Attempt > Volume 3

THE ATTEMPT. 61
ately is no bar to jealousy when rivals really appear. Maurice Bryiie soon makes
a wonderful impression on the enthusiastic hero-loving Kate,—on her imagination,
not her heart; and then a third candidate appears, a young London equery, all smiles
and fascinations, but with no serious intentions, who brings out the flirting propen¬
sities of the young lady, hitherto undeveloped, so that a decided complication is the
result. Maurice, with a fierce determination to win Mrs Darrock, who persists in
her resolve to reject a man who has no religious feeling, shows attention to Kate,
who is charmed to receive his homage, and rather neglects Roydon. There is small
blame to her for this, in our opinion, as she is bound to him by no promise, and he does
not try to win her, although there is no reason whatever to prevent him. In fact, he
virtually waits for her to propose to him, which, indeed, she, goaded by his ridiculous
manner, almost does, and they become engaged ; and we can only say, that we wonder at
her taste. We are constantly told that he is perfect, and was worthy of any woman's
afiection, and yet, with the exception of his Quixotic resolve not to bind Kate till she saw
some one she might like better, he scarcely does a single thing to merit our admiration.
He is not particularly well-bred, and often is positively rude, and his conduct at
the end is utterly incomprehensible. He is summoned to his xmcle's house, after
taking a most affectionate farewell of Kate, and on his arrival there, finds the old
man has married again, depriving him of his likelihood of succession, and taking ad¬
vantage of the absence of his daughters, the Mrs Darrock before mentioned, and her
pretty charming sister, Georgie Fleming. He certainly bears his disappointment
very well, and sets himself to consider what he will do in the future, with the pro¬
spect of a wife to support.
In the meantime, Maurice Bryne leaves the Pethertons one evening after
a thrilling interview with Mrs Darrock, who resigns him for ever, and is moodily
walking along to the station when he meets Kate, who, being a veritable child
of nature, had gone out for a stroll in the moonlight, and asks her to walk with
him to the station. On reaching it, they find the train already arrived, and
in a thoughtless moment they enter a first-class carriage to wait for the time of
starting, keeping the door open that Kate may alight when necessary. Most un¬
fortunately the guard is to quick for them, locks the door, and the ti-ain, an express
one, is off in a moment. Maurice at once realijses the position, and is overwhelmed
by it; but Kate, with very little knowledge of the world, and no notion that she
will not be able to get out at the next station, only troubles herself with the thought
that her parents will be wondering what is keeping her, and impatiently looks out for
the moment of her release. At last, her companion tells her the truth, that they will