The Clever Woman of the Family

hand the wea

est 'twixt jo

have some green e

son the next morning with a cordial brotherly greeting and inquiry for her sister, her "Very well," and "not at all the worse for the excitement," were so hearty and ready that he could not have guessed that "well" with Ermine meant something rather relative than positive. Alison brought him a playful message from her, that since he was not going to Belfast, she should meet him with a freer conscience if he would first give her time for Rose's lessons, and, as he said, he had lived long enough with Messrs. Conrade and Co. to acknowledge the wisdom of the message. But Rose had not long been at leisure to look out for him before he made his

said Rose; "I play with you, A

kindness to the child, inciting Rose to present Miss Violetta Williams to Colonel Keith, an introduction that he returned with a grand military salute, at the same time as

aid Rose, turning roun

s not quite know,"

that. Have I not told you that there is nothing now in our way-no one with a right to object, and mea

! I though

e?" with his brow

lity. What, they have not told you? I thought I

ly; I knew you were lame," he

Colin! it was very cruel not to have prepared you for this!" she added, as he gazed at her in grief and dismay, and made a vain attempt to find the voice that would not come. "Yes

een done-advice

No, nothing more can be done; and now that one is used to it, the snail is very comfortable in its shell. B

have suffered

that further behind, and made me more content.

p, made a long stride, and passed th

him," gasped Ermine, joini

htened, and for the first time beginning to comprehend t

ecoming awake to the child's presence-"A little water, if you please, my dear." Then, more compos

said Rose. "May I go and tell him how muc

Keith was met in the hasty, agonized walk by which he was endeavouring to work off his agitation, and the slender child looked wistfully up at him from

-distressed her?"

"And, indeed, she does not mind it; she is such a merry aun

them, and said, "Yes, come in, Colin, and learn not to grieve for

igorous being that used to be the life of the place-" and he

came down on us. Did not the accident win for us a parting that was much better to remember than that state of things? Oh, the pining, weary feel as if all the world had closed on me! I do assure you it was much worse than anything that came after the burn. Yes, if I had been well and doing like others, I know I should have fretted and wearied, pined myself ill perhaps,

ll my aunt's latter letters spoke of

opped. The last time I saw her I was still upstairs; and,

ble in her face; "and you will yet do more, Ermine. You ha

I meant to convince you

my Ermine-are ten thousand times more to me than even as the beautiful girl, and tha

ing of her throat, and said, "Dear Colin, it cannot be! I truste

speak from

at you should have done so, shows-O Colin, I cannot talk of it; but it wou

been the one object and thought of my life

he very thing. You kept your allegiance to the bright, tall, walking, ac

Have I not told you that y

ce still." (Oh, how it quivered!) "But it would be a wicked mockery in me to pretend to be the wife you want. Yes, I know you think yo

e that," he sai

by me, with that deadly calm in your white face, was the real farewell to

ou dying then

ringly. "It was as much the end, and I knew it from the time my recovery stopped short.

me off from

to be indulged in; knowing, as I did, that if you were the same to m

who make it

what it costs me to deny you, and I feel that I must. I know you are only acting on the impulse of generosity. Yes, I will say so, though you think it is to p

still with the same air of playfulness; "you have got a brother, you know-and-yes, I hear you growl; but if he is a poor

y to make me forget what m

ple to look favourably on our liking for one another, and you know they could not be expected to know that there was real

he had seen evinced under similar circumstances by persons who had consoled themselves b

at time, and-oh, surely that is not Rachel C

between his teeth. "Is she

"and she can't be expected to know how little we want her. Oh, th

e chief objection to Lady Temple's k

e know?" asked E

niformly kind to me; but I desired her not to l

now," said Ermine; "but pl

not come to

on't half know how bad I am. When you have seen a

you give me lea

understand that you said good-bye to the Ermine of Beauchamp Parsonage twelve years ago, and

