\"archery parties--pic-nics--race-balls--hunt-balls?\"

\"oh no!\" said she, laughing. \"papa\"s living is very small; and even if wewere near such things, i doubt if i should go to them.\"

\"i see, you won\"t tell me anything. you will only tell me that you are notgoing to do this and that. before the vacation ends, i think i shall payyou a call, and see what you really do employ yourself in.\"

\"i hope you will. then you will see for yourself how beautiful helstoneis. now i must go. edith is sitting down to play, and i just know enoughof music to turn over the leāves for her; and besides, aunt shaw won\"tlike us to talk.\"

edith played brilliantly. in the middle of the piece the door half-opened,and edith saw captain lennox hesitating whether to e in. she threwdown her music, and rushed out of the room, leāving margaret standingconfused and blushing to explain to the astonished guests what visionhad shown itself to cause edith\"s sudden flight. captain lennox hade earlier than was expected; or was it really so late? they looked attheir watches, were duly shocked, and took their leāve.

then edith came back, glowing with pleasure, half-shyly, half-proudlyleading in her tall handsome captain. his brother shook hands withhim, and mrs. shaw weled him in her gentle kindly way, which hadalways something plaintive in it, arising from the long habit ofconsidering herself a victim to an uncongenial marriage. now that, the

general being gone, she had every good of life, with as few drawbacksas possible, she had been rather perplexed to find an anxiety, if not asorrow. she had, however, of late settled upon her own health as asource of apprehension; she had a nervous little cough whenever shethought about it; and some plaisant doctor ordered her just what shedesired,--a winter in italy. mrs. shaw had as strong wishes as mostpeople, but she never liked to do anything from the open andacknowledged motive of her own good will and pleasure; she preferredbeing pelled to gratify herself by some other person\"s mand ordesire. she really did persuade herself that she was submitting to somehard external necessity; and thus she was able to moan and plain inher soft manner, all the time she was in reality doing just what sheliked.

it was in this way she began to speak of her own journey to captainlennox, who assented, as in duty bound, to all his future mother-in-lawsaid, while his eyes sought edith, who was busying herself inrearranging the tea-table, and ordering up all sorts of good things, inspite of his assurances that he had dined within the last two hours.

mr. henry lennox stood leaning against the chimney-piece, amusedwith the family scene. he was close by his handsome brother; he wasthe plain one in a singularly good-looking family; but his face wasintelligent, keen, and mobile; and now and then margaret wonderedwhat it was that he could be thinking about, while he kept silence, butwas evidently observing, with an interest that was slightly sarcastic, allthat edith and she were doing. the sarcastic feeling was called out bymrs. shaw\"s conversation with his brother; it was separate from theinterest which was excited by what he saw. he thought it a pretty sightto see the two cousins so busy in their little arrangements about thetable. edith chose to do most herself. she was in a humour to enjoyshowing her lover how well she could behāve as a soldier\"s wife. shefound out that the water in the urn was cold, and ordered up the greatkitchen tea-kettle; the only consequence of which was that when shemet it at the door, and tried to carry it in, it was too heāvy for her, andshe came in pouting, with a black mark on her muslin gown, and a littleround white hand indented by the handle, which she took to show tocaptain lennox, just like a hurt child, and, of course, the remedy wasthe same in both cases. margaret\"s quickly-adjusted spirit-lamp was themost efficacious contrivance, though not so like the gypsy-encampmentwhich edith, in some of her moods, chose to consider the nearestresemblance to a barrack-life.

after this evening all was bustle till the wedding was over.

。 t**t**

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