CHAPTER II.

MOUNTIFORD'S RETURN.

SPRING came on again.

I wish Mountiford could get leave," said Lady Crawdour.

It was nearly a year and a half now since he had gone away to let things take their course in his absence. The course they had taken had not been satisfactory, and his return was awaited to bring them to an agreeable conclusion. He was expected at Christmas, but did not come; and now Miss Duchesne was beginning to look cross, and her father sulky; she had said she had a cold the last time Lady Crawdour asked her to spend an afternoon with us; and Mr. Duchesne had had two conversations with my uncle in the library, from which he had not reappeared in the drawing-room.

"I wish Mountiford could get leave," said Lady Crawdour.

I rather wished he could too, as I was anxious to have "things" settled, once and for all, and be rid of Mr. Duchesne for ever; but I did not think my cousin was particularly anxious to get it; indeed, I rather inclined to the opinion that he could get it if he would. But the latter idea I did not lay before my aunt; I only said, Perhaps he will come soon."

"I wish he would," said Lady Crawdour; "for I don't believe one bit in Miss Duchesne's cold; and John Randolph has come down to Landon Court again!"

Lord John Randolph was a black sheep brother of Lady Lesham's.

He had been expelled from a school, and rusticated at an university. He had been before a county magistrate for cock-fighting, and before a city one for being drunk and disorderly. He had been defendant in two actions

with bill discounters (verdict for plaintiffs both times). He had been a bankrupt and a corespondent. He had spent all his own money, and as much of his relations' and friends money as he could get them to trust him with, and some that they had not trusted him with at all; after which event, he had been sent to New Zealand.

But neither fighting Maoris, nor any other of the amusements or pursuits of New Zealand, had suited Lord John Randolph; and he had come home again, to the great disgust of every one connected with him, for nobody knew what to do with him; though they all agreed that something should be done with him. At last, Lady Lesham, his eldest sister, who had not spoken to him for five years, brought him down to Landon Court, he was not a North Longshire man,—and the very next day took him with her to call at Texton.

John Randolph had now neither youth,

health, or good looks, money, wit, or reputation; his sole possession of any marketable value was the title of Lord, which the law allowed him to prefix to his name; but the worth of that in the eyes of the Duchesnes, Lady Lesham was quite aware of,-so was Lady Crawdour.

"She is a most worldly-minded woman," said my aunt; "we all know what her object is,-Miss Duchesne's fortune. I do wish Mountiford would come home."

Perhaps about a fortnight had passed since Lord John Randolph's second coming to Landon Court, during which time Miss Duchesne's cold had not recovered at all; when one morning I got a letter from Philip.

This, as may be supposed, was no rare event. His letters had long ago filled my writing desk, work-box, and dressing-case, and overflowed into my wardrobe; they had become a little less incoherent, though not at all shorter, and

very little more grammatical; but were as agreeable to me as ever.

I

I took this letter in my pocket when I went out for my morning walk in the plantation. had become so sensible now, that I was always able to allow myself to walk in the plantation every fine morning. I did now and then shed a tear or two, when I came to the spot where we dropped the violets, or where he said Goodbye; but, on the whole, I was able to conduct myself so rationally that there was no reason why I should deny myself this small indulgence.

I took the letter to read. Of course I had read it already; but these manuscripts bore re-perusal very well, indeed; I am not sure but that I enjoyed the second reading more than the first; for in the first I was always in too great a hurry to know what was in the end, to pay proper attention to the beginning or middle. As soon as I was well in the planta