lose touch with
the unseen things that were so dear to me.

CHAPTER VI

ONLY A FRIEND

'Surely a woman's affection
Is not a thing to be asked for,
and had for only the asking?--_Longfellow._

Wednesday evening came, and all went off to Lady Walker's except Hugh
and myself. He seemed very rarely to go out with the others, and was
generally up in London several nights a week. I had helped the girls
to dress, and had done all I could for them before they went, but it
had been a trying time. General Forsyth had hardly spoken to me since
he knew my decision was final, and Mrs. Forsyth was continually
referring to my foolishness. So I was relieved when they were out of
the house, and quite enjoyed the quiet dinner with Hugh. He certainly
exerted himself to be agreeable, and asked me if I would come upstairs
and sit in his study after dinner.

'Bring your violin,' he said, 'and if you will play nicely to me I will
treat you to a glimpse of the heavens through my telescope. It is a
beautiful starry night.'

His study was a very comfortable-looking room, with a large bay window
overlooking the open country, and I took up my position in front of it
as I played to him. I did not know he was so fond of music; but as I
laid my violin down I noticed how he was leaning back in his chair with
a dreamy smile upon his face, and drawing in a long breath, he said,--

'Thank you. I think that's a better class of entertainment than what
is going on at the Walkers' at present. A low-level life there, I
consider, and one only marvels at men and women spending their whole
existence in such trifles: time and talents utterly wasted, and powers
of intellect used and abused in the foolish chit-chat of society!'

He spoke so contemptuously that I looked up in surprise.

'I think,' I said, 'every one must have something to fill their life.
They are as much occupied in their gay sphere as you are in your
literary one.'

'Or as you in your pious one! Quite true; and I suppose we each think
our own sphere immeasurably superior to any other. I tell you
honestly, I have a contempt for the frivolous one, and a pity for the
religious. I look at both from a higher platform.'

'You place all your faith in man's intellect,' I said slowly; 'but
"religious" people, as you call them, place their faith in the Creator
of man's intellect. I don't think you are on a higher platform than
they; you haven't got quite high