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about to share her mother's scanty pittance," remarked Lady Jemima. "Poor child!—What a prospect for them both!"_

Edgar made no reply; he was, perhaps, deliberating whether Sir John had been apprised of Mr. Wroughton's decease, and chose to take no notice of it? Or whether poor Mrs. Wroughton, so long and obstinately repulsed by her rich brother, had secured herself by silence, against further ungraciousness?

In the latter case, it might perhaps serve the cause of the widow and orphan if he placed their wealthy relative in possession of the facts of the case, by communicating the contents of his dispatch from Rome.

Edgar, Edgar !—Was this seeming magnanimity only a pretext for another visit to Harrals?

CHAPTER IX.

HAD Mr. Molyneux foreseen the result of his communication, he might perhaps have shown himself less charitable, or less officious.

On arriving at Harrals, a little nervous as to the reception awaiting him on his speedy return, he found Sir John and his daughter taking quiet exercise on the terrace: the storm of the preceding day having swept the winter sky, and rendered it unclouded as spring - time.

But

even from a distance, he saw that his uncle's

looks were far less auspicious than the weather;

and, taking his letter from his pocket, ap

proached them with it in his hand, as if holding a flag of truce.

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To his great surprise, the contents produced a favourable change in the deportment of his uncle. Compunctious visitings softened his heart. "Poor little Clara!" Reduced to an income such as his daughter's ex-governess found insufficient. "Poor little Clara!" Compassion brought her before his mind's eye as the fair young sister with whom he had played at dominoes; not as the widow of the taré Dick Wroughton. At the idea of the insults to which she might have been recently exposed, he felt so much disquieted, as to propose returning to the house.

"Of course, dear papa," said Netta, as she established him comfortably in his arm-chair, and brought a foot-stool for his feet, "of course, you will make poor dear Aunt Wroughton and her child comfortable for life?-How old is the little girl ?”

Her father was ashamed to own that, though

of the two children of whom Clara had been the mother, one, he knew, was dead, he was quite uncertain whether the survivor were the elder or younger.-Taking the chance that the one she had lost might have been her first child, -he replied," Twelve or thirteen," I imagine.

His nephew was too intent on other matters, to set him right. Hoping to get rid of young Molyneux, and desirous to pursue his reminiscences unmolested, Sir John now requested his nephew to write immediately to his mother, and obtain Mrs. Wroughton's present address.

"She must have left Frankfort by this time, and I have a letter of consequence to transmit to her."

"I will not, however, wait for the return of the courier from Rome," he observed to Netta, half-an-hour afterwards, when Edgar, on charitable thoughts intent, had hurried away to execute the commission-" Though my sister has not thought proper to write to me on this occasion, I cannot too soon set her heart at ease

concerning her future prospects.—I will forward my letter through Rothschild's house.-They have always acted as her bankers."

Netta kissed her father's hand as she drew her writing-table towards him; as though the act of kindness he meditated were an obligation conferred on herself. She had no vulgar missish curiosity to learn the amount and manner of the benefaction meditated by Sir John.

Could she have surmised its nature, she would have been less incurious. The offer

came, not inscribed with either of the three mystic initials, accused of regulating the movements of Sir John. Neither L. S. nor D. appeared in his letter.-He simply requested his sister to make his house her home: bringing little Hilda to be the friend and companion of his daughter!

For the first time, he discerned an advantage in the total want of family connection imputed to Wroughton; for had there been any risk of

entailing a large following, even of the most

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