very lovely, Mrs. Vining had found an opportunity to whisper her strong disapproval of this beauty-unadorned whim of Floy's into Augusta's ear.

She had known little or nothing of Colonel Crofton before; for his offer to Augusta had been a sudden thing, and he had never been a visitor at their house during her father's lifetime. But now, on this night, whether it was through some few but well-chosen and judicious sentences of praise about Miss Clifford, or because he seemed to know a great deal about Gerald, and could tell her what a favourite he was in his corps-now, after talking with him through the music for some three-quarters of an hour, Florence seemed to know him very well and like him very much. He was acknowledged to be a great critic in matters dramatic and musical, too; and here he was agreeing with her view of things, and complimenting her delicately, in a veiled, irresistible way, upon her true and cultivated taste.

Florence Knightly's heart beat quicker when she heard him tell her sister, while an undercurrent of mournful, manly frankness ran through his tones, that he should do himself the pleasure of calling at - Piccadilly, and renewing the acquaintance which had, so unhappily for him, been interrupted. Almost for the first time in her life Floy felt angry with Gussie, for the latter acquiesced in the proposed scheme of the colonel's with what appeared to Florence repulsive coldness.

Georgie Clifford would be rather late in the field with that warning she was going to give Rupert about Colonel Crofton the next day.

Others had talked through the music, too. Sir Francis Tollemache had found time to let Augusta know that he was tired of this sort of thing, and should wake her mother up to-morrow, and Augusta had entreated him not to ask: Wretched as it will be, Frank,' said she, 'if things are all wrong, it will be well for you not to trouble yourself by asking for what may be refused, after all.' And though Frank Tollemache repeated that he should make the attempt to-morrow, he bit the

ends of his tawny moustache with mortification, for Sir Francis Tollemache, rich in ancestry and honour and singleness of heart, was but a poor baronet; and he knew, better than any one could tell him, that he could not marry unless Gussie had her fortune. After this disturbing of the embers of his grievance, the strains of some of the sweetest singers in the world fell harshly on his ears; and standing behind her chair, looking down on the wellloved, beautiful, graceful head of the lady that should have been his bride, his mind began to be filled with some rather uncharitable and unchristian thoughts concerning that lady's father and mother.

Men of that age are invariably more agreeable than younger ones, thought Floy, as the pressure of his hand in farewell was still warm on hers, and the tones of his 'good night; I purpose honouring myself by calling upon you to-morrow, Miss Knightly,' were still ringing in her ears. What a mind he has, and what a voice! and though she mentioned the mind of the gallant colonel first, even to herself, yet it was of the quality of the latter that she thought most.

That youngest Miss Knightly is handsomer even than her sister, Crofton,' said a man who joined him immediately after he had taken leave of Mrs. Vining and her party. There was nothing else so lovely in the house to-night-she's lengths a-head of everyone else.'

I object to turfy comparisons, Stanley; I think I have told you so before,' answered Colonel Crofton; 'for the rest, I think it very absurd of Miss Knightly to play the "Woman in White" to crowded and fashionable audiences.'

It suits her style,' said the other, laughing.

And a very bad style it is that descends to stage tricks to produce effects. Handsomer than her sister? Augusta is sublime.' And Florence?'

Stanley.

interrupted

'Ridiculous; good night.'

Surely Georgie would have felt satisfied that he did not contemplate winning the hand and heart of

Rupert's sister, could she have heard that speech.

