"Do you mean you won't let me ?" "Certainly not."

"Then I won't go, that I won't," and he flung himself upon the floor in a passion of tears.

Mrs. Wynne knew it was useless to reason or argue with Gordon when in this state. To command? That she could not venture. She could not risk the entry into such a struggle for mastery as she had with Paul or David when far older than Gordon, with her youngest born and best loved child. She thought herself quite sufficiently hard-hearted to leave him to go and dress herself. As it was, the little delay there had already been, made her keep the pony carriage waiting two minutes, a most unusual event: she would not offer the vacant place to one of the others, hoping to the last that he would repent. No, they were all in the pony carriage, Paul impatient to crack his whip and be off. There was no excuse for any further delay.

Hetty!"

Henrietta ran down the flagged pathway to the high iron gates swung so grandly open.

66

Yes, mamma.

My dear," said Mrs. Wynne, speaking low and bending over the carriage to her, "see that Gordon is amused and happy, it is a terrible disappointment to him. Perhaps you could all walk to Fordhurst, he was wanting the other day to go nutting-in half-an-hour or so.— Thank you. Now, Paul! Good-bye all."

And so Paul drove off, not at all sorry his youngest brother was not behind him to engross his mother's attention, for thus he had her all to himself.

Henrietta sauntered about the garden for ten minutes with Frank, (who was bound by a ten o'clock train to spend some days with some college friend near Chelmsford,) then made a feint at a little house-keeping, next took out the dress she had worn the preceding evening to mend, but found the flounce pulled off for such a distance, she left it for Hannah after all, and then ventured to the parlour to see what could be done with Gordon.

He was crouching in a corner of the sofa pretending to read. Mr. Cradock, a much more unwelcome sight to

Henrietta (for she was always a little shy of him) was reading in good earnest at the window. She bent over the sofa. "Gordon!"

No answer.

"Gordon, dear, we are going to Fordhurst Wood, you will come with us ?"

Her accents were so pretty in their persuasiveness, Mr. Cradock could not but pause to listen.

No answer.

66

'Do, there's a good boy; we are all going, and it will be such fun."

Gordon was silent in smouldering passion.

“Come, look up, boy, and say yes!" pursued Hetty half laughing, and trying to raise that obstinately bent head.

"Go away!" cried Gordon, not only pushing off her soft white hand, but hitting her with his own.

"You wretch, you!" cried Mr. Cradock springing forward, seizing the boy by both his arms and dragging him up, looking all the while as if he would much have preferred knocking him down; "how dare you strike your sister? Beg her pardon this minute!"

Henrietta, between astonishment at Gordon's blow and Mr. Cradock's prompt and unexpected indignation, had as yet said and done nothing. Now one glance into her little brother's face showed her he was astonished and awed, but none the more likely to obey this imperious command.

"His sister has no time to wait for scenes," she said with a woman's quick tact, and forcing a laugh, "she must go and dress herself," and away she ran.

In the hall she met Barbara. 66 Barbara, go to the parlour and keep the peace, Mr. Cradock must leave him alone before you," and she ran up stairs.

But Mr. Cradock was already following her. For each step she took his long resolute legs took five; and when she dashed into her mother's sitting-room at the head of the stairs, he knocked and entered too.

"Henrietta!"

"Go, go!" she cried, stamping her foot and struggling with her tears.

VOL. XXV.

"He has not hurt you ?" he asked anxiously.

"Not me, only my feelings," she answered, trying to smile.

"I shall tell Mr. Wynne."

"You won't," and she laughed, or tried to do so, for it ended in a sob. "You are hurt."

"No, only upset.

How silly I am."

Mr. Cradock still looked at her doubtfully.

"I am not a bit hurt," she said earnestly; "and if I had been, your caring for it so much would have made the pain pleasure." "You sweet woman!" thought Mr. Cradock. It was very seldom he was beguiled even into fondness of tone, now he bent down and just touched her forehead with his grave lips.

