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We get no good old-fashioned love-stories from them. It's either a quarrel of discordant natures one a panther, and the other a polar bear for courtship, until one of them is crippled by a railway accident; or a long wrangle of married life between two unpleasant people, who can neither live comfortably together nor apart.
Peg listened again until all was still, then she crept across the room, turned back the carpet and picked up her treasure her marvellous book of "Love-Stories." She took it to the table, made an island of it as was her wont and began to read the precious book concealed by histories and atlases, et cetera. Her little heart beat excitedly.
"When one is young, one does; when one is old, one likes true things. But, of course, my love-stories would be only for those who have outlived love. I ought to be fair with my readers, and forewarn them that my story was not for the young, the hopeful, the happy." The girl jumped to her feet and stood magnificent. "Uncle! It's grand!" He rose, too. "What is?" he faltered. "The idea!
Yet this fear has not always served as a sure guide to Metastasio: besides such an extravagant use of the "aside," as often to appear ludicrous, the subordinate love-stories frequently assume the appearance of being a parody on the others. Here the Abbe, thoroughly acquainted with the various gradations of Cicisbeism, its pains and its pleasures, at once betrays himself.
But at last the man who had called to her in his need, crawled out of the long grass, took her to himself, and they crawled in again man and wife and were seen no more, until they reappeared many years later. Well that true story has given me the idea of a plot, which will, I verily believe, take the world by storm! So original and thrilling! Far beyond any missionary love-stories."
Personalities of this kind were a novelty then, and mere novelty goes a great way in journalism. At this period he produced almost every kind of composition known to periodical literature, paragraphs and leading articles, poetry and love-stories, reports of trials, debates, balls, and police cases; his earnings ranging from five dollars a week to ten or twelve.
"'Don't you be afraid of telling the story, because it's a sentimental one, he said: 'Lor' bless you, I've heard plenty of love-stories. There ain't many bits of business come our way but what, if you sift 'em to the bottom, you find a petticoat.
Three times he tries to rid himself of life: first when he drinks the supposed poison with Isolde; again when he drops his sword in the duel with Melot; the third time he succeeds, when he tears off his bandages at the decisive moment, when no escape is possible but by instant death. Love for its own sake is not a subject for dramatic treatment. Love-stories are the bane of love.
If it is bodily fire and no more, of course the new love will put out the old as the great sun puts out a little smouldering fire; and the majority of so-called love-stories are merely disastrous conflagrations of that sort.
One reads love-stories no, I do not mean romances, but memoirs memoirs of the French and Austrian Courts memoirs, even, written by Englishmen. Men were different a generation ago. Honor was dear to them then, honor and position and wealth, and yet there were many, very many then who were willing to give all these things for the love of a woman.
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