the matter to me, and on my gently pointing out that he was not precisely an eligible parti, he shrank into himself, and promised not to renew the subject for a twelvemonth."

"I like him the better for it. After all, he has a comfortable income, and is a member of a respectable profession -a minister of the Established Church."

Lady Maud's blue eyes lit up, fused with an evanescent crimson.

and her cheek was sufBut her husband, though

the trembling of his hand upon her wrist showed the agitation he experienced, did not give way.

"Maud, my dear Maud !" he exclaimed.

"Bear with me.

I have always striven to please you. Let me have my own way about Agatha. I don't think I am very long for this world-perhaps I may not have many more requests to make to you

Lady Maud hastily brushed a tear from her long eyelashes, and exclaimed

"Hush-hush, my dear! You are growing quite morbid. You are, indeed! Come, lie down, and have your nap. As for Lovell, I will send for him at once. You shall say whatever you like to him.”

"Not to-day, my good, kind Maud-not to-day! I am a little exhausted. But to-morrow I should really like to have a talk with him. I will settle nothing. I will only see how the land lies."

The old gentleman lay down, and Lady Maud, after a few words of affection, floated softly out of the room, and hastened to her boudoir. Here she instantly seated herself at her writing-table, and dashed off a few lines to Lovell, asking him to visit Mr. Usherwood the next day. The style of the note was kind and friendly, but there was an ominous little postscript at the bottom to this effect—

"You see how great is the confidence I place in your good faith and gentlemanly feeling. Some might abuse this confidence, and take advantage of the opportunity offered them. But I know Walter Lovell too well to suppose that he will by either look, deed or word deviate from the understanding mutually agreed upon a few weeks since. M. U."

Having despatched this note, she took up a half-finished letter to her sister, Mrs. Clair, who was making a tour in Scotland; and wrote as follows:

"By the by, my dear, I almost forgot the immediate purpose of my writing to you. I have thought better of your

kind invitation to the dear girls. The weather is delicious for a tour, and I think a few weeks in the Highlands would do them both good. So, if you have not repented of your kind offer, they shall set off for the north next week-say Tuesday, if that day would suit Colonel Clair to escort them."

This business having been settled, Lady Maud's manner, which to an attentive observer might have seemed a little perturbed, became as tranquil as usual. She seated herself at the piano, and played over the last new opera with much spirit.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE REV. WALTER LOVELL.

WHAT Lovell's feelings were when he received Lady Maud's summons, we shall not attempt to describe. But after the first throb of pleasure had passed, something like dejection and self-distrust stole over his mind. To pay another visit, perhaps several visits, to Beaumont House, where he was pretty sure to meet one very dear to him, was certainly a source of joy. But then he remembered his promise to Lady Maud to hold himself aloof from Agatha for at least a twelvemonth, or if, accidentally meeting her in society, to bear himself towards her as if she were nothing more than an ordinary acquaintance. He remembered all this, and felt that to visit regularly at Beaumont House, and yet preserve a cold demeanour towards Agatha, was almost too much for his own strength, and scarcely fair to her. So, after the first pleasurable thrill, this invitation of Lady Maud became a positive source of pain and anxiety.

On the day following, however, he presented himself at Beaumont House.

It was with a quickened pulse and a kindling eye that Lovell, as he approached the mansion, perceived Lady Maud and her two daughters standing on the flight of steps leading to the front door. To catch even a glimpse of Agatha was great happiness; but Lovell was not a man to swerve from his word. The danger, in fact, was lest his sensitive conscience should not lead him to the other extreme. To make sure of keeping on the safe side, he greeted Agatha less warmly than Lady Maud and Jessie, bowing to her with a

face as frigid as marble, whilst his heart was beating against his ribs like a small sledge-hammer. Now, this was all very well from one point of view, but not in another. It was rather too much of a trial for Agatha. Still, as Lovell could not bring himself to believe that a young lady, so exquisitely beautiful as Agatha appeared in his eyes, cherished any downright serious attachment to such an inferior creature as himself, the mischief could scarcely be helped. It was his diffidence and modesty that were at the bottom of it.

Agatha, encountering the stern expression of Lovell's countenance, and the cold glance of his eye-he, poor fellow, desiring all the while nothing better than to be allowed to fling himself on his knees in the mud and proclaim his passion then and there-Agatha, wounded and vexed at this strange sort of greeting after nearly a month's separation, turned hurriedly and passed into the house without uttering another word. Jessie lingered behind, gathering flowers. Lady Maud languidly pressed Lovell's hand, and professed that she was charmed to see him. He must really, she said, look in oftener. Once a month at least he ought to give them an afternoon call. If they chanced to be out, he could rest in the breakfast-room, and read the newspaper. Lovell did not say that, perhaps, had it not been for him, Beaumont House, breakfast-room, and all, might have been utterly smashed by the Rentworth rioters. But he felt for the moment hurt at this nonchalant reception. Her ladyship, however, having gently let him down, thought she might now show a little more kindness, and, taking his arm, proposed a turn on the terrace.

