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386 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
been to two balls before, and two plays and an opera. And her
father met Mr. Hely at Lord Trim's. That was her father playing
at whist. And they lived at Madame Smolensk's boarding-house
in the Champs Elysées. And they had been to Mr. Dash's, and to
Mrs. Blank's, and she believed they were going to Mrs. Star's on
Friday. And did they go to church? Of course they went to
church, to the Rue d'Aguesseau, or wherever it might be. And Sly
boots went to church next Sunday. You may perhaps guess to
what church. And he went the Sunday after. And he sang his
own songs, accompanying himself on the guitar, at his lodgings.
And he sang elsewhere. And he had a very pretty little voice,
Slyboots had. I believe those poems under the common title of
" Gretchen " in our Walsingham's charming volume were all inspired
by Miss Baynes. He began to write about her and himself the
very first night after seeing her. He smoked cigarettes and drank
green tea. He looked so pale—so pale and sad that he quite pitied
himself in the looking-glass in his apartments in the Rue Miroménil.
And he compared himself to a wrecked mariner, and to a grave,
and to a man entranced and brought to life. And he cried quite
freely and satisfactorily by himself. And he went to see his mother
and sister next day at the " Hotel de la Terrasse," and cried to
them and said he was in love this time for ever and ever. And his
sister called him a goose. And after crying he ate an uncommonly
good dinner. And he took every one into his confidence, as he
always did whenever he was in love : always telling, always making
verses, and always crying. As for Miss Blacklock, he buried the
dead body of that love deep in the ocean of his soul. The waves
engulphed Miss B. The ship rolled on. The storm went down.
And the stars rose, and the dawn was in his soul, &c. Well, well !
The mother was a vulgar woman, and I am glad you are out of it.
And what sort of people are General Baynes and Mrs. Baynes?
" Oh, delightful people. Most distinguished officer, the father ;
modest—doesn't say a word. The mother, a most lively, brisk,
agreeable woman. You must go and see her, ma'am. I desire
you'll go immediately."
"And leave cards with P. P. C. for the Miss Blacklocks?"
says Miss Hely, who was a plain lively person. And both mother
and sister spoiled this young Hely; as women ought always to
spoil a son, a brother, a father, husband, grandfather—any male
relative, in a word.
To see this spoiled son married was the good-natured mother's
fond prayer. An elder son had died a rake ; a victim to too much
money, pleasure, idleness. The widowed mother would give anything
to save this one from the career through which the elder had