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and I was going to ask you, Mr. Baines, if you would kindly see Betsy about him, and if it should turn out that he is so, enough to be sent to the Asylum, something could be done about it.'

'I don't want him to be sent there,' said Rosamond; 'he makes himself so useful in sitting to be sketched. Don't you recollect,' - and again she turned to Mr. Baines-'that day when I was drawing him, as he stretched himself on the bank by the churchyard? It was the day of the terrific thunder-shower, and when you lent me your umbrella.'

Mr. Baines recollected it perfectly: it was not likely, he said, that he should forget it; and he was rejoiced to find Miss Cameron's memory so good.

Rosamond looked quite unconscious, and begged Mrs. Patty to take a little marmalade.

'None, thank you, my dear. But I think, Mrs. Cameron, you have a vote for the Idiot Asylum.'

'I had last year - Mr. Cameron had, at least; but I am not sure now - it involved so much trouble; everyone was writing and begging for it. I know we talked of giving it up.'

'That would be a pity,' said Rosamond; if I can't spare my pet idiot, there will be many others to take his place.'

'It must be that same boy whom Mr. Brownlow has put into the drawing he offers us for a prize,' said Annette; 'he told me he had sketched the figure from nature.'

'Are you drawing for a prize, my dear?' asked Mrs. Cameron; 'I never heard of that before.' Annette slightly blushed. 'Not a prize, mamma,

exactly; but Mr. Brownlow said that if either Juliet or I could do another drawing as good as my last, his copy should be a reward.'

'I think everyone has finished tea, mamma,' said Rosamond, abruptly, and half rising. 'Shall we go to the drawing-room?'

There was a general move, and in passing out of the room, Rosamond whispered to Annette: 'What a silly, little, conceited thing you are! Why could you not let the drawing alone?'

Annette looked disconcerted, and just then Juliet also came up to her, and said, 'You need not reckon upon Mr. Brownlow's drawing, if you are to do another of your own like the last, seeing that was more than half Rosamond's work.'

6.

'Nonsense!' exclaimed Rosamond; there were not more than half-a-dozen strokes of mine.' Juliet held up her hands in astonishment.

'My love, you know nothing about it,' continued Rosamond. 'You have been waiting upon Myra, and have never seen me touch the drawing, except that one day when I showed Annette where she was wrong in the shading. You should not be envious, Juliet.'

Juliet's face flushed crimson, and she ran upstairs. Rosamond entered the drawing-room with that indescribable air of subdued virtue which naturally accompanies the consciousness of giving merited reproof.

A little more conversation about the drawing went on, but all of a very safe kind. Mr. Brownlow's picture and Annette's copy were brought forward and compared, and Mr. Baines and Mrs. Patty admired, and did not venture to criticise. Annette was pronounced a most promising artist, and in the eagerness of excitement at the praise she was receiving, engaged some day to do a drawing for Mr. Baines. Rosamond kept at first in the background, only now and then putting in a little remark, which showed how much more she knew about drawing than anyone else; but it was curious to see how by degrees she brought round attention to herself. At length her own portfolio was produced, and her little scraps, as she called them - the trifles which she had just thrown off on the spur of the moment, which really were not worth looking at - were turned over. And as Mrs. Patty did not care much about them, and was anxious to talk to Mrs. Cameron about the Idiot Asylum, it was, of course, quite natural and right that Rosamond should be polite to Mr. Baines, and give him all the explanations which were necessary to enable him to understand the little scraps. Mr. Baines was remarkably interested by them, and hinted, at last, that it would be such a great favour -one he could scarcely venture to suggest-but if, some day, Miss Cameron would give him an outline -he asked nothing more-a mere outline of the village street, with the curate's lodging, - it would be such a valuable reminiscence-invaluable indeed.

Rosamond's answer was cold: 'her time was much occupied-she never liked to promise; but, no doubt, Annette would try the sketch for him.' Poor Mr. Baines! It was very cruel upon him; he was really a very shy and modest man, and it was evident he had been guilty of a misdemeanour. He murmured something not quite intelligible about pleasure, and hope, and forgiveness, and was interrupted in the middle by Mrs. Patty.

'Mr. Baines, I must wish you good evening, for the gardener is waiting to go home with me, and the Doctor will want a little looking after before he goes to bed.'

The curate, in his eagerness to escape from his position at the table, stumbled over a footstool, and nearly fell at Mrs. Patty's feet. 'Oh! but, indeed, Mrs. Patty, I can't let you walk home alone. I was just thinking that I ought to be going, and I shall be so happy if you will let me take charge of you.' He glanced at Rosamond, but she was busy tying up her portfolio.

'We meet on Tuesday at Colonel Verney's, I suppose?' said Mrs. Cameron.

'Yes, I hope to have that pleasure;' and there was ancther glance at Rosamond. 'I conclude, of course, you all dine there?'

'Mamma, I should prefer going in the evening, if I go at all, observed Rosamond, indifferently. 'Dear Mrs. Patty, may I fetch your cloak and bonnet?'

'They are in the hall, my dear; I will go and put them on there; and Mr. Baines can join me, if he will be so civil to an old woman.'

'Good night, Mr. Baines;' Rosamond held out her hand very coldly. The poor curate scarcely dared to take it. If he might only have endeavoured to make his peace. But his was such a very small offence he did not quite see why it should have been one;

but then he knew nothing about ladies. He only felt they were made of wax, and were liable to be broken at a touch; so he tried to say, 'Good night,' just in Rosamond's tone - and hoped he had succeeded. But if he had watched Rosamond's smile, as she followed Mrs. Patty to the hall, he might have discovered that he had failed.

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