22. MISS IN HER TEENS.-DRESS.-Excess in dress was restrained by a law in England in the reign of Edward IV., 1465; and again in the reign of Elizabeth, 1574.-Stowe. Sir Walter Raleigh, we are told, wore a white satin pinked vest, close sleeved to the wrist, and over the body a brown doublet finely flowered, and embroidered with pearls. In the feather of his hat, a large ruby and pearl drop at the bottom of the sprig, in place of a button. His breeches, with his stockings and ribbon garters, fringed at the end, all white; and buff shoes, which on great court-days were so to fluids, which, when written with, will remain invisible until after a certain operation. Various kinds were known at very early periods. Ovid teaches young women to deceive their guardians by writing to their lovers with new milk, and afterwards making the writing legible with ashes or soot. A receipt for preparing invisible ink was given by Peter Borel, in 1653. Receipts for making it were given by Le Mort, in 1669, and by others.-Beckmann, 25. L. R.-THE CASHMERE GOAT is an inhabitant of Central Asia. It is remarkable for the length, whiteness, and silky texture of its hair. LADY RANDAL AND HER STEP-DAUGHTER IN THE DRAWING-ROOM. GOOD AS GOLD; OR, THE OLD TOLL-HOUSE. CHAPTER III. Ir happened that within a month of George Fielding's first journey to London, Lady Randal was summoned thither by her legal advisers on business admitting no delay. She and her step-daughter drove straight to the Regent's-park, to the residence of one Major Tresilian and his family, particular friends of the late Sir John Randal. The baronet's widow had a long interview with her solicitor the same day, and the next forenoon she walked out alone, and appeared, most unexpectedly, at the private offices of her brother, in Randal's-buildings, situated to the north of George Fielding was there, sitting in a large, front office, on the ground floor, folding papers on a square mahogany table covered with prospec Holborn. tuses, bills, and advertisements of a company for the working of certain silver mines in Peru and elsewhere. He arose in utter surprise on the entrance of Lady Randal, whose large, red face wore a frowning expression as she threw back her widow's veil, and, resting herself on an office stool, began to read the papers scattered over the table. She said not a word to her former protégé, and gave him a very slight nod of recognition. Having read a bill of the mining company, she put it into her capacious reticule; and then, hearing her brother's voice in an adjoining room, she started up, swept round the table, and entered that room without ceremony. George Fielding then heard high words passing between the brother and sister, and in a few minutes they both came out and went away together, Mr. Ferris saying as they passed, "You are making yourself extremely ridiculous. I can account for everything." To which Lady Randal replied, in a voice of stern resolution, K "Ridiculous or not, I am inflexible where my step-daughter's rights are concerned. So do not deceive yourself." There was a splendid supper and ball at the house of Major Tresilian, when the baronet's widow, laying aside for the first time her sable attire, appeared in the drawing-room in lavender silk and lace, while her step-daughter was arrayed in clear white muslin, well becoming her pure, soft, modest countenance and graceful figure. "You have used strange expressions about your family connexions." "I have; and it is time now that you knew George thought over these words after- something of them. I was the daughter wards, but he still believed that Lady of a dishonest gamester, who laid a plot Randal was in the wrong. He was the to enrich himself by the baronet's ruin. more disposed to think so because he felt I knew it; I warned your father, and, at acutely her coldness towards himself. It great risk to myself, I saved his estateis never pleasant to see a good friend | perhaps his life; and-he recompensed me show a changed countenance toward us, beyond all measure. He was eccentric, speak in an altered voice, and repel us we know, but in nothing more so than in by a demeanour more chilling than the a boundless generosity of nature. While blighting east wind. George felt sad and he lived, he guarded the secret of my irritable all the day after. disgraceful parentage. Had my father been the poorest honest man alive, Sir John would have taken him by the hand, and have led him with all honour to the best seat in his best room; but, as it was, a necessary hint was given and taken, and the defeated