CHAPTER V.

Ynne London citye was I borne,

of parents of grete note; My fadre dydd a nobile arms Emblazon onne hys cote.

CHATTERTON.

the snuggest and best private room of the House at and gentlemen weat

gathered, awaiting the return of the sportsmen. The room had been made as comfortable as any place could be in a house built for "the season," after the season was past. A splendid fire of hickory logs was burning brilliantly and making amends for many deficiencies; the closed wooden shutters gave the reality if not the look of warmth, for though the days might be fine and mild the mornings and evenings were always very cool up there among the mountains; and a table stood at the last point of readiness for having dinner served. They only waited for the lingering woodcock-hunters.

It was rather an elderly party, with the exception of one young man whose age might match that of the absent two. He was walking up and down the room with somewhat the air of having nothing to do with himself. Another gentleman, much older, stood warming his back at the fire, feeling about his jaws and chin with one hand and looking at the dinner-table in a sort of expectant reverie. The rest, three ladies, sat quietly chatting. All these persons were extremely different from one another in individual characteristics, and all had the unmistakeable mark of the habit of good society; as difficult to locate and as easy to recognise as the sense of freshness which some ladies have the secret of diffusing around themselves;-no definable sweetness,

nothing in particular, but making a very agreeable impression.

One of these ladies, the mother of the perambulating young officer, (he was a class-mate of Rossitur's) was extremely plain in feature, even more than ordinary. This plainness was not however devoid of sense, and it was relieved by an uncommon amount of good-nature and kindness of heart. In her son the sense deepened into acuteness, and the kindness of heart retreated, it is to be hoped, into some hidden recess of his nature; for it very rarely shewed itself in open expression. That is, to an eye keen in reading the natural signs of emotion; for it cannot be said that his manner had any want of amenity or polite

ness.

The second lady, the wife of the gentleman on the hearth-rug, or rather on the spot where the hearth-rug should have been, was a strong contrast to this mother and son; remarkably pretty, delicate and even lovely; with a black eye however that though in general soft could shew a mischievous sparkle upon occasion; still young, and one of those women who always were and always will be pretty and delicate at any age.

The third had been very handsome, and was still a very elegant woman, but her face had seen more of the world's wear and tear. It had never known placidity of expression beyond what the habitual command of good-breeding imposed. She looked exactly what she was, a perfect woman of the world. A very good specimen,-for Mrs. Carleton had sense and cultivation and even feeling enough to play the part very gracefully; yet her mind was bound in the shackles of "the world's" tyrannical forging and had never been free; and her heart bowed submissively to the same authority.

"Here they are! Welcome home," exclaimed this lady, as her son and his friend at length made their appearance; "Welcome home-we are all famishing; and I don't know why in the world we waited for you for I am sure you don't deserve it. What success? What success, Mr. Rossitur ?"

as

"Faith ma'am, there's little enough to boast of, as far I am concerned. Mr. Carleton may speak for himself."

"I am very sorry, ma'am, you waited for me," said that gentleman. "I am a delinquent I acknowledge. The day came to an end before I was at all aware of it."

"It would not do to flatter you so far as to tell you why we waited," said Mrs. Evelyn's soft voice. And then perceiving that the gentleman at whom she was looking gave her no answer she turned to the other. "How many .

woodcock, Mr. Rossitur?"

"Didn't see a

"Nothing to shew, ma'am," he replied. solitary one. I heard some partridges, but I didn't mean to have room in my bag for them.'

"Did you find the right ground, Rossitur ?"

"I had a confounded long tramp after it if I didn't," said the discomfited sportsman, who did not seem to have yet recovered his good humour.

you

not together?" said Mrs. Carleton.

"Were were you, Guy?"

"Where

"Following the sport another way, ma'am; I had very

good success too."

"What's the total?" said Mr. Evelyn.

game did you bag?"

"How much

แ Really sir, I didn't count. I can only answer for a bag

full."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" cried Rossitur, bursting forth, "What will you say when I tell you that Mr. Carleton deserted me and the sport in a most unceremonious manner, and that he,--the cynical philosopher, the reserved English gentleman, the gay man of the world, you are all of 'em by turns, aren't you, Carleton ?he!-has gone and made a very cavaliero servante of himself to a piece of rusticity, and spent all to-day in helping a little girl pick up chestnuts!"

