North and South

d married

Margaret, ge

by every one, except Margaret, for her prettiness; but Margaret had never thought about it until the last few days, when the prospect of soon losing her companion seemed to give force to every sweet quality and charm which Edith possessed. They had been talking about wedding dresses, and wedding ceremonies; and Captain Lennox, and what he had told Edith about her future life at Corfu, where his regiment was stationed; and the difficulty of keeping a piano in good tune (a difficulty which Edith se

ve or six ladies who had been dining there, and whose husbands were still in the dining-room. They were the familiar acquaintances of the house; neighbours whom Mrs. Shaw called friends, because she happened to dine with them more frequently than with any other people, and because if she or Edith wanted anything from them, or they from her, they did not scruple to make a call at each other's houses before luncheon. These ladies and their husbands were invited, in their capacity of friends, to eat a farewell dinner in honour of Edith's approaching marriage. Edith had rather objected to this arrangement, for Captain Lennox was expected to arrive by a late train this very evening; but, although she was a spoiled child, she was too careless and idle to have a

elow the expectations which many of Edith's acquaintances had formed for her, a young and pretty heiress. But Mrs. Shaw said that her only child should marry for love - and sighed emphatically, as if love had not been her motive for marrying the General. Mrs. Shaw enjoyed the romance of the present engagement rather more than her daughter. Not but that Edith was very thoroughly and properly in love; still she would certainly have preferred a good house in Belgravia, to all the picturesqueness of the life which Captain Lennox described at Corfu. The very parts which made Margaret glow as she listened, Edith pretended to shiver and shudder at; partly for the pleasure she had in being coaxed out of her di

in her trousseau,' were th

wls and scarfs the General gave to me

Mrs. Gibson, a lady who was taking a double interest in the conversation, from

t price was asked, I was obliged to refuse her. She will be quite envious when she hears

her half-recumbent position, and were looking into the more dimly lighted back drawing-room. 'Edi

Aunt Shaw. Is it a

ng intelligence about Edith; and the minute lap-dog in Mrs. S

stress. It was only to ask Edith if she would tell Newton to

collected the first tea up there - separate from her father and aunt, who were dining somewhere down below an infinite depth of stairs; for unless she were up in the sky (the child thought), they must be deep down in the bowels of the earth. At home - before she came to live in Harley Street - her mother's dressing-room had been her nursery; and, as they kept early hours in the country parsonage, Margaret had always had her meals with her father and mother. Oh! well did the tall stately girl of eighteen remember the tears shed with such wild passion of grief by the little girl of nine, as she hid her face under the bed-clothes, in that first night; and how she was bidden not to cry by the

ismantled place; and she looked all round, with a kind of cat-

hink we shall all be sorry

ight here is so bad that I can't see to mend laces except just at the window, wh

mth at Naples. You must keep as much of your darning as you can

elier, quite silent and passive, while her aunt adjusted the draperies. Occasionally, as she was turned round, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the chimney-piece, and smiled at her own appearance there-the familiar features in the usual garb of a princess. She touched the shawls gently as they hung around her, and took a pleasure in their soft feel and their brilliant colours, and rather liked to be dressed in such splendour - enjoying it much as a child would do,

r slightly-ruffled curls, and altogether looking like the Sleeping Beauty just startled from her dreams. Even in her slumber she had instinctively felt that a Lennox was worth rousing herself for; and she had a multitude of questions to ask about dear Janet, the future, unseen sister-inlaw, for whom she professed so much affection, that if Margaret had not been very proud she might have almost felt jealous of the mushroom rival. As Margaret sank rather more into the background on her aunt's joining the conversation, she saw Henry Lennox directing his look towards a vacant sea

, I mean. Very different to my business, which is the real true law busin

l so occupied in admiring finery. But really Indi

ct, too. Nothing wanting.' The gentlemen came dropping

party, is it not? There ar

st, that kind of rest when the hands have nothing more to do, and all the arrangements are complete for an ev

ill. Whenever I have seen you lately, you have been car

going on for more than a month past: 'I wonder if a marriage must always be preceded by what you call a

the wedding-breakfast, writing the notes of invi

weariness of all the arrangements for a pretty effect, in which Edith had been busied as supreme authority for the last six wee

to be gone through, not so much to satisfy oneself, as to stop the world's mouth, without which st

like to walk to church through the shade of trees; and not to have so many bridesmaids, and to have no weddi

idea of stately simplicity acc

occasions on which he had tried to lead her into a discussion (in which he took the complimenta

, and the walk to it, rather than of driving up t

ea of the place you will be living in, when ninety-six Harley Street will be looking ding

at all. There is the church and a few houses near it on the

d, especially at Christmas - mak

t making a picture. I am trying to describe Helsto

it really sounded like a village i

saic-looking, after the New Forest. Helstone is like a village in a poem - in one of Tennyson's poems. But I won'

ery resolved. Well, then, tell me that which I should

me. It is home, and I can't

e rather severe t

large soft eyes round full up

elstone is like, nor will you say anything about your home, though I ha

n home. I don't quite think it is a thing

rove your mind, till the middle of the day; take a walk before lunch, go a drive with your aunt after, and have

ks to the very extremity of his parish. The walks are so beau

believe, is a proper employment

afraid I shan't li

pic-nics - race-b

is very small; and even if we were near su

e not going to do this and that. Before the vacation ends, I think I

h played brilliantly. In the middle of the piece the door half-opened, and Edith saw Captain Lennox hesitating whether to come in. She threw down her music, and rushed out of the room, leaving Margaret standing confused and blushing to ex

th as few drawbacks as possible, she had been rather perplexed to find an anxiety, if not a sorrow. She had, however, of late settled upon her own health as a source of apprehension; she had a nervous little cough whenever she thought about it; and some complaisant doctor ordered her just what she desired - a winter in Italy. Mrs. Shaw had as strong wishes as most people, but she never li

l his future mother-inlaw said, while his eyes sought Edith, who was busying herself in rearranging the tea-table

her; it was separate from the interest which was excited by what he saw. He thought it a pretty sight to see the two cousins so busy in their little arrangements about the table. Edith chose to do most herself. She was in a humour to enjoy showing her lover how well she could behave as a soldier's wife. She found out that the water in the urn was cold, and ordered up the great kitchen tea-kettle; the only consequence of which was that when she met it at the door, and tried to carry it in, it was too heavy for her, and