plunderer, with his third wife-I believe to my heart she was a Spanish Gipsy, went off to one of the foreign colonies, their expenses thither being paid by Sir John. They left a son at boarding-school (Ferdinand, then a boy of ten), referring the principals to me and Sir John for payment of all expenses. We did pay for his education there, and I felt a hearty love for the deserted boy. He was extremely clever and original, and I hoped great things of him. But he ran away from his tutors, and we lost sight of him until he wrote for money; and when Sir John traced him to his haunts, he found him living with his Spanish mother, who had returned clandestinely to England without her husband, and induced Ferdinand to join her. But of what is Isabella thinking, when, frequently during the gaieties of the evening, she glances aside, or looks down with an air of abstraction. Is it of her step-mother's troubles and mysteries, or of the verses of the innkeeper's son? These, indeed, are constantly recurring to her memory, for their beautiful imagery has enchained her fancy-their sentiment has touched her heart. She is never wearied of reading them, and two of his songs she has set to music. The heat and excitement of the ball had thoroughly wearied Lady Randal and Isabella, and right glad they were when the hour of repose came. In the morning when Lady Randal awoke, she saw Isabella seated by her side. "I want to talk to you alone, dear mamma, before you stir. You are so uneasy in mind that I feel I ought to know more of the matters that are troubling you. I have been watching your sleep. You start, and moan, and talk so, it quite distresses me. Your hand is hot; your lips are dry and white; I entreat your confidence. Come, let me question you on all that I wish to know." "Go on." What a career has his been since! A volume could not afford space for its details. From country to country, from profession to profession, he has wan dered-actor, author, soldier, merchant, doctor, lawyer, Jack-of-all-trades,—ever hastening to be rich, ever plunging into distresses, out of which my purse has had to exert its magic to raise him." "And your father ?" "He lives in a private asylum." "Lives!" exclaimed Isabella, in surprise. "Yes, indeed; but that is one of my secrets kept from the world; for though the earth has not closed over him, the gates of sense and thought are barred against him everlastingly; or it is to be hoped so, for that world has nothing good to remind him of. He raves day and night-the old white-headed man of eighty raves of his follies and his crimes; of his long vanished hopes and disappointments; he schemes, and conspires, and cheats, and dozes over his impotent wickedness. It is a terrible spectacle to me to contemplate. It rends my heart often, for I cannot forget the sacred ties of nature. I look on that poor wreck with feelings indescribable. Shall I go on, Isabella, opening out my hidden troubles, or do you spare me the rest ?" Isabella was weeping in sympathy. "I see how it pains you to make these revelations, therefore ود 'Against Ferdinand and his mother, and all their set. She is still vigorous for evil; and my brother, because I have done so much for him in the past, views me and the Randal funds as his unfailing resource for the future. But he is not content with incessantly harassing my feelings and preying on my weakness, for his own profit, but he is now scheming against your interests; in plain terms, making a felon of himself-plundering, as his father did before him. You know the London property-your late great uncle's-fell to Sir John when he was near his end, in Rome, when his worldly affairs were all settled, and I could not have him disturbed. Hardly aware myself of what I was about, in the grief and distraction of the time, I wrote off to Ferdinand at London-he then appeared to be living respectably-to make a few inquiries for me at Randal's-buildings; and, as he professed to be more than half a lawyer, I laid before him a few legal points on which I felt confused, Sir John's solicitor not having solved them to my satisfaction. Previous to this piece of imprudence on my part, I had not in any way communicated with Ferdinand for two years, beyond answering his appeals for money. He attended to my requests with his usual ability, then did me the honour of a gentlemanly visit, planted himself and some silver mining company in your late great uncle's residence in Randal's-buildings, and constituted himself my agent (or rather yours) for the London property, putting the rents in his own pocket. But the man shall find no mercy from me if I can get up a clear case of fraud against him." 