"But I tell you it isn't! We knew him when we were abroad; and we know what he is; and we know his mother very well. When we were in England, we were a week with them down at their beautiful place in -shire-the loveliest time! You see, she was over here with Mr Carleton once before, a good while ago; and mamma and papa were polite to them, and so they shewed us a great deal of attention when we were in England. We had the loveliest time down there you can possibly conceive. And, my dear Fleda, he wears such a fur cloak!-lined with the most exquisite black fox."

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But, Constance !" said Fleda, a little vexed, though laughing-" any man may wear a fur cloak; the thing is, what is inside of it."

"It is perfectly indifferent to me what is inside of it," said Constance, ecstatically. "I can see nothing but the edges of the black fox, especially when it is worn so very gracefully.

"But, in some cases, there might be a white fox within." "There is nothing of the fox about Mr Carleton," said Constance, impatiently. "If it had been anybody else I should have said he was a bear two or three times; but he wears everything as he does his cloak, and makes you take what he pleases from him-what I wouldn't take from anybody else, I know."

"With a fox lining," said Fleda, laughing.

"Then foxes haven't got their true character, that's all. Now, I'll just tell you an instance-it was at a party somewhere-it was at that tiresome Mrs Swinburne's, where the evenings are always so stupid, and there was nothing worth going or staying for but the supper-EXCEPT Mr Carletonand he never stays five minutes, except at two or three places; and it drives me crazy, because they are places I don't go to very often ".

"Suppose you keep your wits, and tell me your story."

"Well-don't interrupt me-he was there, and he had taken me into the supper-room, when mamma came along, and took it into her head to tell me not to take something-I forget what-punch, I believe-because I had not been well in the morning. Now, you know, it was absurd. I was perfectly well then, and I told her I shouldn't mind her; but do you believe Mr Carleton wouldn't give it to me?-absolutely told me he wouldn't, and told me why, as coolly as possible, and gave me a glass of water, and made me drink it; and if it had

been anybody else, I do assure you I would have flung it in his face, and never spoken to him again; and I have been in love with him ever since. Now, is that tea going to be ready?"

Presently. How long have you been here ?"

"Oh, a day or two-and it has poured with rain every single day since we came, till this one; and just think," said Constance, with a ludicrously scared face-"I must make haste, and be back again. You see, I came away on principle, that I may strike with the effect of novelty when I appear again; but if I stay too long, you know-there is a point".

"On the principle of the ice-boats," said Fleda, "that back a little to give a better blow to the ice, where they find it tough ?"

"Tough!" said Constance.

"Does Florence like this paragon of yours as well as you do?"

"I don't know-she don't talk so much about him, but that proves nothing; she's too happy to talk to him.—I expect our family concord will be shattered by and by," said Constance, shaking her head.

"You seem to take the prospect philosophically," said Fleda, looking amused. "How long are you going to stay at the Pool?" Constance gave an expressive shrug, intimating that the deciding of that question did not rest with hor.

"That is to say, you are here to watch the transit of this star over the meridian of Queechy?"

"Of Queechy!-of Montepoole."

"Very well-of Montepoole. I don't wonder that nature is exhausted. I will go and see after this refection."

The prettiest little meal in the world was presently set forth for the two. Fleda knew her aunt would not come down, and Hugh was yet at the mill; so she led her visitor into the breakfast-room alone-Constance, by the way, again fondly embracing her, and repeating, "My dear little Fleda, how glad I am to see you!"

The lady was apparently hungry, for there was a minute of silence while the refection begun, and then Constance exclaimed, perhaps with a sudden appreciation of the delicious bread and butter, and cream and strawberries—

"What a lovely old room this is-and what lovely times you have here, don't you, Fleda ?”

"Yes-sometimes," Fleda said, with a sigh.

"But I shall tell mamma you are growing thin, and the first minute we get home I shall send for you to come to us. Mrs Thorn will be amazingly glad to see you."

"Has she got back from Europe?" said Fleda. Ages!-and she's

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been entertaining the world as hard as she could ever since. I have no doubt Lewis has confided to the maternal bosom all his distresses; and there never was any thing like the rush that I expect will be made to our greenhouse next winter. Oh, Fleda, you should see Mr Carleton's greenhouses!"

"Should I?" said Fleda.

"Dear me! I hope mamma will come!" said Constance, with a comical fidgety shake of herself; "when I think of those greenhouses I lose my self-command. And the park !— Fleda, it's the loveliest thing you ever saw in your life; and it's all that delightful man's doing; only he won't have a geometric flower-garden, as I did everything I could think of to persuade him. I pity the woman that will be his wife-she won't have her own way in a single thing; but then he will fascinate her into thinking that his way is the best-so it will do just as well, I suppose. Do you know I can't conceive what he has come over here for. He has been here before, you know, and he don't seem to me to know exactly what he means to do; at least I can't find out, and I have tried."

