'That is the best, my dear Lady Laura. Yes, of course she may come to you, whenever you may please to be troubled with her.'

Then I please to be troubled with her immediately. I should like to carry her away with me this afternoon, if it were possible; but I suppose that can't be there will be a trunk to be packed, and so When will you come to me, Miss Lovel? Do you know, I am strongly tempted to call you Clarissa ?'

on.

I should like it so much better,' the girl answered, blushing. What! may I? Then I'm sure I will. It's such a pretty name, reminding one of that old novel of Richardson's, which everybody quotes and no one ever seems to have read. When will you come, Clarissa ?'

'Give her a week,' said her father; 'she'll want a new whitemuslin gown, I daresay: young women always do when they are going visiting.'

Now, pray don't let her trouble herself about anything of that kind; my maid shall see to all that sort of thing. We will make her look her best, depend upon it. I mean this visit to be a great event in her life, Mr. Lovel, if possible.'

'Don't let there be any fuss or trouble about her. Every one knows that I am poor, and that she will be penniless when I am gone. Let her wear her white-muslin gown, and give her a corner to sit in. People may take her for one of your children's governesses, if they choose; but if she is to see society, I am glad for her to see the best.'

6

People shall not take her for one of my governesses; they shall take her for nothing less than Miss Lovel of Arden. Yes, of Arden, my dear sir; don't frown, I entreat you. The glory of an old house like that clings to those who bear the old name, even though lands and house are gone-Miss Lovel, of Arden. By the way, how do you get on with your neighbour, Mr. Granger?'

I do not get on with him at all. He used to call upon me now and then, but I suppose he fancied, or saw somehow or otherthough I am sure I was laboriously civil to him—that I did not care much for his visits; at any rate, he dropped them. But he is still rather obtrusively polite in sending me game and hot-house fruit and flowers at odd times, in return for which favours I can send him nothing but a note of thanks-"Mr. Lovel presents his compliments to Mr. Granger, and begs to acknowledge, with best thanks, &c."the usual formula.'

I am so sorry you have not permitted him to know you,' replied Lady Laura. 'We saw a good deal of him last year—such a charming man! what one may really call a typical man—the sort of person the French describe as solid-carré par le base-a perfect block of granite; and then, so enormously rich!'

Lady Laura glanced at Clarissa, as if she were inspired with some sudden idea. She was subject to a sudden influx of ideas, and always fancied her ideas inspirations. She looked at Clarissa, and

repeated, with a meditative air, So enormously rich!'

6

'There is a grown-up daughter, too,' said Mr. Lovel; rather a stiff-looking young person. I suppose she is solid too.'

'She is not so charming as her father,' replied Lady Laura, with whom that favourite adjective served for everything in the way of praise. To her the Pyramids and Niagara, a tropical thunderstorm, a mazourka by Chopin, and a Parisian bonnet, were all alike charming. I suppose solidity isn't so nice in a girl,' she went on, laughing; 'but certainly Sophia Granger is not such a favourite with me as her father is. I suppose she will make a brilliant marriage, however, sooner or later, unattractive as she may be; for she'll have a superb fortune,-unless, indeed, her father should take it into his head to marry again.'

Scarcely likely that, I should think, after seventeen years of widowhood. Why, Granger must be at least fifty.'

'My dear Mr. Lovel, I hope you are not going to call that a great age.'

My dear Lady Laura, am I likely to do so, when my own fiftieth birthday is an event of the past? But I shouldn't suppose Granger to be a marrying man,' he added meditatively; such an idea has never occurred to me in conjunction with him.' And here he glanced ever so slightly at his daughter: That sort of granite man must take a great deal of thawing.'

'There are suns that will melt the deepest snows,' answered the lady, laughing. Seriously, I am sorry you will not suffer him to know you. But I must run away this instant; my unfortunate ponies will be wondering what has become of me. You see this dear girl and I have got on so well together, that I have been quite unconscious of time; and I had ever so many more calls to make, but those must be put off to another day. Let me see; this is Tuesday. I shall send a carriage for you this day week, Clarissa, soon after breakfast, so that I may have you with me at luncheon. Good-bye.'

Lady Laura kissed her new protégée at parting. She was really fond of everything young and bright and pretty; and having come to Mr. Lovel's house intending to perform a social duty, was delighted to find that the duty was so easy and pleasant to her. She was always pleased with new acquaintances, and was apt to give her friendship on the smallest provocation. On the other hand, there came a time when she grew just a little weary of these dear sweet friends, and began to find them less charming than of old; but she was never uncivil to them; they always remained on her list, and received stray gleams from the sunlight of her patronage.

'Well?' said Mr. Lovel interrogatively, when the mistress of Hale

Castle had driven off, in the lightest and daintiest of phaetons, with a model groom and a pair of chestnut cobs, which seemed perfection, even in Yorkshire, where every man is a connoisseur in horseflesh. 'Well, child, I told you that you might go into society if Lady Laura Armstrong took you up, but I scarcely expected her to be as cordial as she has been to-day. Nothing could have been better than the result of her visit; she seemed quite taken with you, Clary.'

It was almost the first time her father had ever called her Clary. It was only a small endearment, but she blushed and sparkled into smiles at the welcome sound. He saw the smile and blush, but only thought she was delighted with the idea of this visit to the Castle. He had no notion that the placid state of indifference which he maintained towards her was otherwise than agreeable to her feelings. He was perfectly civil to her, and he never interfered with her pursuits or inclinations. What more could she want from a father?

Perhaps she assumed a new value in his eyes from the time of that visit of Lady Laura's. He was certainly kinder to her than usual, the girl thought, as they sat on the lawn in the balmy June evening, sipping their after-dinner coffee, while the moon rose fair and pale above the woods of Arden Court. He contemplated her with a meditative air now and then, when she was not looking his way. He had always known that she was beautiful, but her beauty had acquired a new emphasis from Lady Laura Armstrong's praises. A woman of the world of that class was not likely to be deceived, or to mistake the kind of beauty likely to influence mankind; and in the dim recesses of his mind there grew up a new hope-very vague and shadowy; he despised himself for dwelling upon it so weakly a hope that made him kinder to his daughter than he had ever been yet—a hope which rendered her precious to him all at Not that he loved her any better than of old; it was only that he saw how, if fortune favoured him, this girl might render him the greatest service that could be done for him by any human creature.

once.

back the heritage he Mr. Lovel was quite This Granger might

She might marry Daniel Granger, and win had lost. It was a foolish thought, of course; aware of the supremity of folly involved in it. be the last man in the world to fall in love with a girl younger than his daughter; he might be as impervious to beauty as the granite to which Laura Armstrong had likened him. It was a foolish fancy, a vain hope; but it served to brighten the meditations of Marmaduke Lovel-who had really very few pleasant subjects to think aboutwith a faint rosy glow.

It is the idlest dream,' he said to himself. • When did good luck ever come my way? But O, to hold Arden Court again-by any tie-to die knowing that my race would inherit the old gray walls!'