Year: 1878

speech to her aunt, but medltatlng on the line
of action she should pursue with her cousin
in order to render herself as obnoxious to
him as possible


Mr.. Proctor was expected to arrive in two
days time, and Mrs. Lynn did not write and
couutermand his visit; nor did she make any
further allusions to him till the day he was to
come, when she said to her niece


"Mr. Proctor is coming to-day, Cora. HE
will arrive about three o'clock so don't 60
rambling ten miles away"


Cora, who, at this moment, was reading by
the window, made no reply, but Immediately
rose up, called to her dogs, and ran off down
the lawn.


Half an hour later one of the servants re-
ported that Miss Cora had been seen walking
along the cliffs; and Mrs. Lynn felt certain
that her perverse niece had deliberately gone
for one of her long rambles She had been
puzzled from the time-six months before
that she had come to take charge of her
brother-in-law's child while he went back to
India to finish his term of service; she had
let her 20 her own way, as her father had
done-and very wild way it was. The first
attempt at restraint had been met by Cora
with an opposition that had put stop to all
further effort; now, however, Mrs. Lynn had
determined to make another endeavor, and
again she had failed.


"It's really disgraceful," said Mrs. Lynn,
as she went to attire herself to receive her
guest, ITO let girls run wild in this way. At
seventeen Cora is. mere child, and as un-
tanned as a young colt. What could Henry
have been about?"


The sun was moving towards the west when
tall, slim young figure came at easy stride
through the shrubbery at Alton End, follow
ed by three great shaggy dogs. The figure
was attired in stri ped Swiss cotton dress,
laid open loosely at the throat with wide
collar; the garment was torn in two or three
places, its owner having scrambled through
hedges in her rambles; large bough of may
was carried in the arms of the wanderer, her
hat hung down her back, and her rich curl.
ing hair was tumbled all about her. Alto
gether, Cora Lynn, who wished to show dis.
regard of the guest, formed as picturesque a
study as the most exacting artist could have
desired. As she came around the kitchen
entrance she was met by one of the servants
in state of excitement.


"Oh Miss Cora Mr.. Proctor has come.
Do run up and dress before the mistress sees
you. He's been there since three-such a
handsome gentleman-and your aunt has
been asking where you were."


Don't make FUSS" said Cora, coolly.
II shall dress when I have put my may In
water, not before Don't send Meg up-Ill
ring when I'm ready for her"


The defiant look had come into the large
eyes again, and she went up stairs whistling,
with her torn dress, her tumbled hair, her
great trailing bough of may, and dogs. As
she reached the hall she heard voices ap-
preaching, and deliberately paused. If this
was Allan Proctor, she would show him how
little she cared for him by receiving him in
this disorderly guise. The next moment,
through the open door, came her aunt in vic.
let satin and cap rich with Honiton lace, and
with her tall, slight man in fashionable
London attire-a fair and very handsome
nsn-wiith curly hair, which the -suu's rays
lighted into gold, and large, brilliant, blue
eyes. One glance only gave Cora to him,
though that glance pleased her; and so she
did not see the admiration in his eyes, yelled
but not hidden by the high.breeding which
forbids gentleman to display open admira.
tion of lady. Poor Coral He thoug ht of
nothing but her beauty as she stood there.
with her bough Of white and green setting off
her dark hair and soft complexion and bright
eyes. But her aunt saw the conventional
Of the interview, and her stern
frown was not lost upon Cora. 1t gave her
great delight.


"Back, at last, Cora," said Mrs. Lynn,
cheerfully. "a pretty plight you are in to
meet your cousin! Allan you must forgive
Cora-she never pays any regard to forms
and ceremonies"


1T is an easy task to forgive go pretty a
plight" said Mr.. Proctor, holding out his
hand and smiling.


There was something singularly soft and
tender in his manner, and his refined accent
and musical voice smote pleasantly on Cora s
ears; but she mentally set her teeth in the re.
solve not to give him cordial welcome, and
gave him her hand without an answering
smile and with an Indifferent air that must
have repelled him but for her winning beauty.
He did not seem, however, to notice it, but
glanced keenly at her and turned to caress
her dogs, who did not seem to share their
young mistress antipathy, but friskcd joyous
ly about him. Cora turned away.


"Incorrigible!" muttered the angry Mrs..
Lynn.


But Allan Proctor, who gave no signs of
having heard the remark, observed-"Por.
traits never do full justice. The child is
beautiful | must get her to let me draw her
crayons Put her on the walls of the Acad-
emy as she stood just now, and the picture
would be the sensation of the season."


Mrs. Lynn thought it was very kind of
Allan Proctor to overlook Cora's rudeness
but he had spoken in good &aith. He was a
thorough artist, and no mean executant; and
Cora would have hardly felt satisfied with
herself if she had known how great an i'm
preston for good she had made on her cous'
in-how her likeness more than anything
else had induced him to accept Mrs. Lynn's
invitation to Alton End, although he knew
very we'll that she was laying matrimonial
trap for him.


Cora did not summon Meg at all, but dress
ed herself, choosing the ugliest dress she could
6nd-though the ugliest was pretty, as she
had really no inartistic dresses to wear. She
tried to make herself "look bad," as she
termed it; but that was impossible, and the
result was that she came down to dinner look
ing as beautiful as ever. She thought A Ian
Proctor, with his London notions of fashiona-
ble harmony, would dislike violent contrasts
and "ioud' colors so she put on scarlet
bodice-her dress was lilac-and fastened a
yellow ribbon among her curls. But all this
made her look picturesque, though it would
have been dangerous experiment for an Or
dinary young lady.


Mrs. Lynn was thoroughly displeased with