One morning I was sitting rather absently in the library, when he broke in on my meditations. I had a book open in my hands which I had just taken down from one of the shelves, but I must confess I was not very deeply engaged in its perusal, so that his sudden action was the more excusable. He shut it up with a clap, and gave me a sort of rousing seizure round the waist at the same time.

"Come, Nell!" he exclaimed, "look alive there! Some one is coming across the lawn with a clerical step, and a weighty air. There's tidings in the wind -I can tell it by the mere flap of his coat-tails."

"I thought you had only just returned from Mr. Locke," I said. "I wonder you did not join company together on the walk, since he follows you so soon."

"Mr. Locke!" he ejaculated, and broke into a loud, irritating laugh. "Did I say it was he?"

"Who else?" I cried, and tried not to show annoyance in a blush.

"Then he's the only parson in the world-the only one for you, at all events, Nell?"

"You talk such folly," I stammered. "He is the clergyman who comes here oftenest, and the one, therefore, the most likely to be expected. You know that as well as I do, Fred."

"Well, yes," he rejoined, with another provoking glance; "he is most attentive-I admit all that. Still, Nell, you might, by a great stretch of imagination, conjure up somebody else."

"I wish I could, by a slight stretch of authority, get rid of you and your nonsense," I exclaimed. "You are growing a greater tease than ever.”

Certainly a 'greater,'" said Fred, drawing himself to his full height. "I have shot up considerably, and developed correspondingly within the last month or two. Every one notices it."

"I wonder you are not ashamed to draw attention to the fact, considering how extremely childish you are still," was my retort.

"In what way, Nell?"

"In every respect."

"But a child is amenable. I thought you made some complaint of me on that head?"

A loud ring at the hall-door prevented the possibility of reply.

"I told you so !" cried Fred, and inflicted a terrible pinch, by way of bringing me to a sense of his accuracy and acuteness.

I had not contested either, so I revenged myself by a push.

"You had better fly and open the door, since you are so eager!" I exclaimed. "An arrival seems an event to you. I am not so easily excited."

"Yet you are crimson this minute, Nell-yes, positively purple," he reiterated. "I do believe you still

think it is Mr. Locke."

I began to wish my push had been more violent, and had propelled him entirely out of my presence.

However, he disappeared pretty quickly as it was, and I was left a moment of peace.

I stole a furtive glance in the mirror over the mantelpiece, and discovering that my cheeks were by no means in the feverish state that Fred had announced, I prepared myself for an appearance in the drawing-room. Visitors were not very frequent at this early hour, and as he had declared the gentleman was not Mr. Locke, I was just in the slightest measure curious as I turned the handle of the door.

CHAPTER XXI.

MANY-COLOURED LIFE.

"Then gently scan your brother man,

Still gentler, sister woman;

Though they may gang a kennin' wrang,
To step aside is human."

BURNS.

WHEN I entered the drawing-room, my mother was there, also Fred, who was in an attitude, so to speak, and, the instant he saw me, proceeded to an expressive gesture with the back of his hand, as if he would prepare me for the worst. His action, however, failed to impress me very alarmingly now. I saw the desire of teasing behind it, but nothing of graver import. If I were to be worked into a panic every time his look and motions induced it, I should be in a state of ceaseless agitation. Our rector, Mr. Horton, was the visitor on the present occasion, and there was little in his quiet air and well-balanced frame to connect him with exciting intelligence.

At the same time, there was undoubtedly a trace of unwonted eagerness in the manner in which his chair

was drawn close to my mother's, and but for Fred's absurd antics I might have supposed he really had news to impart. His back was turned towards me when I entered, but as I came more into the foreground, he rose and gave me a hearty grasp of the hand. He was one of those gentlemen who incline easily towards so much friendliness, but are not particularly mindful of you in other respects. While he held your hand he was heartiness itself, but with a greeting of the kind, any further attention seemed to be dispensed with, at all events as regarded the claims of young people. He was slightly pompous, and had generally an air of business and authority about him which condescended greatly in bestowing so much notice on minor mortals. For my part, a conversation with him would have been too awful to contemplate, and utterly impossible to compass, so it was with real thankfulness I fell in with his views of politeness, and escaped thus easily from his scrutiny.

To my mother he was plainly disposed to be communicative now, and Fred was listening with all his ears.

"You must excuse an early call, my dear Mrs. Wynham," he began. "But I have an engagement for the afternoon, and I was anxious to be the first to convey the present intelligence to you."

At these words Fred, who had crept close to me unseen, gave me such a pinch on the arm that I almost screamed. My mother glanced over at him, and he drew himself up grave as a judge. The rector was,