"How long has he been here ?"

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Oh, a month or two-since the beginning of April, I believe. He came over with some friends of his-a Sir George Egerton and his family; he is going to Canada, to be established in some post there, I forget what; and they are spending part of the summer here before they fix themselves at the North. It is easy to see what they are here for-they are strangers, and amusing themselves; but Mr Carleton is at home, and not amusing himself, at least he don't seem to be. He goes about with the Egertons, but that is just for his friendship for them; and he puzzles me. He don't know whether he is going to Niagara-he has been once already-and 'perhaps' he may go to Canada-and 'possibly' he will make a journey to the West -and I can't find out that he wants anything in particular."

"Perhaps he don't mean that you shall," said Fleda.

Perhaps he don't; but you see that aggravates my state of

mind to a distressing degree. And then I'm afraid he will go somewhere where I can't keep watch of him!"

Fleda could not help laughing.

“Perhaps he was tired of home, and came for mere weari

ness."

“Weariness! it's my opinion he has no idea there is such a word in the language-I am certain, if he heard it, he would call for a dictionary the next minute. Why, at Carleton, it seems to me he was half the time on horseback, flying about from one end of the country to the other; and, when he is in the house, he is always at work at something; it's a piece of condescension to get him to attend to you at all; only when he does, my dear Fleda! he is so enchanting that you live in a state of delight till next time. And yet, I never could get him to pay me a compliment to this minute—I tried two or three times, and he rewarded me with some very rude speeches.”

"Rude!" said Fleda.

“Yes—that is, they were the most graceful and fascinating things possible, but they would have been rudeness in anybody else. Where is mamma!" said Constance, with another comic counterfeit of distress. "My dear Fleda, it's the most captivating thing to breakfast at Carleton !".

"I have no idea the bread and butter is sweeter there than in some other parts of the world," said Fleda.

"I don't know about the bread and butter," said Constance, "but those exquisite little sugar-dishes! My dear Fleda, every one has his own sugar-dish and cream-ewer—the loveliest little things!"

"I have heard of such things before,” said Fleda.

"I don't care about the bread and butter,” said Constance -"eating is immaterial, with those perfect little things right opposite to me. They weren't like any you ever saw, Fleda— the sugar-bowl was just a little plain oval box, with the lid on a hinge, and not a bit of chasing, only the arms on the coverlike nothing I ever saw but an old-fashioned silver tea-caddy; and the cream-jug, a little straight up-and-down thing to match. Mamma said they were clumsy, but they bewitched me!"

"I think everything bewitched you," said Fleda, smiling. "Can't your head stand a sugar-dish and milk-cup?"

"My dear Fleda, I never had your superiority to the ordinary weaknesses of human nature-I can stand one sugar

bowl, but I confess myself overcome by a dozen. How we have all wanted to see you, Fleda! and papa-you have captivated papa and he says"

"Never mind-don't tell me what he says," said Fleda.

"There!-that's your modesty that everybody raves aboutI wish I could catch it. Fleda, where did you get that little Bible?-while I was waiting for you I tried to soothe my restless anticipations with examining all the things in all the rooms-where did you get it?”

"It was given me a long while ago," said Fleda.

"But it is real gold on the outside-the clasps and all-do you know it? it is not washed."

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"I know it," said Fleda, smiling; "and it is better than gold inside."

"Wasn't that mamma's favourite, Mr Olmney, that parted from you at the gate?" said Constance, after a minute's silence.

"Yes."

"Is he a favourite of yours too?"

"You must define what you mean by a favourite," said Fleda, gravely.

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Well, how do you like him?"

"I believe everybody likes him," said Fleda, colouring, and vexed at herself that she could not help it. The bright eyes opposite her took note of the fact with a sufficiently wideawake glance.

"He's very good!" said Constance, hugging herself, and taking a fresh supply of butter-"but don't let him know I have been to see you, or he'll tell you all sorts of evil things about me, for fear you should innocently be contaminated. Don't you like to be taken care of?"

"Very much," said Fleda, smiling, "by people that know how."

"I can't bear it!" said Constance, apparently with great sincerity "I think it is the most impertinent thing in the world people can do-I can't endure it, except from !- Oh, my dear Fleda, it is perfect luxury to have him put a shawl round your shoulders!"

"Fleda," said Earl Douglass, putting his head in from the kitchen, and before he said any more, bobbing it frankly at Miss Evelyn, half in acknowledgment of her presence, and half, as it seemed, in apology for his own-" will you let Barby