moment, it did not appear that he had excited her anger by his behaviour, for she turned to Henry, and in a calm voice said, "Claude Hastings is not like you, Henry Bruce."

"Not at all," he said, smiling; "no two people could be so different; but Claude is worth two hundred of such as me."

"I did not say so, Henry Bruce; but this must not be. Letitia Williams, desire Mr. Claude Hastings to return immediately, on pain of my displeasure."

Letitia left the room, and almost immediately returned with Claude Hastings, who sat down again in the chair to which his aunt had first directed him but Miss Grant was conquered, and she felt it; though he looked at her with kindness, almost with affection, there was no trace of yielding or submission in his manner, and she was forced to acquiesce in his victory with the best grace she could.

"For once, Claude Hastings, I forgive you ; you shall keep your reasons private if you desire to do so; but I would have you understand, young man, that I am not accustomed to request in vain: those who live under my roof must learn that they are to submit."

She paused, and fixed her eyes upon him. "I hope I shall not find it very difficult," he said, with a slight playful smile.

"It is enough, it is enough; let us waive the subject. Henry Bruce, you have not yet welcomed your cousin. Let me see you shake hands, young gentlemen. Letitia Williams, this is Mr. Claude Hastings-curtsy, child, curtsy. And now," she continued, as she sank back, "leave me, young men, till dinner time. I am exhausted, I must repose. Henry Bruce, conduct Claude Hastings to his

room."

CHAPTER XI.

One fatal remembrance-one sorrow that throws
Its bleak shade alike o'er our joys and our woes,
Which to life nothing darker or brighter can bring,
For which joy has no balm, and affliction no sting.
MOORE.

......Free from Passion's lawless sway,

A loftier being brings severer cares.

R. M. MILNES.

"Well, young ladies, so we have got another beau," said Mrs. James, to the Miss Woodviles, who were calling upon her the day after Claude Hastings's arrival. “I declare we are growing quite gay; I should not wonder if we get up a dance by the time Rose Maria is seventeen."

"Is Mr. Hastings come?" inquired Sara.

"Come! La! Miss Woodvile, didn't you know that? We heard it last night, about nine o'clock; James was rather dry and fan

cied a saline draught, and we had no lemons in the house, so I sent Rebecca out to buy one, at Philipps's, and when she came back, she said, ‘La! ma'am, do you know that Mr. Hastings is come at last?'-so I went to James and said, 'Why, James, you never told me that Mr. Hastings was expected to-day.'

How should I, my dear,' said he, when I never heard it myself?' 'Very strange,' said I, 'when you were up at the Moat this morning.' So I went back to Rebecca, for I thought she must have mistook; but, however, she was quite certain, for she had seen the chaise at the Turk's Head, and just ran to inquire who it belonged to, and they told her that it had just brought Mr. Hastings from the railway station."

"We had not heard that he was expected either," said Margaret.

"Well, I am vastly glad of that, for it was rather slighting to James to be up there all the morning, and never to hear a word about it. However, he went up the first thing this morning, to see Mr. Hastings, and he came back about an hour ago. Well, James,' said

6

I, 'what of Mr. Hastings?' for you know, Miss Woodvile, that we have all been ready to die with curiosity about this young man ; so extraordinary, you know, his neglecting to come in this way-I declare I can't make it out at all. However, we shall all be disappointed, I fancy. James says there is nothing remarkable about him; indeed, to speak the truth, I don't think he seemed to fancy him at all; but it is not fair to judge by one day's visit, and so I told James."

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Why what did Mr. Hastings do?" said Margaret, with some curiosity.

"La! Miss Margaret, he did nothing that I know of; but sometimes one fancies a person and sometimes one don't. Law bless you! he did nothing; don't fancy that, or James will be at me for gossiping; but he seems to be a sort of a nothing-not handsome, James says, and no conversation-very different from the young Captain. I like Captain Bruce vastly, so frank and free-spoken. What do you say, Miss Margaret ?"

"Oh! yes," she said; "I think everybody seems to like Mr. Bruce."