He

For many hours after Florence had pressed the pillow that night, she remained awake thinking over every word, recalling every look, tone, and gesture of the man who had stood by her side during those too quickly fleeting hours. They seemed a great deal to her; but they were in reality trifling enough in matter. Colonel Crofton was not at all the kind of man to give the reins to his tongue and let it carry him on to dangerous ground. had told her one or two short anecdotes relating to one or two of the Vocalists whose strains were ravishing their ears at that present time, and whom he had known at Malta he said-a circumstance which directly caused them to assume a new and far greater interest in Floy's heart, than their glorious talent had procured for them before. And he had hinted disparagement at the taste of those who in vivid colours and gorgeous array surrounded them. Floy made up her mind on the spot to wear white muslin and nothing on it,' through all time. And he had declared himself to be getting an old and uncared-for man, who, when he dropped from his humble niche into the grave, would do so unregretted and unmissed; and this had nearly brought the tears into Floy's eyes, as he observed to his intense amusement. He had made some little remarks about Tollemache too, in a tolerant sort of way, and glanced at him with what seemed to Floy hardly suppressed contempt. She had always been very fond of Frank before, and done full justice to the open, noble nature of her future brother-in-law; but after this speech, and the look down from those grand heights, she found that she herself did not think Frank quite good enough for Gussie.

And what did Colonel Crofton think, when he pressed his downy couch? Was he full of love and reverence for the pure young nature which had been so ready to believe in him? May be so: but the one sentence he muttered before he fell asleep did not look like it. 'If the mother's as weak as I've heard, as

weak as her youngest daughter, indeed, Miss Gussie will repent of the scornful glances she gave me so freely to-night.'

Two years before, Colonel Crofton had really fallen desperately in love, really and truly, with Augusta Knightly. Her proud beauty had made the keen man of the world lose his head for the first time. He would have lost anything to win her; and he had failed. From the day her answer fell cold and clear upon his ear and heart-and she was not a soft, tender woman to the generality of men-he had determined that she should be made to suffer for it. He would have won her brother's plighted bride from him, and then jilted her, to hurt and wound Augusta Knightly. But now, now there was a brighter opening. Her own mother's hand, guided by him, should deal a blow that she should wince under; and Florence, her beautiful sister, should be made the means of throwing dust in their eyes, until everything was settled and he could unmask his battery. The road was fair and clear before him; it would be easy to travel along it; and with this soothing and comforting reflection, Colonel Crofton fell calmly asleep, while Florence, with open eyes and glowing cheeks, dreamt of a nature grand and lofty, of a heart purified and ennobled by some past sorrow, of a wound which she might heal.

I hope they will all like him. I hope mamma, above all, will like him, was one of her last thoughts.

Poor dear Floy, said Augusta to herself that night, that man is very much mistaken if he thinks to win her. Oh dear! I wonder what mamma will say to Frank to-mor

Rimmel's patent vaporiser-sighed past her unheeded. For the fair widow was plunged deep in thought -or what stood her in lieu of itbuilding castles in the air.

She had come to the business and cares and pleasures of the day in rather an aggrieved frame of mind. For her daughters, in talking over the events of the previous night, though they had dutifully regretted she could not share such delights with them, had done so in a manner that proved that the impossibility of the thing was more vividly before their minds than the melancholiness of it. Mrs. Knightly was not at all the sort of woman calmly to contemplate the idea of being shelved; and she had not been sorry when her dear children withdrew, and she could uninterruptedly cherish her woes within her own breast.

Mrs. Knightly had put on a grey silk this day; a grey silk with some frills and falls of lace about it, in place of the too suggestive crape. And on her head, instead of the plain, simple widow's cap, which her children would have loved to see her wear, she had an arrangement of cloudy tulle and lace, which blended most becomingly with her dusky, soft, brown hair, and delicate complexion. A mild-eyed, kindly, pretty woman she looked-and was

-on this fine summer morning, when Colonel Crofton was ushered into her presence.

Now before I go any further, I must devote a few lines to Colonel Crofton, lest injustice should be done him. He is not to be the villain and worthless character of my story, without an end or aim. He was a man who had a slight predilection for doing the right thing, if it did not cost him anything; but he would say, 'Farewell, for a time, to honour,' if the doing so would add anything very considerable to his yearly income. If doing Augusta Knightly a good and friendly turn would have made him master of thirty thousand a year, he would have waived the righteous wrath he had lavished upon her for two years, and have done her that turn and given her his blessing in addition. But as it

was, he saw his way to gaining something like that sum through doing Augusta Knightly the reverse of a kind and friendly turn. He was getting too old to be sentimental, he said to himself, therefore he should take that way.