se are to be the te

y possib

them. I have no

ll," sh

ere might be a will as steadfast as her own, al

t? Was he to devour Mackarel Lane as well as Myrtlewood? She was on her way to the latter house, meeting Grace as she went, and congratulating herself that he could not be in two places at once, whilst Grace secretly wondered how far she might venture to build on Ali

despair in the hall. "Six of

," said Grace; "the

through the garden-door. "She is walking with the young p

ut Alick, when she first came to us, at six years old. He w

ve been hardly born when Fanny came to us. No; he is only o

as to come up with Lady Temple and her friend in the mi

ive me dear Bess

will be the gre

laimed Fanny. "You have not met bef

deed, were of the same peculiar deep blue as the Colonel's, but even these were little seen under their heavy sleepy lids, and the long limbs had in every movement something of weight and slowness, the very sight of which fretted Rachel, and made

d, though her wide-spreading black draperies gave a certain dignity to her slight figure, contrasting with the summer muslins of her two cousins; as did her hot-house plant fairness, with their firm, healthy glow of complexion; her te

e plantation. They have a fort there, and Hubert tol

," said Rachel, willing to fight a battle in ord

and they learn so much now that they

Rachel; "it is accustoming them t

ht among themselves much less now that this i

ing the dangerous instinct, although fo

t can be?" said Fanny, less easily bo

nswered, with a quiet air of courteous

er and ennobler of nations, when it is for a good and great cause; but I think e

ning of the word?" h

chel, "meaning no more than lord and master; but there can be no doubt t

since the heroes

. To us the word maintains its semi-divinity, and it should be our effor

that

duty," exclaimed Rachel

, and not at all easy," he said, ha

t's the beauty

ng room, my lady," announced Coombe, who had loo

sing. "I dare say you had rather not, Rachel,

uld be decidedly

I suppose you will have settled about heroism by the time we co

an opportunity not to be neglected of giving a young carpet knight a lesson in true heroism. There was a pause after the other two

g animal whose strength or fortune have borne him through some more than ordinary danger,

she paused, chiefly to see whether he was a

s to which the necessity of their position constrained them, and done acts of self-devotion for the good of others. I will give you

fficer among them who could move enough to have had a chance of escaping the explosion, but instead of that he took the shell up, its fuse burning as it was, and ran with it out of the tent, t

red Mr. Keith, still in

: carried back to die amo

m of his cheek that being taken by Rachel for a derisive smile, made her exclaim vehemently, "You d

s duty was your

! I see yours is a spirit of depreci

dent that he was a proverb in the regiment for taking his ease. Chairs were brought out, and afternoon tea, and the callers sat down to wait for Colonel Keith to come in; Grace feeling obliged to stay to help Fanny entertain her visitors, and Rachel to protect her from their follies. One thing Grace began to perceive, that Lady Temple had in

ary Sunday morning. She decided that her best course would be to drive to Myrtlewood rather early on her way to church, and take up Fanny, gaining a previous conference with her alone, if possible. "Yes, my dear," she said to Grace

re scattered about the room, one of them standing between Colonel Keith's knees, repeating a hymn; but the younger guest was still in the midst

rried off the children to be dressed, and proceeded herself to her room, Mrs. Curtis

suspiciously under her secret, "

te understood

nny, "but he found

erplexed Mrs. Curtis; "but then,

r the present he is going into lodgings.

t; you know, my dear, it would neve

said Fanny simply, the co

say you have done anything the least amiss, or that you ever would mean

r candour drew from her-"It was he that thought of getting a lodging. I am

ed, my dear child, though he is a very good man, I dare say, and quite a gentleman all

away her head, conscious of the imposs

re to talk; and you would not like-for your chil

e in him more than in any one. He told him to take care of me and look after the boys. I coul

