and armour, and crusades, and putting all the poor people's wrongs to rights in a much better way than by horrid acts of parliament and county meetings. And then, ah! then, by one of those mysterious transitions in our mysterious minds, the young girl's thoughts flew to the beautiful mother of long ago, the radiant, queenly mother, the white, fragile mother, with her dying eyes lit with undying love for the little Elinor; the mother that was no longer seen, but still lived somewhere-where, where? The next change of thought to good old Dr. Brown was a natural association of ideas-for he was the mother's friend-and to him she had said, "Watch over my Elinor!" But that story which Dr. Brown had once told, that stupid Sunday-school story, why need it come so obtrusively forward in the thoughts of the young heiress ? It was a simple story: only that a man of great expectations was rapidly detailing to a friend all that he was to do in the future; to build a princely mansion---"and then?" asked the friend; and

then he was to marry a beautiful wife— "and then?" and then he was to go into Parliament-"and then ?" and then be made a peer" and then ?" live to a good old age "and then?" oh, then, die of course"AND THEN?" persevered the troublesome friend, but got no answer.

Lady Elinor was glad to have her gloomy cogitations over her own "thens," interrupted by the entrance of her only brother, Francis Mordaunt, Lord D'Arcy; and a darling brother he was, though somehow he and she always differed upon every subject that could be named between them. Lord D'Arcy's appearance was peculiarly prepossessing, though it had not one positive quality. He was neither tall nor short, handsome nor ugly. It was not his eyes, nor his brow, nor his manners, nor his wit, nor his refinement, nor his talents, that were pronounced upon by those who had been in his company. But everybody called him "a fine fellow;" everybody felt that he made them think better of the world, and of the men that live therein;

he was so cheerful, so cordial, so naïf, so thoroughly in earnest in all that he undertook, were it only mending toys for the children, whom whether of high or low degree, he always attracted around him; he had a generous but a fiery temper, and a firmness bordering on obstinacy, which his father and sister never attempted to gainsay, for well they knew, that what D'Arcy chose to do, D'Arcy always did. One knew much, a few guessed something, but none knew all the stirrings of the deep earnest being within; of the unsolved problem of life, life that is, and life that is to be, which was pressing anxiously upon his heart and mind. D'Arcy had only just returned from a visit to a friend of his in Scotland, Sir John Dunbar, whom he had also accompanied on an excursion into Lancashire.

Lord D'Arcy established himself in a comfortable arm-chair, quite in a mood for a brotherly and sisterly gossip.

"Well, darling Nell," said he, "how did you like Miss North last night?" His sister

would rather not have answered, for in truth she had not made up her mind, so she said very coldly,

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Oh, she seems wonderfully like a lady.”

'I don't see any wonder in it," said D'Arcy with a vexed expression.

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Why, I think her one of the most delightful women I ever met; what can you mean, Elinor?"

"I only mean, that much as we all love dear old Brownie, his people are not likely to be particularly distingués; but, of course, as Miss North is sister-in-law to Sir John Dunbar, she is perfection in your eyes," and a little jealous pang shot through the sister's heart.

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Not quite, nor for that reason, but I did give you credit for sufficiently good taste to appreciate that refined, cultivated woman. She is to be at Woodleigh for two months, and would be a most useful companion for you, Elinor."

Lady Elinor was now perfectly clear in her own mind, that she disliked poor Leslie; held up to her as an example, too, as if she were a school-girl! So she retorted, " Papa

was saying this morning, before you came down, D'Arcy, that he was not at all sure that Sir John Dunbar was a good companion for you, and that your head seemed stuffed with Radical notions."

The young man's expressive face flushed with a look of scorn; however, commanding his temper, he said pleasantly, "Sir John Dunbar of that Ilk, one of the oldest families of old Scotland, ought to meet with some respect from you, Nell, who might be a pursuivant of the Herald office."

"Sir John Dunbar lost caste by making a mésalliance with manufacturers, and becoming a Radical," said the lady haughtily, for she was rapidly getting out of temper.

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"A mésalliance!" said D'Arcy indignantly, "so he did in one sense, for his wife, though a sweet gentle creature, was not one who thoroughly entered into his noble and selfdenying views; but in any other way it is simply absurd to talk of it; why, his wife's family are more truly refined and high-bred than most of your London fine ladies."