Mrs. Knightly knew nothing of Colonel Crofton as the rejected suitor for her eldest daughter's hand. Augusta kept such things to herself,-to herself and her brother Rupert, who had of course told Georgie. But she knew he was a rather intimate friend of the Vinings, and a man who had a very good standing in society; and though she had only seen him three or four times previous to her widowhood, something in his manner, as he entered the room and bowed over her hand, impressed her with the idea that she was receiving rather an old friend than otherwise.

'My daughters are out riding,' she explained, in answer to his inquiry as to his companions of the night before. Gerald, that's my youngest son, came up and persuaded them to go out, rather against Florence's will, I think, for she does not seem very well this morning; she was rather late, you know, last night-late, at least, considering what a quiet year we've all had.' Mrs. Knightly looked pathetically pensive, and Colonel Crofton called up a fellow expression immediately, though he was mentally smiling in perfect appreciation of Miss Florence Knightly's unwillingness to ride.

Is Knightly up to-day?' he asked, after a moment. What a fine fellow he is, Mrs. Knightly; I never met with a more popular man in a corps than Gerald is in his.'

'He is a fine, handsome boy, and a dear good boy too,' replied the flattered mother; he's very much like what his poor dear father was at his age.'

Colonel Crofton did not desire the lady to grow retrospective, especially about Gerald's poor dear father; so he twirled a paper-knife round and said nothing.

'You'll find a likeness of Gerald -likenesses' of all my children, in fact-in that album, Colonel Crofton; there's one of me, too,' she continued,

blushing freshly, 'but it was taken before the time of my sad trial; you won't see any likeness now probably. I've altered very much.'

Yes, Colonel Crofton thought to himself, the old lady looks a few degrees more lively now than when this was taken, but he said

'These things never do justice to ladies, Mrs. Knightly; this is very pleasing, very pretty, but still;well, at the risk of your feeling offended at the disparagement of your photographer, I must repeat it,-it does not do you justice.'

'So my sons tell me, foolish boys; that one you're looking at now is my eldest daughter; a good one, isn't it?'

Yes,' Colonel Crofton said, a very good one.' If she had been watching his face, she would have seen that it had grown a little paler. It was a double album, and on the opposite page to Augusta there was a likeness of Sir Francis Tollemache.

'And that's Miss Clifford,' she continued, as he turned a leaf or two.

'I wish you were married to him, and off out of the way for a few weeks,' he thought, as he looked at the face which retained its bright, fearless frankness even in a photograph.

Your son is a lucky man, Mrs. Knightly, unless report errs; this Miss Clifford, for whom I, in common with most people, have a very profound admiration and respect, will soon stand in a somewhat nearer relation to you than she does at present.'

Mrs. Knightly liked Georgie very much as soon as Colonel Crofton praised her.

Yes, I hope so; a dear girl she is, and so attached to Rupert. I have serious thoughts of giving them Warmingston.' It was the first time the idea of making such an alarming sacrifice had entered into her head; but she thought it would look well to show Colonel Crofton that she was as fully alive to the merits of her son's future wife as most people were.

And this is Tollemache, surely,' said Colonel Crofton, speaking very fast, and turning back to the objec

VOL. I.-NO. III.

tionable page; 'poor Tollemache! I pity that fellow; poverty is bad enough; but poverty and a baronetcy together must be a little too much."

Do you mean our TollemacheSir Francis Tollemache, Colonel?' asked Mrs. Knightly, eagerly.

The same; he's unfortunately gone a little fast with that property of his. I heard a year or so ago that he was going to right himself by making a wealthy marriage.'

Mrs. Knightly immediately conjured up a horribly vivid picture of her beloved Augusta in a garret, with three or four ragged children about her, and all her money gone.

'Why, he's engaged to my eldest daughter!' she exclaimed at last.

'Then let my most unfortunate communication be forgotten, madam; let me intreat you not to think more of what I, in my utter ignorance of existing circumstances, have unguardedly said.'

