masina when Sir Richard's last words ran to

length.

'Very well, you impatient little puss,' said Sir Richard, and they had scarcely turned away when Thomasina asked eagerly,

'And now tell me, father, did she take the locket?'

'She was startled at first,' replied Anthony, who was still much agitated, but she confessed that she did-she could love me, if her father will sanction it. I am to speak to Sir Richard first, and if he consents all will be well.'

'He will consent,' said Thomasina confidently; 'when shall you speak to him?'

To-morrow, after breakfast; there are people coming to dinner to-night,' said Anthony. He certainly regarded the delay as a reprieve; and when the morrow came, and he followed Sir Richard into the library, no young lady could have gone to her father on

a like errand with greater trepidation. Thomasina was also anxious and excited; she did not wish to see Polly while the matter was pending, and, having asked Lady Bertram if she might take a holiday, she went up to the school-room, or nursery, as it was still called, and practised her scales vigorously to drive away vexing thoughts.

The interview between Anthony and his father was not a long one, and Lady Bertram was still in the morning rcom, in which she gave orders to her housekeeper, when Sir Richard entered with a hasty and uncertain step. His face was flushed and the veins on his forehead were swelled.

'Why, what is the matter?' exclaimed his wife.

'Matter enough,' replied Sir Richard, sinking heavily into a chair; 'what do you think that fellow Anthony has the impudence to tell me? He wants to marry Polly-Polly Windsor.'

Polly!' gasped Lady Bertram. The news itself would have struck dismay into her heart, but the conviction that Aunt Thomasina would triumph in her superior discernment gave it an additional sting.

'How could you have been blind to what was going on?' said Sir Richard, quite ready to vent his irritation on his wife; ‘I thought that women piqued themselves on seeing that sort of thing at once.'

I have hardly ever seen them together, as you know, Sir Richard. She must have made up to him when they were riding together-nasty, sly thing!'

'I daresay that Windsor was in the plot. I shall write and tell him what I think of his behaviour-give him a year's salary and pack him and his family out of the place at once.'

Don't do anything in a passion, Sir Richard. I will go and talk to Anthony, and I do not doubt that I shall bring him to

his senses.

He has always been willing to

listen to reason.'

The alert old lady tripped downstairs, and Sir Richard, instead of following her advice, made use of his wife's writing materials to scribble off to Mr. Windsor an angry and incoherent letter of dismissal.

'My dear Anthony,' said Lady Bertram as

she entered the library, Sir Richard came to me in such a state of agitation that I was really afraid he would have a fit. I cannot understand what you have been telling him.'

'Only this, mother,' said Anthony, and he alone could tell how faint a heart was veiled beneath the bold words, 'that I love and have made up my mind to marry Mary Windsor. Once, as you know, I refrained from marriage, and once I married, to gratify your wishes and Sir Richard's; is it not just that I should, at my age, please myself?'

'It cannot be just that you should disgrace

your family and yourself by such a marriage,' said Lady Bertram. 'If no consideration for Sir Richard, no sense of what is due to yourself, will hold you back, surely you must shrink from inflicting such an injury on Thomasina.'

'I deny that there would be any disgrace

in such a marriage,' said Anthony. did think of my child; I may

And I almost say that

I thought of her first. Miss Windsor already loves her, and will be a good and tender mother to her, and I should never have ventured to declare my passion, conscious as I am that I am not worthy of her, if Thomasina herself had not encouraged me to do so.'

Yes, granny, I did,' Thomasina repeated in clear and incisive tones. The scales had failed to exercise any sedative effect on her eagerness to be in the centre of action, and, when she was sitting on the broad, shallow steps of the oak staircase, she saw Lady