the enraptured congregation saw the gentlemen from London with "vlower on their heeds," and the miraculous coachman with his silver wig, take their places in that pew so soon as his horses were put up at the Clavering Arms.

In the course of the service, Master Francis began to make such a yelling in the pew, that Frederic, the tallest of the footmen, was beckoned by his master, and rose and went and carried out Master Francis, who roared and beat him on the head, so that the powder flew round about, like clouds of incense. Nor was he pacified until placed on the box of the carriage, where he played at horses with John's whip.

"You see the little beggar's never been to church before, Miss Bell,” the baronet drawled out to a young lady who was visiting him; no wonder he should make a row: I don't go in town neither, but I think it 's right in the country to give a good example-and that sort of thing." Miss Bell laughed and said, "The little boy had not given a particularly good example."

"It

Gad, I don't know, and that sort of thing," said the baronet. ain't so bad neither. Whenever he wants a thing, Frank always cwies, and whenever he cwies he gets it."

Here the child in question began to howl for a dish of sweetmeats on the luncheon table, and making a lunge across the table-cloth, upset a glass of wine over the best waistcoat of one of the guests present, Mr. Arthur Pendennis, who was greatly annoyed at being made to look foolish, and at having his spotless cambric shirt front blotched

with wine.

"We do spoil him so," said Lady Clavering to Mrs. Pendennis, fondly gazing at the cherub, whose hands and face were now frothed over with the species of lather which is inserted in the confection called meringues à la crême.

"It is very wrong," said Mrs. Pendennis, as if she had never done such a thing herself as spoil a child.

"Mamma says she spoils my brother, do you think anything could, Miss Bell? Look at him,-isn't he like a little angel?" "Gad I was quite wight," said the baronet.

has got it, you see. Go it, Fwank, old boy."

"He has cwied, and he

"Sir Francis is a very judicious parent," Miss Amory whispered. "Don't you think so, Miss Bell? I sha'n't call you Miss Bell-I shall call you Laura. I admired you so at church. Your robe was not well made, nor your bonnet very fresh. But you have such beautiful grey eyes, and such a lovely tint."

"Thank you," said Miss Bell, laughing.

"Your cousin is handsome, and thinks so. He is uneasy de sa personne. He has not seen the world yet. Has he genius? Has he suffered? A lady, a little woman in a rumpled satin and velvet shoes -a Miss Pybus-came here, and said he has suffered. I, too, have suffered,—and you, Laura, has your heart ever been touched ?"

Laura said "No!" but perhaps blushed a little at the idea or the question, so that the other said,

66

'Ah, Laura! I see it all. It is the beau cousin. thing. I already love you as a sister."

Tell me every

"You are very kind," said Miss Bell, smiling, "and—and it must be owned that it is a very sudden attachment."

It is

"All attachments are so. It is electricity-spontaneity. instantaneous. I knew I should love you from the moment I saw you. Do you not feel it yourself?"

it.

"Not yet," said Laura; "but-I dare say I shall if I try."

66

'My name is Blanche-isn't it a pretty name? Call me by it." "Blanche—it is very pretty, indeed."

“And while mamma talks with that kind-looking lady—what relation is she to you? She must have been pretty once, but is rather passée ; she is not well gantée, but she has a pretty hand—and while mamma talks to her, come with me to my own room,-my own, own room. It's a darling room, though that horrid creature, Captain Strong, did arrange Are you éprise of him? He says you are, but I know better; it is the beau cousin. Yes-il a de beaux yeux. Je n'aime pas les blonds, ordinairement. Car je suis blonde moi-je suis Blanche et blonde,”—and she looked at her face and made a moue in the glass; and never stopped for Laura's answer to the questions which she had put. Blanche was fair, and like a sylph. reflections in it. But she had dark eyebrows. lashes, which veiled beautiful brown eyes. that it was a wonder to behold; and such slim little feet, that you would have thought the grass would hardly bend under them. Her lips were of the colour of faint rosebuds, and her voice warbled limpidly over a set of the sweetest little pearly teeth ever seen. She showed them very often, for they were very pretty. She was very good-natured, and a smile not only showed her teeth wonderfully, but likewise exhibited two lovely little pink dimples, that nestled in either cheek.

