin" Series Th,s series of popular first-class novels is .ssued monthly on the :5th of each month, at the moderate price of 50 cents per volume ■n paper and $,.00 in cloth; yearly subscrip. f on, $5.00, payable in advance, and begin- n.ng from any time. 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