'Not think about it? Indeed I shall think, and speak about it too, Colonel.'

There's no help for you; you must be frightened into circumspection,' thought Colonel Crofton. So after looking darkly at one mossrose bud in the carpet for a time, he raised his eyes, fraught with severity, to her face, and said

'I need not impress upon you, Mrs. Knightly, the absolute necessity there is that my name should not be mixed up in this matter in your communications to your daughter. Should it be so, I can only tell you the results will be probably most awful, most painful for you to contemplate; but I need not tell you this.'- -That, said he to himself, has sent her off, thinking of pistols and coffee, and will keep her quiet.

'I must speak to my child, Colonel,' commenced the harassed lady.

By all means; but you need not mention me; it would at once put a stop to that friendly intercourse which Mrs. Knightly has inspired me with a wish to create between us.'

'Well, I won't, Colonel; and I'm sure you are very polite and kind to say so. But she shall not marry

Q

him. As a parent, I should not be justified. All property has its cares.'

Colonel Crofton had never suffered from the cares which property brought with it; but he agreed with her nevertheless-agreed, that is, with as much of her disjointed speech as he understood. He even went so far as to say that he was convinced she was one who would nobly fulfil all the duties property brought with it.

But they are very, very onerous, Colonel. Many, many a time have I been tempted to give everything to Rupert. I should have done so, dear fellow, if I had only had my own feelings to consult; but there is Mr. Knightly's last wish to be thought of, and his wish was ever law to me.'

This was a gratifying sentiment from the lips of a woman who had meekly thwarted the most devoted of husbands in every little scheme he had ventured to originate, with admirable perseverance, for six or seven-and-twenty years.

And most properly so, Mrs. Knightly; it does you the greatest honour.'

Mrs. Knightly began to look upon herself as a woman of a very grand and exalted character.

Those dear children have all the pleasure of it, as is right, and I have the worry,' continued the blooming martyr. My lawyer has been with me this morning; there is always something to be done, and thought about. It's quite fatigued me, but I never shrink from my duties-never.'

Her duties this morning had not been of such an arduous nature as her speech would have led one to suppose. Her lawyer, a sensible old gentleman, who despised the widow of his friend and former client as much as he disliked his will, had been with her for four minutes and a half. He had rapidly read once ten lines, which she could not comprehend, and did not attempt to, and asked her to sign it, which she had done, marvelling the while whether he was struck with the beauty of her hand, the whiteness of which was well set off by the

blackest and widest of mourning rings.

She's a terrible fool this woman,' thought the colonel; 'I have been here long enough for once; and now I'll be off to the Park, and join Augusta.'

'He's one of the nicest, best-informed men I ever met with,' soliloquised Mrs. Knightly, as she listened to the echo of the firm military strides. 'He's right about that photograph; I'll have another taken. And about Gussie's, too. Oh, dear, dear! what troubles mothers have!'

Georgie Clifford did not think about Colonel Crofton until Rupert and herself had taken a turn or two up and down the Row, when catching sight of the Misses Knightly at some little distance, riding with their youngest brother, she claimed

ex

'Look! there's Gerald and the girls; let us join them, Rupert. Oh! but wait first. I have something to tell you.' And then she told him of that conversation had held with Colonel Crofton, a night or two before, at Mrs. Vining's.

she

Rupert had felt rather indifferent about whether Colonel Crofton married his sister or not, as he looked upon him as a very good sort of fellow, until he learned that he had tried to win Georgie from him. The knowledge of that fact altered his views, and caused him to think that it would be very wrong and reprehensible indeed of him to allow Floy to have anything to say to Crofton, if he could help it. By the time Georgie and himself had finished discussing the subject, and put their horses into a canter to join the others, the group had received an addition in the person of Frank Tollemache. Augusta Knightly was a very proud woman; but she was prouder for the man she had given her love to than for herself. thinking over the determination Frank had come to the night before, she had decided that she would not allow him to run the risk of being humbled by a refusal. She would herself ask her mother to do her the simple justice of giving her without further delay the fortune her father

In