Ravenshoe

rom his usual self. The party missed his jokes; which, though feeble and sometimes possibly "rather close to the wind," served their purpose, served to s

ously angry with Welter; but, on one occasion, when the latter looked up suddenly and asked him some q

rld, putting its total destruction by fire at about nine months from that time. Lord Saltire had no opinion to offer on the probability of Dr. Going's theory, but sincerely hoped that it might last his time, and that he might be allowed to get out of t

ation on a little. But, after dinner, it got so dull in spite of every one's efforts, that Lord Saltire confided to his young friend, as they went upstairs, that he had an idea that some

t-that he doubted whether he retained the right of reproving his son. That they both needed forgiveness one from the other, and that he hoped in what was to follow they would display that courtesy and mutual forbearance to one another which gentlemen should. "And what the deuce does he mean, eh? He never spoke like this before. Is he going to marry again? Ay, that's

p with his dogs and horses to care much for her. So Charles and she were thrown together, and Charles's love for her grew stronger day by day, until that studied indifferent air which he had assumed on his arrival became almost impossible to sustain. He sustained

s an inclosure for Lord Saltire, the reading of which caused his lordship to take a great deal of snuff, in which he begged him, for old friendship's sake, to send his boy home to him, as he had once sent him home to his father. And so Lord Saltire appeared in Charles's dressing-room before dinner one day, and, sitting down, said that he was come to take a great liberty, and, in fact, was rather presuming on his being an old man, but he hoped that his young friend would not take i

nd; "I am going home to-morrow; and you don't know how hea

hat very account. I should like to have had a son like you, but it was not to be. I had a son, who was all that could be desired by the most fastidious person, brought up in a far better school than mine; but he got shot in his first duel, at one-and-twenty. I remember to have been considerably annoyed at the time," co

Ascot was having her after-dinner nap, had a long conversation with Adelaide in

am going ho

y? Are you goi

etter from home to-day. Are

nly friend I have in the world to whom I

el

you won't be rude and sarcastic as you are sometimes-almost

uch a black view of the state of affairs as you do in general. Do

emem

talk like tha

ll come very soon when we shall ha

will t

one out for

as some girls, because you are so pretty and so wil

said you wou

e, and we are in the dark, and aunt is asleep

wake

old Roman Lord Saltire is. He talked about his son who was ki

weakness. He always speaks of his son like that w

d Charles.-"So you are goi

ppose

a place directly; he has great influence in the licensed victualling wa

erce, low voice. "You have turned against me and in

rk, and the next moment he had her in his a

harm or insult my Adelaide while she is there. Why did you fly from me

ing, ever so feebly, to repulse him. "D

ell me you love

more than al

y did you repulse

hink you wer

now that this rustication business has all come from the

ed it, Charles. But o

o as a gove

thing but wha

our own, own self, a

r will reflect a moment, he will see what an awful escape they had; for the chances were about a thousand to one in favour of two things having happened: 1st, the groom of the chambers might have come into the room half a minute sooner; and 2nd, they might have sat as they were half a minute longer; in either of which cases, Charles would have been discovered with his arm round Adelaide's waist, and a fearful scandal would have

een very silent and glum all tea-time, requested him to stay, as she had something serious to say to him. Which set the young gentleman speculatin

om the stomach. She opined that, if this weather continued, there would be heavy running for the Cambridgeshire, and Commissioner would probably stand as well as any horse. And then, having, like a pigeon, ta

ry nice girl; but he rather hesitated,

great old fan, "for young eyes are quicker than old one

e of his legs, and e

ference for one another. Of course, Welter will be throwing himself away, and all that sort of thing, but he is pretty sure t

u are under a mistake. I nev

'm

d Welter speak of her in that sort of w

have you for

I have rather a partiality for Adelaide myself, a

res for you? Do you know

, aunt; and then the world is to come to an

flippant and impertinent, sir. Don't evade my quest

think it was very difficult to find out what a girl's mind really was-whereby we ma

f like this, after your infamous and audacious conduct of this

h a shout of laughter. "I thought

wake all the

nough, it appears, aunty. No

e that some good might come of an engagement; and, at length, becoming garrulous on this point, it leaked out by degrees, that she had set her heart on it for years, that she had noticed for some time Charles's partialit