"Mr. Carleton would be a better man if he were to spend a good many more days in the same manner," said that gentleman, dryly enough. But the entrance of dinner put a stop to both laughter and questioning for a time, all of the party being well disposed to their meat.

When the pickerel from the lakes, and the poultry and half-kept joints had had their share of attention, and a pair of fine wild ducks were set on the table, the tongues of the party found something to do besides eating.

"We have had a very satisfactory day among the Shakers, Guy," said Mrs. Carleton; " and we have arranged to drive to Kenton to-morrow-I suppose you will go with us ?"

"With pleasure, mother, but that I am engaged to dinner about five or six miles in the opposite direction.'

"Engaged to dinner!-what with this old gentleman where you went last night? And you too, Mr. Rossitur ?"

"I have made no promise, ma'am, but I take it I must go.'

"Vexatious! Is the little girl going with us, Guy?" "I don't know yet-I half apprehend, yes; there seems to be a doubt in her grandfather's mind, not whether he can let her go, but whether he can keep her, and that looks like it."

"Is it your little cousin who proved the successful rival of the woodcock to-day, Charlton ?" said Mrs. Evelyn. "What is she?"

"I don't know, ma'am, upon my word. I presume Carleton will tell you she is something uncommon and quite remarkable."

"Is she, Mr. Carleton ?"

"What, ma'am?" "Uncommon?"

"Very."

"Come! That is something, from you," said Rossitur's brother officer, Lieut. Thorn.

"What's the uncommonness?" said Mrs. Thorn, addressing herself rather to Mr. Rossitur as she saw Mr. Carleton's averted eye;"Is she handsome, Mr. Rossitur ?"

a

"I can't tell you, I am sure, ma'am. I saw nothing but nice child enough in a calico frock, just such as one would see in any farm-house. She rushed into the room when she was first called to see us, from somewhere in distant regions, with an immense iron ladle a foot and a half long in her hand with which she had been performing unknown feats of housewifery; and they had left her head still encircled with a halo of kitchen-smoke. If as they say 'coming events cast their shadows before,' she was the shadow of supper."

"Oh Charlton, Charlton!" said Mrs. Evelyn, but in a tone

of very gentle and laughing reproof,-" for shame! What a picture! and of your cousin!"

"Is she a pretty child, Guy?" said Mrs. Carleton, who did not relish her son's grave face.

"No maʼam-something more than that.”

"How old ?"

"About ten or eleven."

"That's an ugly age.'

"She will never be at an ugly age.'

"What style of beauty?"

"The highest-that degree of mould and finish which belongs only to the finest material."

"That is hardly the kind of beauty one would expect to see in such a place," said Mrs. Carleton.

"From one side

of her family to be sure she has a right to it."

"I have seen very few examples of it anywhere," said her son.

แ

"Who were her parents?" said Mrs. Evelyn.

"Her mother was Mrs. Rossitur's sister, her father". Amy Charlton!" exclaimed Mrs. Evelyn,"OI knew her! Was Amy Charlton her mother? O I didn't know whom you were talking of. She was one of my dearest friends. Her daughter may well be handsome-she was one of the most lovely persons I ever knew; in body and mind both. O I loved Amy Charlton very much. I must see this child.'

on.

"I don't know who her father was," Mrs. Carleton went

"O her father was Major Ringgan," said Mrs. Evelyn. "I never saw him, but I have heard him spoken of in very high terms. I always heard that Amy married very

well."

"his name is

"Major Ringgan !" said Mrs. Thorn ;very well known; he was very distinguished."

"He was a self-made man entirely," said Mrs. Evelyn, in a tone that conveyed a good deal more than the simple fact.

"Yes, he was a self-made man," said Mrs. Thorn, "but I should never think of that where a man distinguishes himself so much; he was very distinguished."

"Yes, and for more than officer-like qualities," said Mrs.