"I am a little uneasy," said Lady Maud, as they crossed the lawn, "about Mr. Usherwood, and feel that something ought to be done, and yet I scarcely know what. It is a case requiring very delicate treatment."

"I was concerned to hear that he was not so well," answered Lovell. 66 Perhaps the changeable weather has tried

him a little."

"Mr. Lovell, understand me! I do not so much mean his bodily health. It is his mind, Mr. Lovell-the mind which seems to be unstrung. He is low and dispirited."

Lovell, not exactly knowing whither this was leading, uttered some commonplace about the mind sympathizing with the body, and for a few minutes they pursued their way in

silence.

"The fact is," resumed Lady Maud, "I think he needs a little sensible advice; and you, Mr. Lovell, not being a mere clergyman, but knowing something of the world, might, I really believe, be of essential service in improving the tone of his mind."

Lovell promised that he would do his best.

"One thing is important," Lady Maud continued, speaking with emphasis-"very important indeed, and I trust you will bear it in mind. He must read his Bible less, and novels and light literature more!"

Lovell almost dropped Lady Maud's arm in his astonishment. "He must read his Bible less," she persisted, firmly. "Of course, in moderation it is highly proper. A chapter when the weather is too bad for going to church, or a few verses daily from the Psalms or Gospels—that is all very well. There are some nice little works published which are very handy for serious persons; such as Daily Dewdrops, Crumbs for the Fasting, The Christian's Bosom Friend, containing short portions of Scripture of a consolatory character for every day in the year. But Mr. Usherwood will not be content with this. He launches forth into the whole Bible, and compares text with text, passage with passage, until I am sure his mind must be full of nothing else! This is running to extremes, and is prejudicial to his spirits. It makes him, Mr. Lovell, quite out of sorts."

“I am afraid I cannot entirely agree with your ladyship on this subject," responded Lovell, with hesitation. "Troubles are good for us."

Lady Maud fixed her penetrating eyes on Lovell in some perplexity.

"If everything went smoothly," he continued, "I fear we should grow horribly hard-hearted. No doubt if we don't accept our troubles in a right spirit, we are every way miserable. But if we take them humbly, and seek for help in the right quarter, we cannot fail to reap a blessing from them."

"Right, Mr. Lovell-quite right! Your sentiments are what I should have expected from you. I certainly felt something of the kind when my dear husband was taken ill so suddenly a few years since."

"If we are impatient, or seek mere worldly consolation, or banish the remembrance the moment the trial has passed," added Lovell, returning the quick glance of his companion,

"then we convert what might have been a blessing into a

Lady Maud sighed. Then, recovering herself, she assumed a lighter tone, and exclaimed

My dear Mr. Lovell, I am quite of your mind-quite. But just now, you see, I want you to disembarrass yourself of the priest, and assume the man of the world.”

Lovell looked grave.

"Remember what Burke said to a gentleman suffering from depression of spirits, who asked his advice-'Live pleasant!' Those were his words. Sir Eliot Prichard quoted the story to me the other day," added her ladyship, in an explanatory tone-" and this is what I wish Mr. Usherwood to do."

"Difficult advice to follow when the health is failing, and the mind ill at ease!" exclaimed Lovell-"I fear it is but a quack medicine!"

"Then do you really advise his poring over the family Bible all the morning?"

"I don't say he should do nothing else. He ought to open his mind to a clergyman."

Lady Maud did not appear quite satisfied; but, not being inclined to prolong the discussion, turned towards the house, and said she would let Mr. Usherwood know he had arrived.

Lovell followed more leisurely. Entering the hall, he perceived that Agatha had left her bouquet of flowers on the side-table. Taking it up in his hand, Lovell looked at it for a few seconds as if tempted to carry it off; but, on consideration, only selected from it a spray of myrtle which he first pressed to his lips, and then carefully placed in his pocket

book.

Meanwhile Jessie, who, we are sorry to say, had been guilty of the impropriety of watching the whole of Lovell's mysterious proceedings from the first landing of the staircase, darted away in the direction of Agatha's bedroom. She found her sister leaning out of the window, pale and tearful. 'Aggie, dear, don't be unhappy!" she said, affectionately, flinging her arms round her. "It's all right. I am sure of it, and I will tell you why."

66

Leaving these young ladies, we will follow Lovell to the library. Here he was closeted with Mr. Usherwood for a couple of hours. What passed between them it is not necessary to divulge, further than to explain that the conversation turned chiefly on two subjects, Lovell's attachment to Agatha