The Eustace Diamonds

t the Miss

rs. Hittaw

h, to other men, if not impossible, would have been so unpalatable as to have been put aside as impracticable. On the Monday

had spent it. If any of it were left, it would be a godsend. Lord Fawn thought a great deal about money. Being a poor man, filling a place fit only for rich men, he had been driven to think of money, and had become self-denying and parsimonious,-perhaps we may say hungry and close-fisted. Such a condition of character is the natural consequence of such a position. There is, probably, no man who becomes naturally so hard in regard to money as he who is bound to live among rich men, who is not rich himself, and who is yet honest. The weight of the work of life in these circumstances is so crushing, requires such continued thought, and makes itself so continually felt, that the mind of the sufferer is never free from the contamination of sixpences. Of such a one it is not fair to judge as of

ast six or seven years to make a fair bargain. But then it is so hard to decide what is fair. Who is to tell a Lord Fawn how much per annum he ought to regard himself as worth? He had, on one or two occasions, asked a high price, but no previous bargain had been made. No doubt he had come down a little in his demand in suggesting a matrimonial arrangement to a widow with a child, and with only four thousand a year. Whether or no that income was hers in perpetuity, or only for life, he had not positively known when he made his offer. The will made by Sir Florian Eustace did not refer to the property at all. In the natural course of things, the widow would only have a life-interest in the income. Why should Sir Florian make away

d his mother sat at the table with him, pouring out h

I should like you to call and see

s of c

better get he

e'll come. Ought I to

as he put a spoonful of egg

iss Ma

t going to marry Miss Macnulty. The

s the incom

ething more, nominally, bu

sure ab

te s

for e

o. Of that I

reat differen

te, she is much younger than I am, and there need be no settlement out

very l

cle

r. I hope she is not

allow that, in all his attempted matrimonial speculations, some amount of feminine loveliness had been combined with feminine wealth. He had for two years been a suitor of Violet Effingham, who was the acknowledged beauty of the day,-of Violet Effingham who, at the present time, was the wife of Lord Chiltern; and he had offered himself thrice to Madame

tell the girls?

be off now, only I could not

like you,

u'll go

u wish it,-

u. I would not take more than one. Augusta will be the best. You'll

ou wi

well that it should be known. I sha'n't choose to have mo

e a good wife to

d in Mount Street was a fact; her parentage was known to him;-that she was the undoubted mistress of a large income was beyond dispute. But, for aught he knew, she might be afflicted by every vice to which a woman can be subject. In truth, she was afflicted by so many, that the addition of all the others could hardly have made her worse than she was. She had n

ogether not exceeding three thousand pounds per annum, Lady Fawn could not be rich. And yet who would say that an old lady and her daughters could be poor with three thousand pounds a year to spend? It may be taken almost as a rule by the unennobled ones of this country, that the sudden possession of a title would at once raise the price of every article consumed twenty per cent. Mutton that before cost ninepence would cost tenpence a pound, and the mouths to be fed would demand more meat. The chest of tea would run out quicker. The labourer's work, which for the farmer is ten hours a day, for the squire nine, is for the peer only eight. Miss Jones, when she becomes Lady de Jongh, does not pay less than threepence apiece

t," said Georg

ribly in debt when she married Sir Flo

e to see to that," sa

autiful," said

" said Cecil

e a good wife," said Amelia, who

that she doesn't go wrong,"

Nina, the cadette of the family. "Oh,

utting up her hand and stopp

at is it?" ask

may be told

t know all that concerns our family;-and the more so as she has been for many yea

Lucy Morris, in a tone which certainly

rbid the banns

on why he should n

didn't know that they knew each o

hat, my

ope they will be happy." Lady Fawn, however, was displeased, and did not sp

ell known at all Boards and among official men generally, heard much more about things that were going on than did her mother. And, having been emancipated from maternal control

lara. Why should

eatest vixen i

ra!" sai

liar," said

ed to fight her ground on a matter so important to her as was this. "There is no word in the English language," she

it,

d I stop it,-e

t know he

Court, more than once. Sh

y Morris, mamma, Lucy Morr

all mean? She goes out everywhere. I don't think she has had any lovers. Frederic would

other men, and not a bit farther. Of c

is her own alt

out her jewels before she married poor Sir Florian, and how much he had to pay for her; or ra

, that Lady Linlithgo

l find out all about it." Orlando was the Christian name of Mrs. Hittaway's husband. "Mr. Camperdown, I have no doubt, knows all the ins and outs of her s

n we do?" sa

ff," said M

gs of the world, and heard tidings daily which never found their way down to Fawn Court. And yet her son went about quite as much as did her daughter. If Lady Eustace was such a reprobate as w

st know her. That's a different thing. One has to make the best one can of

dreadful!" ex

usehold of the woman who might perhaps do her the irreparable injury of ruining the happiness of her only son. Perhaps she might learn something by looking at the woman in her own drawing-room. At any rate she would go. But Mrs. Hittaway's words had the effect of inducing her to leave Augusta where she was. If there were contamination, why should August

quest of her future mother-in-law and sister-in-law;-for the note which had come up to her from the India Office had told her that Augusta would accompany Lady Fawn. "Augusta is my favourite sister," said the enamoured lover, "and I hope that you two will always be friends." Lizzie, when she had read this, had declared to herself that of all the female oafs she had ever seen, Augusta Fawn was the greatest oaf. When she found that Lady Fawn was alone, she did not betray herself, or ask for the beloved friend of the future. "Dear, dear Lady Fawn!" she said, throwing herself into the arms and nestling herself against the bosom of the old lady, "this makes my happiness perfect." Then she retrea

as soon as he to

a mother to me?

she could feel sympathy very easily; and was a woman not at all prone to inquire too curiously as to the merits of a son's wife. But what was she to do after the caution she had received

s seldom that a bad person expects to be accounted good. It is the general desire of such a one to conquer the existing evil impression; but it is generally presumed that the evil impression is th

as close to her, almost enveloped within her mantle. "My dear," said Lady Fawn,

ifted her seat a little, and Lizzie was compelled to sit upright, and without support. Hitherto Lady Fawn had said very little, and Lizzie's part was one difficult to play. She had heard of that sermon read every Sunday evening at Fawn Court, and s

le," said Lady Fawn,-but there was more of censure than of eulogy in the tone of her voice. She put the Bible down very quietly, and asked Lady Eustace w

It was then arranged that she should be at Fawn Court on that day week, and stay for a fortnight. "Of all thin

Fawn had left her after the engagement was made, she had begun to tell herself that he was a poor creature, and that she had done wrong. "Only five thousand a year!" she said to herself;-for she had not perfectly understood that little explanation which he had given respecting his income. "It's nothing for a lord." And now again she murmured to herself, "

've seen her?" sa

r. I had seen her two or th

still in lo

at I was in love

t has be

xt week, and stay a fortnight with us

best, mamma,

st what I think. Of course he will be offended, and if the marria

uite unable to say a word in behalf of her future daughter-in-law. She sai