Then, Miss Wynne, I will wait for you and your sisters in the garden," he said in his usual voice the moment afterwards, as if nothing had passed, and turned and went away. But from that moment Henrietta loved him tenfold more than she had ever done before.

But if she had not loved him with all her ready young heart six months before, why had she engaged herself to him? Those who know such a character as Henrietta Wynne's, will well feel how and why, though they might find it hard to describe how its good points-simplicity, trustingness, and sweet humour,-its less favourable ones, a carelessness often bordering on audacity, and at times upon recklessness,-a heart easily touched by admiration and affection,-combined together to let her drift into pledging herself to one so unlike herself both in tastes and disposition. So sensible and intellectual, no wonder his devotion to so gay and idle a girl as herself both touched and delighted her; so grave and composed, that the awe in which she had ever in secret stood of him had in it a vague pleasure. True, she had once or twice seen this gravity degenerate into a sullen resentment which appalled her, and could not but be conscious that altogether she regarded him with more fear and respect than she quite liked to be mingled with her love towards the man who would hereafter be her husband. But surely a freer

love would come at the right time, if not before marriage, after it; and as to failings of temper, who was perfect? certainly not herself; and if she should have to bear with some ill-humour, he would have to bear with a great deal more carelessness and audacity.

Touched by this little mark of love as she was, and happy in each remembrance of it, she soon vexed him sorely. Barbara and Elizabeth succeeded as little as herself in inducing Gordon to join the nutting party. Henrietta declared they were only going for his sake, and so should not go this morning at all; perhaps after dinner he would think better of it. Mr. Cradock had thought she was going at least as much for the pleasure of his company as for that of such a "passionate, ill-conducted boy as he took care to tell her her youngest

brother was.

He went up to his own room to write letters, but soon came down, ashamed of having been betrayed into speaking uncourteously of any of his host's family, and for the last hour before dinner sat with her under the mulberry tree, she working a collar for her mother, he reading to her "Hamlet," which he had been greatly shocked the night before to find she had never even looked at.

When they were seated at the dinner table, Henrietta its bright merry head, Gordon was discovered to be missing.

"Go and see where he is, Will," said the eldest sister. "Oh, he's in the schoolroom safe enough," answered the schoolboy, not offering to move.

'Well, tell him.”

Oh, he knows. I offered to let him out, but he wouldn't come."

"Let him out ?"

"Yes," answered honest, plain-faced Will, smiling. "When I went in after school and asked a civil question, he answered by shying his knife at me-I daresay it's sticking in the wainscot still-so I returned the compliment by locking him in."

"Oh, Will, you shouldn't!"

"Shouldn't: why not? I think it was the most sen

Mr. Cradock impatiently, thinking s more thought than enough on such as "may I send you some chicken ?" "Thank you."

Hannah put the plate before her. some potatoe and sauce, please, Hanna In a few moments it was brought ba all these good things. Hetty rose. "Hetty, where are you going now?

Only to take Gordon his dinner." "Only. Excuse me, Miss Wynne, without me," said Mr. Cradock, rising self between the young girl and the do

"I certainly don't go with you," sai a moment's pause; "then, Hannah, yo "Feed the wild beast through the ba put in Will; "but take precious good him out, it would be as much as my lif

"Will," said Henrietta with a sudd dignity and sharpness, as soon as the "you must not speak so to the servant

"I was addressing myself to Mr. Cr Will, after a moment's hesitation as to venture on the liberty. "I thought he to undertake the little viper."

"Nasty little ill-tempered wretch," a Come, do leave the poor boy alon thing more pleasant to talk about," rietta good-humouredly; "we-Mr. C Elizabeth, and I-are going to Fordhu will you go with us ?"

"If you'll blackball that

"He's the head and chief of the p going for his amusement. Will you co "I'm going to walk with Mason," sa "And I'm going to cricket," said Wi "Well, you, David ?"

"And I'm kept in," said David, brig