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

So good-bye, and best wishes,

Ever yours most sincerely,

SYLVIA.

Now under such circumstances, had Bellew sought oblivion and consolation
from bottles, or gone headlong to the devil in any of other numerous
ways that are more or less inviting, deluded people would have pitied
him, and shaken grave heads over him; for it seems that disappointment
(more especially in love) may condone many offences, and cover as many
sins as Charity.

But Bellew, knowing nothing of that latter-day hysteria which wears the
disguise, and calls itself "Temperament," and being only a rather
ordinary young man, did nothing of the kind. Having lighted his pipe,
and read the letter through again, he rang instead for Baxter,
his valet.

Baxter was small, and slight, and dapper as to person, clean-shaven,
alert of eye, and soft of movement,--in a word, Baxter was the cream of
gentlemen's gentlemen, and the very acme of what a valet should be, from
the very precise parting of his glossy hair, to the trim toes of his
glossy boots. Baxter as has been said, was his valet, and had been his
father's valet, before him, and as to age, might have been thirty, or
forty, or fifty, as he stood there beside the table, with one eye-brow
raised a trifle higher than the other, waiting for Bellew to speak.

"Baxter."

"Sir?"

"Take a seat."

"Thank you sir." And Baxter sat down, not too near his master, nor too
far off, but exactly at the right, and proper distance.

"Baxter, I wish to consult with you."

"As between Master and Servant, sir?"

"As between man and man, Baxter."

"Very good, Mr. George, sir!"

"I should like to hear your opinion, Baxter, as to what is the proper,
and most accredited course to adopt when one has been--er--crossed
in love?"

"Why sir," began Baxter, slightly wrinkling his smooth brow, "so far as
I can call to mind, the courses usually adopted by despairing lovers,
are, in number, four."

"Name the