Year: 1878

Notwithstanding her guardians injunction
Mary was up with the sun next morning
She had slept off her fatigue, and thoug b lndo
lent in most respects, she was not so In the
matter of early rising. When she was dress
ed, she opened her window and looked out
The air was delightfully."- fresh, and the lawn
bespaugled with dew and glistening in the
early light of the sun, tempted her to morn
ing ramble. She put on her garden hat, and
throwing a shawl over her shoulders, went
down stairs and out at the front door, with
out meeting any one on the way. She want
ed to see something more of the surroundings
of the house than she had seen on the prevl-
ous evening and crossing the lawn, she open
ed little gate that led into meadow beyond
and passed through She had not gone far,
however, before she espied some cows feeding
near the fence, and being too unaccustomed
to country life to feel at ease in such com'
pany, she retraced her steps in some haste,
and turned in the direction of the river instead.
The Young verdure of the trees aud shrubs, the
springinz grass, the bracing atmosphere, the
twitter of the birds, the tinkling of distant
cow-beIls, the purity and quiet ofthe landscape
were all delightful to her senses. She deter
mined to walk out every morning, since at
this season it was by far the pleasantest hour
of the day for exercise. She strolled along
the river bank for a little distance; then ind
ing by her watch that it wanted only quar-
ter of an hour of breakfast time, turned back
toward the house. She had not gone far IN
that direction when the sound of fast ap-
preaching horses feet near her, made her
look round. A young gentlman was riding
rapidly along the path she was pursuing, but
slackened his pace as he came behind her.
while at the same time she stood on one SIDE
to let him pass. He raised his hat with a
graceful gesture, a salutation to which she
responded with slight and rather stiff bow !;
then spurring his horse he was soon far ahead,
and she could see him, from distance, alIght-
ing at the house door.


"What an early visitor. He must be some
friend of Colonel Dacre's come to breakfast"
she thought with feeling Of annoyance,
for she disliked the idea of meeting stran-
ger so soon after her arrival. She was in
no haste to follow him but the recollection
that it would not be polite to keep break
fast waiting for her, made her quicken
her pace in order to be punctual. just
as the clock struck eight she entered the
breakfast room, and found, as she expected,
the stranger seated in conversation with her
guardian. Both gentlemen rose at her en-
trance, and Colonel Dacre held out his hand
to her with a smile.


Good morning. my DEAR" he said in his
kind tone. "You look as fresh as rose. |
supposed you were safe in bed, until | was
informed a few moments since that you were
seen strolling by the river. Let present to
YOU my young cousin, Mr.. Maurice Cleve-
land. Maurice, this is my ward, Miss Eustace.
of whom 1 was speaking to you just now"


Mr.. Cleveland made another graceful bow,
and Mary tried not to be formal in her man
ner though all her shyness seemed to return
in his presence. 1t had been easy enough for
her to preside at dinner on the previous even
ing hut she wished very much now that Col
onel Dacre had allowed her to take side
chair at the table. However, the tall tea
urn was some protection to her, and as ma
king the tea was the only duty incumbent
upou her, she found it less disagreeable there
than she had expected. She learned from the
conversation during breakfast, that Mr.. Cleve-
land had came up from town to make
short visit to Mossiands, chiefly to consult
Colonel Dacre on some business matter which
concerned them both but partly also for the
for the purpose of recreating after season
of close attention to business, he being law
yer by profession, and connected with wide
" known firm. He talked agreeably and
we'll, being fluent enough when the occasion
required, and proving an equally good listen
er. Mary liked his manner to Colonel Dacre,
which was tinctured with just enough ofdefer-
ence to mark the disparity of years between
them, yet sufficiently easy for the familiar
terms on which they stood.


you'll stow yourself in your old quarters,
Maurice-you know where to find them"
said the host as they rose from the table; a
speech from which it was easy to deduct the
fact that Mr. Cleveland was not an ipfrequent
visitor at his cousins house, and that he was
quite at home there.


Quite at home he seemed to be; for the
Colonel left him pretty much to his own de-
vices, attending to all his own affairs as
usual, and bestowing his attention in his leis-
ure hours chiefly upon Mary, who naturally
still felt lonely and strange. The young law
yer was at no loss to find entertainment He
spent much of his time out of doors with his
gun, and when at home made free with the
Coonel's books, even those in his private
sanctum, and anything else that came within
range of his fancy. He displayed very
pretty talent for drawing, and dashed off
some excellent little sketches in marvellous.
ly short space of time.


One rainy morning, when debarred from
his usual ramble through the fields and
woods, he was busy with his pencil and
sketch-book in the bow window, while Mary,
who had not left the room since breakfast,
amused herself with bit of fancy work in a
low chair at some distance of. firing Of the
delicate stitching after while, she dropped
the fabric from her hand, and leaning for
ward with her elbow on her knee, and her
ewes bent on the fire, fell into ft of musing,
so profound as to make her quite regardless
ofeyerything around her. Her attitude was