'Surely, mamma, you would not prosecute him?" "Would I not ?" exclaimed Lady Randal, starting from her bed, as her favourite waiting-woman, a grave, quiet person of forty, with a tall, upright figure, entered to say, "Mr. Ferris waits to see my Lady." "Tell him I will be down in five "Yes, that has he; but the extent of his operations my lawyer has not yet ascertained. He has discovered enough, however, I can assure you.” "Yet do not be rash," remonstrated Isabella. "He is your brother. Public exposure of him would be exquisitely painful to you." 'Anguish and death, Bella; but I will go through it for your sake.” "Oh dear, no. Do not say for mine. I would not have that for the world. Let the affair be quietly arranged-in secresy-I implore you." "Bella, listen to me; and dress me, dear, as fast as you can. How much I have done for this brother during the last twenty years, only myself and he know. He has a strong hold on my heart, and good use he has made of it."" "Yes, yes, mamma; but, after all, I have suffered no material injury. What is the loss of a few pounds, or even a few hundreds, compared with family disgrace? You are excited. May I remind you that you are not famous for moderation." looking figure of Mickle crouching on there?" exclaimed George; and up started "No. I err in excess on all points that strongly interest me. But Ferris has wonderful power of evil. He is so subtle to make black appear white. He knows by heart every legal winding of a roguish nature, but he shall not, the serpent, wind far into the Randal pro-manded George, in some indignation. “Why did you listen there?" deperty, I promise him. Give me a shawl. My solicitor suspects forged bonds, forged bills, forged cheques." 66 Compose yourself, suspicion is not fact." Lady Randal swept down to tell Mr. Ferris that she would meet him with her solicitor at his offices at eleven o'clock. me! will you? I can see you are honour"Hush! Mr. Fielding. Don't betray able. You won't betray me?" 66 "Was it honourable to listen there?" frenzy ; "Yes," answered the clerk, with sudden him. 66 anything's honourable with He has been my ruin. Cursed be the hour when he enticed me to do fault. O! Bessy, Bessy!" his dirty work! But it was my own "Are you speaking of Mr. Ferris in this way?" arm, and, putting his mouth near to his uncontrollable impulse. I know," said the clerk, with a ghastly "O, you put unbounded faith in him, smile. "It was not well done, however, to strike me for his sake. show you who best deserved the blow." Time will He retired with perfect calmness. At the appointed hour, Lady Randal and her late husband's solicitor turned into Randal's-buildings, and were presently ushered by Mr. Ferris into a private room of Randal House, dusty and substantial, furnished in dark mahogany and black horsehair, with Isabella's great uncle's portrait, in oil-painting, over the fire-place. It was a full-length, in a court suit, and impressive; the face, stern and aristocratic, looking down as if reproving the desecration of his household altars, and the audacious scattering of their ancestral associations. The door was shut. During the protracted interview that followed, George Fielding missed the book-keeper from his place at the desk, and as some entries had to be made immediately of a bundle of letters and circulars inviting capitalists to invest in the silver mines of Peru, George looked about for the absentee, and called "Mickle," but received no response. After waiting some time, George went out to look for Mickle. At the end of a passage there was a small with a pocket-comb, and pulled his collar The clerk arranged his disordered hair room used as a kitchen by the woman who straight, before answering; then, as he cleaned the house, the spacious under- passed by George to return to his place ground kitchens being deserted on account in the office, he said, "I'll tell of rats. It struck George that Mickle she is, Mr. Fielding-Good as Gold; and what might have gone to the charwoman's pe- but for her sake, mind me, I should just culiar domain to wash his hands, so looked now have returned that blow you gave in, and there detected the thin, dissipated-me-though it was an honourable blow "I confess I cannot as yet understand Forgive it!" said George, warmly, what I see going on around me; but I have the highest confidence in Mr. Ferris's good intentions, and I will not hear him styled scoundrel' without resenting it." "I am sorry for you." "But who is Bessy ?" you |