Year: 1859

not to burst out crying, Lady Cheverels
conversation and presence were less trying; for
her ladyship felt no more than calm satisfaction
in this family event and besides, she was
further sobered by little jealousy at Sir
Christopher 8 anticipation of pleasure in seeing
Lady Asshcr cnshrned in his memory as mild
eyed beauty of sixteen, with whom he had ex
changed locks before he went on his first travels.
Lady Cheverel would have died rather than
confess it, but she couldn't help hoping that
he would be disappointed in Lady ASHER, and
rather ashamed of having called her so charm
ing.


Mr.. Gilfl watched Caterina through these
days with mixed feelings Her suffering went
to his heart; but, even for her sake, he was glad
that love which could never come to good
should be no longer fed by false hopes; and
how could he help saying to himself, " Perhaps,
after while, Caterina will be tired of fretting
about that cold-hearted puppy, and then :"


Atlength the much-expected day arrived, and
the brightest of September suns was lighting up
the yellow lime-trees, as about five clock Lady
Assher's carriage drove under the portico.
Caterina, seated at work in her own room heard
the rolling of the wheels, followed presently by
the opening and shutting of doors, and the sound
of voices in the corridors. Remembering that
the dinner-hour was six, and that Lady Chever-
Ell had desired her to be in the drawing room
early, she started up to dress, and was delighted
to find herself feeling suddenly brave and
strong. Curiosity to see Miss Assher--the
thought that Anthony was in the house-the
wish not to look unattractive, were feelings
that brought some colour to her lips, and made
it easy to attend to her toilette. They would
ask her to sing this evening, and she would
sing well. Miss ASHER should not think her
utterly insignificant. So she put on her grey
silk gown and her cherry-coloured ribbon with
as much care as if she had been herself the
betrothed; not forgetting the pair of round
pearl earrings which Sir Christopher had told
Lady Cheverel to give her, because Tina's little
ears We're so pretty.


Quick as she had been, she found SIR Christie
pher and Lady Cheverel in the drawing.room,
chatting with Mr.. Gilfl, and telling him how
handsome Miss Assher was, but how entirely
unlike her mother-apparently resembling her
father only.





Aha !" said Sir Christopher, as he turned
to look at Caterina, .'w what do you think of
this, Maynard2 Did you ever see Tina look SO
pretty before? Why, that little grey gown
has been made opt Of bit Of my lady's hasn't
it? 1t dosen't take anything much larger than
pocket-handkerchief to dress the little mon
key"


Lady Cheverel, too, serenely radiant in the
assurance single glance had given her of Lady
Assher's inferiority, smiled approval and Cater
ina was in one of those moods of selfpossession
and Indifference which come as the ebb-tide
between the struggles of passion. She retired to
the piano, and busted herself with arranging
her music, not at all insenslble to the pleasure Of
being looked at with admiration the while, and
thinking that, the next time the door opened
Captain Wybrow would enter, and she would
speak to him quito cheerfully. But when she
heard him come in, and the scent of roses float
ed towards her, her heart gave one great leap.
She knew nothing till he was pressing her hand
and saying, in the old easy way, /" Well, Cate
rina, how do you do? You look quite bloom.
ing"


She felt her cheeks reddening with anger that
he could speak and look with such perfect non.
chalance. All he was too deeply in love with
some one else to remember anything he had felt
for her. But the next moment she was
conscious of her folly -" as if he could show
any feeling then !" This conflict of emotions
stretched into long interval the few moments
that elapsed before the door opened again, and
her own attention, as well as that of all the
rest, was absorbed by the entrance of the two
ladies.


The daughter was the more striking from the
contrast she presented to her mother, round
shouldered, middle-szed woman, who had once
had the transient pink white beauty of a
blonde, with ill-defined features and early EN-.
bonpoint. Miss Assher was tall, and gracefully
though substantially formed, carrying herself
with an air of mingled graciousness and self
confidence her dark brown hair, untouched by
power, hanging in bushy curls round her face,
and falling behind in long thick ringlets nearly
to her waist. The brilliant carmine tint of her
well-rounded cheeks, and the fnely-cut outline
of her straight nose, produced an impressi IN Of
splendid beauty, in spite of commonplace brown
eyes, narrow forehead, and thin lips. She
was in mourning, and the dead black of her
Grape dress, relieved here and there by jet orna-
ments, gave the fullest effect to her complexion
and to the rounded whiteness of her arms, bare
from the elbow. The first coup d'eil was daz
zlng, and us she stood looking down with a
gracious smile on Caterina, whom Lady Chever.
cl was presenting to her, the poor little thing
seemed to herself to feel, for the first time, all
the folly of her former dream.


8" We are enchanted with your place. Sil
Christopher" said Lady ASHER, with a feeble
kind of pompousness, which she seemed to bt
copylng from some one else I'm sure youl
nephew must have thought Fareigh wretchedly
out of order Poor Sir John was SO very care
less about keeping up the house and grounds
often talked to him about it, but be said
Pooh, pooh as long as my friends find gooc
dinner and good bottle Of wine, they won
care about my ceilings being rather smoky. HI
was SO very hospitable, was Sir john
q think the view of the house from the park
just after we passed the bridge, particularly
fne,' said Miss ASHER, interrosing rather