MISS JACOBSEN’S CHANCE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6752, 5 February 1892, Page 4

MISS JACOBSEN’S CHANCE.

UTERATURE

| CONTINUED. Sir James took Lady Strover on hia arm ; but Sara and her father entered singly, the Acting Governor, fussy and indeterminate-looking, wi»b a mild benevolent face, looking at Bara approvingly. He had a taste for pretty ' girls. His wife greeted her with a deprecatory air of cordiality. She was a tiny old lady who got her gowns from Paris, and Sara thought she must get her manners there too, they were so ultra-polished. There were not a great many people in ih° drawingroom, nor was there any buzz of conversation. Had Sura been in a position to draw comparisons, she might have decided that colonial entertainments are much suffer than those in England. The guests sat round the room, mostly in stiff attitudes, all except one man who stood near the fireplace ; and they all, be included, seemed afraid to talk to each other. She recognized the Attorney-General and his wife in one

couple, and went shyly across to them. The other ladies were strangers to her, and so were most of the men. Alter a little while Mrs Blane, the hostess, brought up that tall gentleman who had been standing by the fireplace, and inlroduced him to her as i) L'onel Praill. Sara fe fc a little thri 1 of surprise and pleasure as she heard his name, and glanced up at lrm. Yes, Lilly’s description conveyed a sufficiently true idea of the man. He was interesting ; but for the commonplace associations of the emigrant it would not be so very difficult to imagine him a hero of romance. He looked more like a soldier than a doctor. He held his spare figure very erect, and there was something in his crisp, short hair, hi* brown complexion and pointed moustache, which gave a suggestion of bravery and adventure. H'S eyes were bright and keen, with an expression of great penetration. His voice was clear, and had a faint American accent.

‘ I M ; flVo that I’m to have the honour of taking you in to dinner, ’ he said.

Sara had never been taken formally in to dinner before. It wais a new sensation. The I't'le pre inainary flutter involve! in seating: herself, un-

folding her napkin, drawing off her gloves, and taking her bearings, occupied her for a minute or two ; and she was not aware that during the

interval Dr Frail was furtively observing her. Ladv ’Strover was placed opposite, and Mr Jacobsen, to her joy, a long wav down the table. On her other side sat an elderly would-be young man with a rather ‘ made-up ’ appearance, Mr Dalyell, a butterfly bachelor without any resources except those derived from his modest income as Usher ol the Black Rod. The Acting Governor, from bis end of the table, inlroduced the two in his good-natured manner.

‘ Miss Jacobsen, don’t you think that, as you are the only young 1 laiy present, I managed very cleverly to put you between the two bachelor beaux of the evening ? I saw to it myself, I assure you. There’s another one still, but he had to pair, with Mrs Blane. don’t you see ? I dare say he’d change places with you, Dalyoli ; but be must wait his turn in the drawingroom.’ Sara glanced up at the other end, where a stout, rakish-looking, fairhaired and blue-eyed young man sat beside her hosiass. Sara wondered what were bis claims to consideration. ‘Bound to be civil to members of the British aristocracy,’ she beard the Acting Governor say, in a sort of parenthetic aside. * The Honourable Eobert Templeton, son of Lord Oarseldine, you know. Came out in the Urania with Dr Fraill, and played high jinks on board. Likely to play high jinka anywhere, I should say. His family shipped him off with a hundred pounds over his passage-money ; so we’ve asked him to dinner to give him & good start. Miss Jacobsen, you must know Mr Dalyell. He’ll do the honours of the Parliamentary Chambers to you. He gives tea-parries there sometimes, and he gets up ridingparties. Ask him to lend you his famous horse, which has carried in turn all the pretty girls in Leichardt Town ’ Sara blushed very becomingly, and Mr Dalyell bent lorward with eager attention.

‘ I was longing to be introduced to you, Mias Jacobsen. I saw you at the opening. You’ll clten come and hear the debates, won’t you P Do you take a great interest in politics V • I haven't begun it yet,’ said Sara ; ‘ there hadn’t been time. But of course I must take an inter* s.’ ‘Ah, exactly,’ said Mr DalyeM vaguely. ‘Start a political salon,Miss Jacobsen. It always strikes me that is the phase in which colonial society shows itaell most wanting. In London, lor instance, the political influence oi women, is enormous. I assure you it’s a fact that Ministers have been made—r|he late of Europe, you may say, ddcidedr-hy :p .certain great lady of my acquaintance who shall be nameless and he sipped his sherry with a jaunty air. ‘ 1 shouldn’t like the responsibility,’ replied |Sara, qui'e gravely, * I should not care about politics at all if I wasn’t obliged to,’ ■ ‘1 thought that politics wi'h ladies was a raa'ter of t<sto raiher than obligation,’ said Dc Eraill, Mr Dalyell being for the moment engrossed with his soup. ‘Well,-yon know, it’s our living,’ said Sara idnocently. * If the Ministry goes out, I nball go out too.’ ‘ Mrs Blaue tolls me that you have taken a house in Janion’s Avenue,’ began Mr Dalyell again. ‘ I don’t

know whv I’ve never met you, Miss Jacobsen.” If I had known where you lived I should have done myself thj pleasure of paying von a visit,’ *We lived on the South Side,’ answered Sara, with reserve, which seemed to Dr Praill the most enchanting dignity. In reality Sara was a little perplexed as to the use of her fishknife ; but she was determined that no one should suspect her inexperience. ‘You will allow me to have the honour of calling upon you some day soon ?’ continued Mr Dalyell. * I shall be delighted,’ said Sara, with a smile, which was the result of a conquest of her difficulties,but which, in contrast with her manner a mome before,gave the impression of coquetry. Mr Dalyell asked her if she bad been over the Houses of Parliament, and began to make plans for showing them to her, appealing to Lady Strover to chaperon her daughter and Miss Jacobsen. The Acting Governor, much taken with Sara’s pretty face, and benevolently disposed towards her also, invited the party to tea in his rooms. ‘By that time, most likely I shall be President of the Council once more,’ he said ; ‘ and all of us who have gone up a peg will have been put back again. How are you going to start the new Governor, Strover ?’ he added, turning to the Premier. ‘I hear that all you fellows on the Recep tion Committee have been fighting about the way in which he is to be victimized first.’ ‘He is to be taken up to the Agricultural Show on Übi Downs/ said Sir James. ‘ Poor fellow exclaimed the Acting Governor, ‘I |ity him if he is to be hustled up there the day after his arrival. It won’t do, Strover. It’s a bald policy, but it’s dangerous. You’ve killed one Governor, you know, and you mustn’t drive another one mad.’ There vn’ a general laugh, about which Mr Jacobsen’s voice rose loud and a little thick : ‘I tell you what it is, Strover, we aren’t going to stand auy humbug from the other lot ; but the Governor is right, as I pat it to you in the Cabinet yesterday, only you wouldn’t listen. It won’t do to come things to strong all of a sudden ; wait and see whether we’ve got a constitutional man to deal with. That’s all we want —a man that has a respect for the constitution of the British Empire.’