Three weeks afterwards:

"A beautiful bright boy, indeed, is young Ferdinand Home, he is all glowing with life and sunshine. I shudder now to think of the near extinction, by so violent a death, of this gay young spirit. He enlivens our house vastly, bringing out Linton's low happy laughter continually. Before we saw him, we heard his joyous voice greeting the servants, and apostrophising the house, as if he was indeed coming home. I must excuse him if he is a little vain, and Narcissus-like, in love with his own handsome face; that will wear off as he becomes more manly. He is eighteen. years old, he says, four years younger than Linton, and very boyish still in everything; but it is a graceful youthfulness, arising out of very gaiety of heart. At present I am not disposed to cavil at anyone that Linton loves; I have adopted 'Ferdy' for my son - henceforward this is his home-as much as he desires to make

it so.

To-morrow I shall take them to Clover Cottage; I shall be more nervous than any of the party, I foresee."

"Mr. Seaton has wonderful sagacity. Yesterday evening, as we sat on the lawn after dinner, Mr. Lovel and I drinking in the sound of that voice that was sweeter to us than all music, he appeared with his granddaughter. She was dressed in her brown Holland frock and straw hat, just as she worked every day in her garden.

"He came, he said, to congratulate us upon the arrival of our son; what interested us was also of moment to him; and by this kindly identity with us, he commanded my shy Linton's gratitude at once, and before the hour was out they were more intimate than had Mr. Seaton waited to be sought. Little Rose, after the first introduction, sat at Mr. Lovel's feet, weaving fern-leaves and wild flowers into a wreath, with which she afterwards decorated her hat. I saw my son's eyes gazing,

gazing; read in them at first surprise,admiration soon followed. Before the hour was out, a light effulgent and soft like a luminous glow beamed from them. The predestination of a divine life awoke in his heart at that hour.

"Meantime Ferdy, reminding me of my little pet bantam-cock, drew himself up, arranged his collar, thrust his fingers through his redundant curls, and then prepared himself for conquest. I saw into his innocent boy's heart at once; for the time we were all forgotten, he threw himself on the grass at her side, and devoted all his perfections to her service.

"In nothing has the little maiden pleased me better than the simplicity with which she received this ardent boy's admiration. He is rather more perfect in the art of coquetting than I quite like. He is too young to be such an adept without having lost some of the innocence with which I have credited him.

"Would she give him a flower ?' "Yes, he might take which he pleased.' "No, that he would not do. How could he value it unless she selected and gave it to him?'

"She looked up, one little glance, half surprise, half reprobating. Then she swept them all into her lap again, as if to protect them from an unworthy touch.

"I love flowers for themselves,' she answered, as he again supplicated her. "How can I regard flowers, when you are near?'

"As I do, when you are near.'

"Here he lowered his voice, so that I could not hear his words. But on her little mobile face floated a derisive smile, which caused him to be still more earnest, his whole face colouring with his own ferA fear shoots through me rapidly; for .when awakened by misgivings, how vividly the imagination weaves one appreanother!

vour.

hension upon

"I foresaw this impulsive boy throwing his heart, throbbing wildly with love for this lovely creature, into her keeping. And she, too young, too timid to resist the impetuosity and my Linton, grave, farseeing, self-sacrificing, extinguishing for ever the glow of divine happiness that illumined for one short hour his heart.

"In the space of a few moments, I had woven for myself an unutterable fear and horror of the future, and was almost, as it were, ready to cry out with the anguish of my own imaginings, when I felt the cool soft lips of little Rose kissing me a 'good night.' They departed, she and grandfather, as they came, suddenly.

"Then from the voluble lips of the handsome boy flowed an unwearied spring of admiration and delight. He called upon us all, Linton especially, to affirm as he did, that she was the loveliest, fairest thing

ever seen.

"What is her name, her Christian name?