there are the swans, Snowflake and Eiderdown, as I have christened them."

"It is a charming spot," observed Cyril, leaning over the fence to look at the beautiful creatures. He was quite unaware, as he lounged there, that he added another picturesque effect to the landscape, his bright blue coat and peaked cap making a spot of color against Audrey's white gown. **So that is the island where Kester found the forget-me-nots for Mollie? It looks as though one could carry it off bodily in one's arms," he continued, after a reflective pause.

66

"Mr. Blake, I will not permit such remarks," returned Audrey, laughing. "I have often paddled myself about the lake. At least it is deep enough to drown one. Now tell me how Mollie is."

66

Mollie is inconsolable because she has not seen you for two whole days. She spent most of the morning at the window in the hope of seeing you pass."

66 Nonsense!"

66

Oh, it is a fact, I assure you. My mother told me so herself. Will there be any chance of your looking in to-morrow, Miss Ross? I am going back now, and I am sure such a message would make Mollie happy for the remainder of the evening."

Audrey smiled.

"I do not think I will send the message, Mr. Blake. I half thought of calling on some friends of mine who live a little way out of Rutherford, but if I have time-"

She paused, not quite knowing how to finish her sentence.

Well, I will say nothing about it," he returned, quickly. "You have been far too good to us already. Mollie must not presume on your kindness;" and then he took up his racket. "Why are you leaving us so early, Mr. Blake? There is surely time for another game?"

"Thanks; I must not stop any longer now. My mother asked me to take her for a walk, and, as Kester can do without me this evening, I promised that I would."

"And you will take Mollie? There is such a pretty walk across the fields to Everdeen Wood, if Mrs. Blake does not mind a few stiles. Mollie will not, I am sure.

"I think Mollie will prefer to stay with Kester," he replied, quickly. "I am sorry to leave so early, Miss Ross, but one does not like to disappoint other people.

66

I begin to think you are one of the unselfish ones,"" thought Audrey, as she gave him her hand. Then aloud: "You must come to us next Monday, Mr. Blake, for I am

sure my brother-in-law will want his revenge. Booty, so of course his master is not far off. meet him."

Oh, there is 1 will go and

Then she nodded to Cyril, and turned off into a side path just as Captain Burnett came in sight.

66

Are they still playing, Michael?"

"No. Harcourt wants to be off; he and Gage are to dine at the Fortescues', so they have agreed to break up earlier. Why is Blake leaving us so soon? Your father proposed that he should be asked to dinner.'

"He

"I don't think he would be persuaded," she replied, wishing that she had not taken him so easily at his word. has promised to take his mother for a walk. He is really a very good son. Most young men care only about their own pleasure."

66

"I think I like him," returned Michael in his slow, considering tone. "We had a smoke together yesterday up in my room, and I confess he interested me. He seems to feel his responsibility so with respect to that poor boy. He was very grateful to me for my proposed help, and said so in a frank, manly fashion that somehow pleased me."

"I am so glad you like him, Michael!" and Audrey's tone expressed decided pleasure.

66

Oh, we shall hit it off very well, I expect; but 1 dare say we shall not see very much of each other. He goes in for cricket, and makes tremendous scores, I hear, and the Hill house will soon monopolize him. He is too good-looking a fellow not to be a favorite with the ladies-eh, Audrey?"

"I am sure I don't know," returned Audrey, who could be a trifle dense when she chose. "I do not think Mr. Blake is a lady's man, if that is what you mean. Don't you detest the genus, Michael?"

66

Do I not!" was the expressive answer; and then he went on: "I am quite of your opinion that Blake is a nice, gentlemanly fellow; but I think that brother of his is still more interesting. Poor little chap! he has plenty of brains; he is as sharp as some fellows of nineteen or twenty. Blake is clever enough, but one of these days Kester will make his mark. He has a perfect thirst for knowledge. I drew him out this morning, for we only made a pretense at work. You should have heard him talk."

66

That is exactly his brother's opinion," returned Audrey; and she repeated Cyril's words.

Michael was evidently struck by them.

"He seems very fond of him, and for the matter of that,

the poor boy is devoted to his brother. I suppose that accident has made a link between them. I do not know that I ever took so much interest in your protégés before. By the bye, what has become of the O'Briens, Audrey?"

66

I am going to see them to-morrow. I know what that inquiry means, Michael. You think that I am always so much taken up with new people that I forget my old friends; but you are wrong. And then she added, a little reproachfully: That you of all people should accuse me of fickleness!"

66

Captain Burnett smiled a little gravely.

I have a

"You are investing my words with too large a meaning. I do not think you in the least fickle; it is only your headlong sympathies that carry you away. But as Audrey looked a little mystified over this speech, he continued: "I would not have you neglect Mr. O'Brien for the world. I only wish Vineyard Cottage were a mile or two nearer, and I would often smoke a pipe in that earwiggy bower of his. profound respect for Thomas O'Brien. I love a man who lives up to his profession, and is not above his business. A retired tradesman who tries to forget he was ever behind the counter, and who goes through life aping the manners of gentlefolk, is a poor sort of body in my eyes; he is neither fish, fowl, nor good red herring. Now Mr. O'Brien is as proud of being a corn-chandler as "-he paused for a simile" as our drummer-boy was of belonging to the British army.