Mrs. Curtis. "I know you must see a great deal of him. I only want you to take care-appearan

my father and Sir Stephen," said Fanny, meekly as ever. "Indeed, I would not for the world do anything you did not li

vulgar, but she could not say there was any objection, so she went on to the head of po

him every day till I came to you. And then just as I married, poor Mrs. Keith died, and we had dear little Bessie with us till her father could send her home. And when poor A

een very intimate; but you see you a

o was his guardian and Bessie's," said Fanny, "and I have promised

r, her presence will explain it. Understand me, my dear, I am not at all afraid of your-your doing any

her aunt, and sure that she must be in fault in some way, if she could only see how. "Please, dear aunt, help me, f

gh she kept from tears as

, throwing the whole guidance of her conduct upon her aunt. If she had been affronted, Mrs. Curtis could hav

eful or uncivil, only you know you are living very quietly, and intimacy-oh! my dear, I know your own feeling

remonstrance, even from her mother, would be t

ion, and obtained Alison's assurance that Ermine's stay at Myrtlewood need not be impracticable, and arme

tle niece are gone for a walk. I told th

g cheek, yet grave eyes, and much taken by surprise at

p with her pretty imploring gesture, "you know I ha

ly feeling the force of the plea expressed in the

n you wanted him so much; but we did not know, and he was Sir Stephen's right

aid Ermine, "but indeed it wa

say that his coming would not have been good for her. "It has been su

can! But," driving back a tear, "it was so hard that you should not have known how distinguished and useful and good he was all those years. Only now I shall have the pleasure of telling y

ure of pleasures,"

omfort, giving her two rooms on the ground floor, and assuring her of the absence of steps, the immunity from all teasing by the children, of the full consent of her sister, and the wishes of the Colonel, nay, when Ermine was still unpersuaded of the exceeding kindness it would be to

deprived of all excuse, that she had no alt

st not press me, dear Lady Temple. You see it is best for h

n-?" exclaimed Fanny

t!" said

e it. He wishes i

u see that is because he did not know what a wretched remnant

no,

me to take advantage of that, an

very sad!" cried Fanny

you must see th

and disagreeable, if you don't mind my saying so, when I know it is so good of yo

ed I believe it is better for him to grow used to

hy will you n

y one know the terms between us, while no one remarks his just coming to me

ver do that

aid Ermine; "his brother is bent on his marrying, and he ought to be perfectly free to

aid Fanny, almost petulantly; "I k

s Mrs. Colin Keith much more dubious

ne know of it. I am glad you do. I should not feel it rig

you. Perhaps I shall persuade you some of these days after all. Only I must go now, for I always give the children their tea on Sunday

tor, and no doubt Ermine felt rejoiced and elevated. She did not need fresh assurances of Colin's constancy, but the affectionate sister-like congratulations of this loving, winning creatur

t did come to that, I could spare him to her better tha

to obtain her opinion of her sister's decision, and the likelihood of persistence in it. It was not, perhaps, bad for either that they conversed under difficulties, the boys continually coming back

erself! She did believe that would Ermine but think it right to consent, she would be happy and safe in the care of one who knew so well how to love her. Terrible as the wrench would be to Alison herself, she thought he deserved her sister, and that she would be as happy with him as earth could make her. But she did not believe Ermine would ever accept him. She knew the strong, unvarying resolution by which her sister had always held to what sh

eagerly, then made a little hesi

on her, and she has to struggle with you and herself too, it may hurt

he said, "I w

y felt trust in Colin Keith's consideration for her sister, but she knew that an act of oblivion was past on her perpetration of the injury. She was right. His original pitying repugnance to a mere unknown child could not be carried on

ning to k

m, Ermine," with steady eyes an

fairs stand, we have no right to carry the supposed disgrace into a family that would believe it, though he does not. If I were ever so well, I should not think it right to marry. I shall not shun the sight of him; it is delightful to me, and a less painful cure

resolution, to do what I like more than anything in the world as lo

ieve-" broke

he will want the home happiness I cannot give. Then he will not wear out his affection on the impossible literary cripple, but begin over again, and be happy. And, Aliso