She had fair hair, with green

She had long black eyeShe had such a slim waist,

She showed Laura her drawings, which the other thought charming. She played her some of her waltzes, with a rapid and brilliant finger, and Laura was still more charmed. And she then read her some poems, in French and English, likewise of her own composition, and which she kept locked in her own book-her own dear little book; it was bound in blue velvet, with a gilt lock, and on it was printed in gold the title of Mes Larmes."

"Mes Larmes!-isn't it a pretty name?" the young lady continued, who was pleased with everything that she did, and did everything very well. Laura owned that it was. She had never seen anything like it before; anything so lovely, so accomplished, so fragile and pretty; warbling so prettily, and tripping about such a pretty room, with such a number of pretty books, pictures, flowers, round about her. The honest and generous country girl forgot even jealousy in her admiration. "Indeed, Blanche," she said, "everything in the room is pretty; and you are the prettiest of all." The other smiled, looked in the glass,

went up and took both of Laura's hands, and kissed them, and sat down to the piano, and shook out a little song, as if she had been a nightingale.

This was the first visit paid by Fairoaks to Clavering Park, in return for Clavering Park's visit to Fairoaks, in reply to Fairoaks's cards left a few days after the arrival of Sir Francis's family. The intimacy between the young ladies sprang up like Jack's Bean-stalk to the skies in a single night. The large footmen were perpetually walking with little rose-coloured-pink notes to Fairoaks; where there was a pretty housemaid in the kitchen, who might possibly tempt those gentlemen to so humble a place. Miss Amory sent music, or Miss Amory sent a new novel, or a picture from the "Journal des Modes," to Laura; or my lady's compliments arrived with flowers and fruit; or Miss Amory begged and prayed Miss Bell to come to dinner; and dear Mrs. Pendennis, if she was strong enough; and Mr. Arthur, if a humdrum party were not too stupid for him; and would send a pony-carriage for Mrs. Pendennis; and would take no denial.

Neither Arthur nor Laura wished to refuse. And Helen, who was, indeed, somewhat ailing, was glad that the two should have their pleasure; and would look at them fondly as they set forth, and ask in her heart that she might not be called away until those two beings whom she loved best in the world should be joined together. As they went out and crossed over the bridge, she remembered summer evenings five-and-twenty years ago, when she, too, had bloomed in her brief prime of love and happiness. It was all over now. The moon was looking from the purpling sky, and the stars glittering there, just as they used in the early, well-remembered evenings. He was lying dead far away, with the billows rolling between them. Good God! how well she remembered the last look of his face as they parted. It looked out at her through the vista of long years, as sad and as clear as then.

So Mr. Pen and Miss Laura found the society at Clavering Park an uncommonly agreeable resort of summer evenings. Blanche vowed that she raffoled of Laura; and, very likely, Mr. Pen was pleased with Blanche. His spirits came back he laughed and rattled till Laura wondered to hear him. It was not the same Pen, yawning, in a shooting-jacket, in the Fairoaks parlour, who appeared alert and brisk, and smiling and well dressed, in Lady Clavering's drawing-room. Sometimes they had music. Laura had a sweet contralto voice, and sang with Blanche, who had had the best continental instruction, and was charmed to be her friend's mistress. Sometimes Mr Pen joined in these concerts, or oftener looked sweet upon Miss Blanche as she sang. Sometimes they had glees, when Captain Strong's chest was of vast service, and he boomed out in a prodigious bass, of which he was not a little proud.

"Good fellow, Strong-ain't he, Miss Bell?" Sir Francis would say to her. Plays at écarté with Lady Clavering-plays anything, pitch and toss, pianoforty, cwibbage if you like. How long do you think he 's