Year: 1878

1t soon became apparent TO every one'
that Adelia had no idea of returning home,
Cor rather of leaving Mosslands) for some
time to come. She seemed quite to have es,
tablished herself as one of the household
there, and before the lapse Of many days, she
was as much at home as though she had been
there for years.


She was anxious to re.establish her former
relations with Maurice. Not that she was in
love with him now but her vanity and self:
love had been deeply wounded by his long
neglect and pslpable Indifference. Her OBJ
ject now was to bring bin once more under
her sway, subjugate him entirely, and then,
having brought him to her feet, punish him by
turning him into ridicule, and by proving to
him that she had been seeking her own
amusement alone 1t was more difficult,
however, for her to carry out this programme
than she had foreseen. There was one obsta.
Gle she VOTED not of, which made her efforts
futile; and this was Maurice's admiration for
Mary, which had begun to assume very
positive form indeed. 1t was, in truth,
merping into a warmer sentiment, which his
sense of honor was not keen enough to in.
duce him to control. So strongly, though
gradually, did all other feelings become SUBJ
servent to it, that, at last, it became the one
engrossing aim of his life to destroy the link
between his cousin and Mary, and win the at
fection of the latter for himself. He tried
to compromise the matter with his con-
science-for be had small remnant of that
article left-by assuring himself that no real
mischief would be done by breaking of that
most unsuitable match. He did not believe
that Mary was particle in love with the COL
onel She had merely accepted him because
circumstances had brought them together, and
because her heart had never otherwise been
touched. As to the Colonel, it was shame
that a middle-aged world. worn man, like
him, should wear 80 fresh and fair blossom
upon his breast, instead of leaving it to be
culed by younger hand. Maurice's vanity
was profound enough to Undue him with the
belief, not only that he himself would be a
fur more eligible parti for the youthful heir
ess, but that it needed but suitable opportu-
nifty, and sufficient perseverance on his part,
to impress her with the same conviction.


Such being his present aim, Adelia's CO.
quettish arts we're almost entirely lost on
him; though he occasionally amused himself
in his idle hours by small filtration, which
always encouraged her in the belief that he
was fast yielding to the influence of her at.
fractions.


In the meantime, Mary remained alike
unconscious of Maurice's unprincipled scheme
and Adelia's unavailing efforts to recover lost
ground She was kept continually anxious
by the reports which reached them from the
various battle-felds, and whenever Colonel
Dacre's letters to her we're delayed-as they
now often were-beyond the usual time, she
was prone to fear that some injury had befal-
len him. The deeper and more womanly sen
timents of her nature were being called into
play by the circumstances of the times in
which she lived, and perhaps nothing else
would have concentrated her thoughts so en-
tirey upon her lover, as his absence from her
and the constant apprehension she was. under
Of his meeting with injury, or perhaps yet
more melancholy fate.


Maurice we'll knew that too open and daring
an advance, on his part, would simply startle
and anger her, and end, probably, in the de-
feat of his hopes. And it was by the most
cautious and polite means that he strove to
obtain the object of his ardent desires. He
manifested the deepest interest and sympathy
in all that occupied her thoughts or excited
her fears; never intruded himself upon her
notice in her hours of abstraction or lnelan'
choly, when she seemed disincined for con.
yersation; but exerted himself at all other
times for her entertainment, and showed her,
by many delicate marks of attention., that his
thoughts were entirely centered upon her, aud
that her happiness and comfort we're most
prominent in his consideration. His manner
to her was now invariably gentle, kindly, and
protecting. He had laid aside the tone of
badinage, with which he had formerly often
addressed her, and which he now reserved for
Adelia alone. InseusibIy, Mary's liking and
esteem for him rose, while, at the same time,
her confidence in him increased and though