ral attitude. There was no remedy but music, and as soon as Bradshaw
got at his Stradivarius the mists seemed to disperse. The _adagio_ of
Somebody's quartette No. 101 seemed to drive a coach-and-six through
mortal bramble-labyrinths. But as soon as it ceased, the mists came
back all the thicker for being kept waiting. And the outcome of a
winding-up interview between the sweethearts was the conclusion that
after what had been said by the father of one of them, it was necessary
that all should be forgotten, and be as though it had never been.
And the gentleman next day, when he showed himself at his desk at
Cattley's, provoked the remark that Paganini had got the hump this
morning--which shows that his genius as a violinist was recognised
at Cattley's.

As for the lady, we rather think she made up her mind in the course
of the night that if her family were going to interfere with her
love-affairs, she would let them know what it was to have people
yearning for other people in the house. For she refused boiled eggs,
eggs and bacon, cold salmon-trout, and potted tongue at breakfast next
day, and left half a piece of toast and half a cup of tea as a visible
record that she had started pining, and meant to do it in earnest.

What Laetitia and Julius suffered during their self-inflicted
separation, Heaven only knows! This saying must be interpreted as
meaning that nobody else did. They were like evasive Trappist monks,
who profess mortification of the flesh, but when it comes to the
scratch, don't flog fair. Whatever they lost in the cessation of
uncomfortable communion at the eyrie, or lair, of the Dragon was more
than made up for by the sub-rosaceous, or semi-clandestine, character
of the intercourse that was left. Stolen kisses are notoriously
sweetest, but when, in addition to this, every one is actually the
very last the shareholders intend to subscribe for, their fascination
is increased tenfold. And every accidental or purely unintentionally
arranged meeting of these two had always the character of an interview
between people who never meet--which, like most truths, was only false
in exceptional cases; and in this instance these were numerous.
Factitious absence of this sort will often make the heart grow fonder,
where the real thing would make it look about for another; and another
is generally to be found.

It might have been unsafe to indulge in speculation, based on the then
_status quo_, as to when the inevita