"Poor old man! he has seen a peck of trouble, as he calls it.

"There, you see," interrupting her delightedly, "his very language borrows its most powerful imagery from his past belongings. Do you or I, Audrey, in our wildest and most despairing moments, ever talk of a peck of trouble? Depend upon it, my dear, when Thomas made that speech, he was among his bins again; in his mind's eye he was measuring out his oats and beans. I think I hear him repeating again what he once said to me: 'It is such a clean, wholesome business, captain. I often dream I am back in the shop again, with my wife laying the tea in the back parlor. I can feel the grain slithering between my fingers, and even the dropping of the pease on the counter out of the overfilled bags is as plain as possible. Mat always did his work so awkwardly.

"I don't think he has ever got over the loss of his wife, Michael."

66 Of course not. Is he likely to do so, with Mrs. Baxter's lugubrious countenance opposite him morning, noon, and

night? I don't wonder her husband ran away from her; it would take a deal of principle to put up with such a trying

woman.

66

'Michael, I will not have you so severe on my friends. Mrs. Baxter is a very good woman, and she takes great care of her father. We can not all be gifted with good spirits. Poor Priscilla Baxter is a disappointed woman.

Michael shrugged his shoulders, but he was spared making any reply, as just then they encountered Geraldine and her husband. They were evidently looking for Audrey.

1

"Are you going, Gage?" observed Audrey, serenely. was just coming up to the house to wish you good-bye, only Michael detained me.

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"I thought you were with Mr. Blake," returned her sister, in a puzzled tone. "I wish you would come up to luncheon to-morrow-1 have scarcely spoken two words to you this afternoon. Edith is coming.

"It will be a pity to interrupt your tête-à-tête," returned Audrey, pleasantly; "Mrs. Bryce has always so much to say, and she comes so seldom. And, as her sister's face clouded, she continued: "I will run up for an hour on Wednesday, but I really can not neglect Mr. O'Brien any longer-he will have been looking for me day after day."

"Oh, if you are going to Vineyard Cottage," in a mollified tone that Audrey perfectly understood, “you will have tea there, of course.

66 Do you think Mrs. Baxter would let me come away without my tea?" returned Audrey, quickly.

She was inwardly somewhat annoyed at this questioning. She had meant to go to the Gray Cottage on her way; but now she must give that up: Mollie must watch for her a little longer. Perhaps she could go to Hillside in the morning and keep her afternoon free. And as she came to this conclusion, she bade her sister an affectionate good-bye. But as Geraldine took her husband's arm in the steep shrubbery walk, she said, in a dissatisfied tone:

"I am glad we found her with Michael; but, all the same, she and Mr. Blake were partners all the afternoon.

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· My dear Geraldine," returned Mr. Harcourt with assumed solemnity, "I think Audrey may be trusted to manage her own little affairs-she is two-and-twenty, is she not? When you have daughters of your own, my love, I am quite sure you will manage them excellently, and no young man will have a chance of speaking to them; but with Audrey it is another matter." And then, in a tragic under-tone: "Have you for

gotten, wife mine, a certain afternoon when you did me the honor of playing with me three whole sets, and then we cooled ourselves down by the lake, until your father hunted us out?"

Geraldine pressed her husband's arm gently; she remembered that afternoon well, and all Percival had said to herthey had just come to an understanding when her father interrupted them. For one moment her face softened at the sweet remembrance, and then she roused herself to remonstrate.

"But, Percy dear, this is utterly different. Audrey would never dream of falling in love with Mr. Blake. Fancy a girl in her position encouraging the attentions of a junior master. No, indeed; I was only afraid of a little flirtation. Of course Audrey declares she never flirts, but she has such a way with her-she is too kind in her manner sometimes."

"It is to be hoped that she will not break as many hearts as a certain young person I know-eh, Jerry?" and Geraldine blushed and held her peace.

She never liked to be reminded of the unlucky wooers who had shaken off the dust of Woodcote so sorrowfully. As for Mr. Harcourt, he delighted in these proofs of conquest. Geraldine had not been easy to win-she had given her lover plenty of trouble; but she was his now, and, as he often told himself, no man had ever been more fortunate in his choice. For Mr. Harcourt, in spite of his delight in teasing, was very deeply in love with his beautiful wife.

CHAPTER IX.

MAT.

Sympathy or no sympathy, a man's love should no more fail toward his fellows than that love which spent itself on disciples who altogether misunderstood it, like the rain which falls on just and unjust alike.— MARK RUTHERFORD.

VINEYARD COTTAGE, where the retired corn-chandler had elected to spend the remnant of his days, was no pretentious stucco villa; it was a real old-fashioned cottage, with a big roomy porch well covered with honeysuckle and sweet yellow jasmine, and a sitting-room on either side of the door, with one small-paned window, which was certainly not filled with plate-glass. It was a snug, bowery little place, and the fresh dimity curtains at the upper windows, and the stand of blossoming plants in the little passage, gave it a cheerful and inviting aspect. The tiny lawn was smooth as velvet, and a row of tall white lilies, flanked with fragrant lavender, filled the one narrow bed that ran by the side of the privet hedge.

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