A Shakespearian Heroine.

So matters went on ; till Portia ' s impartiality began to pall on both parents and suitors , and something definite was urgently called for . Browne spoke very seriously to his daughter , and stated the case from his point of view with much eloquence . He did not indeed command her to marry Fayrer ; but he went exceedingly near it . Portia seems to

have remained quite firm . She loved both her parents too much to obey either of them . Hartley related to me what had passed . " It ' s her Mother ' s doing ; all her Mother ' s doing ! " he said , bitterly , walking agitatedly up and down . " What's a

father ' s opinion ? A father's influence ? Who ' s a father ? Nobody ! All my life I have struggled that my child should be left free to develop a strong character ; and always , from her tenderest years , her Mother has thwarted my endeavours ; with the result that now she ' s as weak as water . She'll

marry this baronet—this obese loafer—she 11 do all her Hother wants—she'll make me and herself miserable for life . Our happiness is ruined ! And Fayrer ! A man like Fayrer sacrificed for a title ! A mother can stultify and counteract the wisest father ' s care ? If Prospero had had a wife no doubt Miranda would have married Caliban ; that is what is

happening here ! " I tried to point out that in cases where fathers were unfortunately cut off in their prime , mothers might have a certain use as guardians of young girls . But lie would not even admit this . Even a dead father , he contended , was

better than anyone else ; and he instanced the case of the Merchant of Venice , where Portia ' s father left three caskets to carry on his authority on the most important question the girl would have to decide . " And you know , if I were dead , my Portia would have

the same advantage , " said Hartley . " I have made similar arrangements , and Portia has promised me she will act just as the real Portia did . But I am alive , and so of course all that is useless ! " said the unhappy father . "And I am to have Sir Joseph Pechell for a son-in-law ! I would rather see my

daughter dead . " It must have been a few days after this interview that I happened to be rowing down the river that runs at the foot of the Belmont slopes , and that I observed near the Belmont bathing-place one or two brown-paper parcels sheltered in a hedge . I took no particular notice , supposing some of the Brownes had left towels in this careless manner .

Next clay , however , a tragedy revealed itself . Hartley Browne could not be found . He had gone clown , as he often did , to bathe , but he had not returned . All his clothes had been found in the little bathing-hut , but no trace whatever of Hartley . He was a good swimmer ; but the river was in Rood , and had he been seized with cramp he might easily

have been drowned among the rocks and falls . The evidence pointed to one possible fate only ; on dry land a man clad solely in a bathing costume could not possibly escape detection . The river was dragged ; but nothing was found ; it was assumed that the body , entangled among weeds under

the rocks , lay in the river out of reach . This catastrophe cast a gloom over us for several weeks . I confess I felt a less settled gloom than my neighbours , because I used to ask myself—what did those brown-paper parcels mean ? And I could not answer the question to my satisfaction .

" I suppose Sir Joseph will have it all his own way now , I remarked one day to young Huggins , the captain of our golf-club , when it was felt to be no longer indecent to discuss the bereaved daughter ' s love-affairs . " Sir Joseph ? Why , don't you know ? " said young Huggins gloomily . " Old Browne left a paper—a sort of

will . Portia is to be raffled for . " " Raffled for ! " I exclaimed , horror struck . " Yes , Merchant of Venice , you know . There are to be three caskets—her photograph is in one—anybody may try to get her by choosing the right one . "

" But they will have to swear never to propose to anyone else , " I ejaculated . " Yes , but what does that matter ? English law would never uphold such an oath . We aren't in Venice , " said the

youthful Huggins . " I call it disgustin' . Any sweep may marry Portia . I tell her it ' s disgraceful , but she only sobs about her dear father , and says if he decided it he was undoubtedly right . " "' The lottery he hath devised will no doubt never be chosen by any rightly but one whom you shall rightly love , ' "

I quoted from the play . " Bunkum , " said young Huggins rudely . There was something dangerous in his eye . He looked perfectly demoniacal . " It seems Fayrer and Pechell put in their claims to a guess the moment they heard of it . "

" Why don't you put in a claim just to save her ? " I asked indignantly . " I have ! But they will get first chance ! It ' ssickenin ' . "

I thought this particularly chivalrous on the part of young Huggins . It was obvious that if both Fayrer and Pechell drew blanks , a real sweep might , as Huggins had pointed out , walk off with Portia . It was indeed monstrous , and no wonder he forgot all about Miss Jones , whom some of us thought he rather fancied , under such stress of friendship .

I went with Huggins next clay to see Portia . I did my best to persuade her not to obey her father ' s will ; but the poor girl was almost out of her mind with distress at the loss of her parent , and seemed to find a real consolation in sacrificing herself to his manes .

" Well , if it's got to be , it ' s got to be , " said young Huggins- . with British doggedness . " But why make the worst of it ? It's a sort of thimble-rigging , and why should the system be different from that adopted on the best race-courses ? Why should the pea be under any of the thimbles ?"

Portia turned pale at the sacrilegious suggestion ; but I felt there was something of the hero in such depth of turpitude . " That would be trifling with my Father's will , " said Portia .

" Penal servitude—no more , I remarked cheerfully . " Such a marriage would be worse than penal servitude , " said young Huggins . " The police ought to interfere . " Portia then said she had letters to write , and wouldn't we walk in the garden , and young Huggins begged her pardon ,, and I carried the young bungler off forthwith , to avoid

further argument . " Can't you see the girl's mind is made up ! " I said to him . " It's a determined case of suttee . They get lots of them in India . The British authorities tie them up , but they rush out , and refuse to be satisfied till they ' re burnt to a

cinder . It ' s a remarkable female instinct . They think a lot more about pleasing us when we ' re dead . " But later , finding Portia alone , I spoke to her like an uncle , and tried to show her what a serious risk she was running .

She burst into tears . It was the only time I ever saw Portia weep . " He wished it ! " she sobbed . " How could I ever feel happy if I had neglected his last great wish ? Can't you see this is my one chance of escape ? But for the caskets I would

marry Mr . Fayrer ! Because he wished it so ! But if the caskets decide against him , that will still be Father ! Father thought , as the people in the Merchant of Venice did , that a Higher Power ' would guide the unconscious hand . And why not ? Why not believe in Providence ? Father trusted ,, and so do I !"

I gave up the task in despair . We had the raffle next day . Portia wanted to get it over . Of course , not more than one competitor at a time was allowed to enter the fateful room . Mrs . Browne , indeed , would take no denial , and insisted on being present . Objectionable as the whole thing was , she said , secrecy would only make it worse , and she

invited me to witness the scene . Portia gave a mute assent , and we entered the room where the caskets stood on a table , covered by a piece of brocade . The girl moved unflinchingly up to the table , and removed the cover . There they stood—three wooden caskets ; one of dark rosewood , one of brown mahogany ,, one of light oak . Hartley Browne evidently had not cared