"We are at school: through this strange life of ours,
We pass, like children through their teaching-time;
Training in lowly trust our highest powers,

Learning by common things truths most sublime."

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL.

LONDON:

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY MACDONALD AND TUGWELL,

BLENHEIM HOUSE.

"How do you do, Mr. Gordon? I am glad to see you. In fact, you are just the person whom I wished to see. Pray sit down."

"I ventured to call-" said James, "I was passing through Lorton; and I thought that I might as well bring a letter which

VOL. II.

B

came by this morning's post, for

my

cousin

for Miss Wynn."

"How excessively kind!" said Lady Louisa: "Gabrielle will be so much obliged to

you. I

will take charge of the letter; she is out, just now, with my children and Mr. Godfrey. They are not likely to return at present: can you spare me a few moments? it would be such an excellent opportunity to discuss one all-important subject. You must not think me interfering. If you are her guardian, I am his aunt, you see.'

66

May I ask to whom you are alluding ?" said James, stiffly.

His manner alarmed Lady Louisa.

66

Forgive me, Mr. Gordon. Bear with me. I know I am tiresome. I am usually tiresome to myself and to every one else. Will you allow me to trouble you for that fan?"

James handed her the fan, which lay on

a small table at his elbow. Then he sat still, and waited: externally very nonchalant, very calm, very cold-inwardly all commotion, each moment an agony of suspense.

Lady Louisa fanned herself for a considerable time, with every symptom of exhaustion. She then removed a refractory stopper from a scent-bottle; and inhaled strong odours. Finally, she replaced the stopper, smoothed the flaxen ringlets, folded her fat white hands in her lap, over an embroidered pocket-handkerchief, and brought her eyes to bear upon James's face.

"Mr. Gordon," she said, in a solemn tone: "You appear to be unacquainted with a circumstance, which-holding, as you do, the responsible position of Gabrielle's guardian-I think it my duty to lay before you. Young girls are by nature reticent and shrinking; Gabrielle is peculiarly so. Any way, we could scarcely expect her to