ere of "The
Shrine of the Muses!" would have ruined anyone possessed of genius,
unless he had a strong enough nature to withstand the sickly adulation
and false judgments of those who came there. Basil was not strong. He
was pleasant, idle, rather vain, and a little inclined to be
dissipated. Mrs. Octagon did not know that Basil was fond of
dissipation. She thought him a model young Oxford man, and hoped he
would one day be Laureate of England.

Afternoon tea was just ended, and several of Mrs. Octagon's friends had
departed. Basil and Mr. Octagon were out, but the latter entered with
a paper in his hand shortly after the last visitor took her leave.
Mrs. Octagon, in a ruby-colored velvet, looking majestic and
self-satisfied, was enthroned--the word is not too strong--in an
arm-chair, and Juliet was seated opposite to her turning over the
leaves of a new novel produced by one of The Circle. It was
beautifully printed and bound, and beautifully written in "precious"
English, but its perusal did not seem to afford her any satisfaction.
Her attention wandered, and every now and then she looked at the door
as though expecting someone to enter. Mrs. Octagon disapproved of
Juliet's pale cheeks and want of attention to her own fascinating
conversation, so, when alone, she took the opportunity to correct her.

"My child," said Mrs. Octagon, who always spoke in a tragic manner, and
in a kind of blank-verse way, "to me it seems your cheeks are somewhat
pale."

"I had no sleep last night," said Juliet, throwing down the book.

"Your thoughts concerned themselves with Cuthbert's face, no doubt, my
love," said her mother fondly.

"No, I was not thinking of him. I was worried about--about--my new
dress," she finished, after vainly casting about for some more sensible
reason.

"How foolish children are. You trouble about your dress when you
should have been thinking of the man who loves you."

"Does Cuthbert love me?" asked Juliet, flushing.

"As Romeo loved your namesake, sweetest child. And a very good match
it is too," added Mrs. Octagon, relapsing into prose. "He is Lord
Caranby's heir, and will have a title and a fortune some day. But I
would not force you to wed against your will, my dear."

"I love Cuthbert and Cuthbert loves me," said Juliet quickly, "we quite
understand one another. I wonder why he did not come to-day."

"Ah," said her mother playfully, "I saw that your thoughts were
otherwhere. You