"A springy motion in her gait
A rising step did indicate,

Of pride and joy no common rate
That flushed her spirit.

"I know not by what name beside
I shall it call if 'twas not pride
It was a joy to that allied

She did inherit."

Hester was a great deal too young for a heroine, but as it chances there could not be a better portrait of her than that of Lamb's "sprightly neighbour." She went out with that springing motion, stepping on air, with the pride of life and youth and conscious energy in every vein. A certain youthful contempt for the inferior beings who lay stupid behind those closed shutters, losing all this bloom and glory, was in her heart. She was very black in the midst of the bright landscape in her mourning frock, with a white kerchief tied round her throat like a French girl, but her curly locks shining like everything else in the sun. She did not mind the sun. She had not yet learned that she had a complexion to care for; besides, the sun could do nothing to the creamy-white of her tint. Perhaps she was not very sensitive, not thin-skinned at all, either in body or soul.

Now it happened, curiously enough, that as Hester passed the gate of the Grange, at which she gazed very anxiously with a half-formed intention of making her way in, in face of every obstacle, and making her peace with Cousin Catherine-a project which only the early hour prevented her from

carrying out-the said gate opened softly and a man appeared. Hester was more startled than she could explain to herself. Why should she be startled? It was not so early now-six o'clock or later. He was a young man of middle height, with a very dark beard and bright eyes. Hester felt that he was somewhat unsuitable to the scene, not English in her opinion-Englishmen had fair hair, rosy complexions, blue eyes-they were all blonds: now this man looked like those to whom she was accustomed. Was he, she wondered, going to early mass? He had a portfolio in his hand, a small box strapped to his shoulders. The first Englishman she had seen; what was he going to do? What he did first was to look at her with considerable curiosity. She had hastily put on her hat on seeing him, that there might be no impropriety in her appearance, an action which put out, so to speak, one of the lights in the landscape, for her hair was shining almost as brightly as the blobs of dew. He crossed the road to the Common, and then he paused a moment on the edge of it and looked at her again.

"I wonder if you are my little cousin," he said.

It was on Hester's lips to protest that she was not little at all, but quite as tall as he was, but she waived this point on second thoughts.

"" Are you a Vernon-too?" she said.

"Yes, I am a Vernon-too. Edward, at your service. I am glad to see you keep such early hours." Why?" she asked, but did not wait for any reply. What are you going to do?"

"I am going," he said, “out upon the Common to look for a rare flower that grows here, only I have never been able to find it. Will you come and help me?"

"A flower!" said Hester, confounded. "Do Englishmen look for flowers?"

Englishmen as well as others—when they happen to be botanists. Does that surprise you? I am obliged to get up early, for I have no time in the day."

"What do you do in the day?" the girl asked.

'I am at the bank. Have you never heard of Vernon's Bank ? the business from which we all take our importance here. The Vernons are great or they are small, don't you know? according to their connection with the bank."

“Then you are one of the great ones," said Hester with decision. "Do any of the Vernons live in that great white house-that one, do you see?-on the other side of the red roofs ?"

"The White House? Oh yes, Harry lives there, another cousin, and his sister."

"Are they in the bank too?"

Harry is; he and I do the work between us. Ladies in this country have nothing to do with business- -by the way, I am forgetting Aunt Catherine."

"That is a pity," said Hester, not noticing his exclamation. "Then I suppose my father must have had something to do with it, for do you know, though we are poor now, he once lived there?" "Yes, I know."

Then why did he go away?" said Hester musingly; "that is what I should like to find out. Do you know Cousin Catherine? you must, if you live in her house."

"I call her Aunt Catherine," said the young man. "Why? Is she your aunt ? And I call her cousin; but she cannot be my cousin. She is so much older. Was she angry-do you know-last night? I did not know who she was—and I was— rude."

He laughed, and she, after a doubtful glance, laughed too.

Oh yes, I am afraid I did know who she wasthat she was Cousin Catherine; but then, who is Cousin Catherine? I had never seen her before. Mother thinks she will be very angry. Could I let her come in and disturb my mother after she was in bed? Mother thinks she will not let us stay."

"Should you be sorry to go?"

Hester cast a long look all round from east to west, taking in the breadth of the Common glistening in the morning dew, the dark roofs of the Heronry against the trees, the glittering vanes and windows of the town on the other side.

"It is very pretty," she said with a little sigh. "And to think what they say of England! They say it is always fog, and the sun never shines. How can people tell such lies? We should not go, we should take some small rooms in the town, and I would teach."

"What could you teach ?"

Hester looked at him with half resentment. "Do you know many languages?" she said. Many languages? no!-a smattering of Greek and Latin."

I don't call them languages. I mean French and Italian and German: for I know them all. know them as well as English. I haven't a bit of the accent Britannique: Madame Alphonse said so, and I hope she is a good authority. I will give cours, as many as they please: French one day and the others the next. Not only should I be able to help mother, but I should make a fortune, they all said. Three cours always going: I should make a great deal of money, and then in ten years or so I could retire, you know. In ten years I should only be "-here she paused in the fervour of conversation and eyed him a little with doubt in her face. Then she said quite calmly, "I forget the rest."

Edward Vernon listened with great edification; he forgot the flower which he was going to search for.

"I am very sorry to discourage you in your plans : but I don't think Aunt Catherine will turn you out." "Don't you think so?"

Hester, after her brag, which was perfectly sincere, and of which she believed every word, felt a little disappointed to be thus brought down again.

"No, I don't think so.

She told me that you

were rude, but she was

not angry; she only

laughed."