said Miss Newhaven, approaching the window; "the sun shines so sweetly. I wonder who are going out!"

Lord Derrington did not appear to have heard the observation; he seemed lost in thought. She had next recourse to the piano, performing a brilliant piece, with great ease and effect; and this time he was more liberal in his praise.

"What a beautiful gift it is thus to have power to rule the very moods of our hearers!" he continued, musingly; " to arouse melancholy from her trance of woe, by awakening soft, distant echoes of memory -to recal the too thoughtless to purer hopes, loftier aspirations."

"I am extremely glad you think so," she replied, with simplicity. "My time has not been utterly thrown away, then. I

used often to be wearied with my six hours' practice; but it is so pleasant to think you approve of it."

Lord Derrington looked rather amazed at this revelation respecting a musical life, and he said gravely:

"How could you possibly find time for everything? You are fond of reading, I suppose ?"

Oh, yes!

things!

Novels are the sweetest

But I used not to have much. time for them, for for there were French, German, and Italian lessons to prepare for, and when I began singing that was additional."

"But did you read nothing except novels ?"

Dora thought a moment; then she answered:

VOL. II.

F

"Yes; I remember reading something about a voyage to the Arctic Regions, but I did not like it-there was so much about bears, and ice, and those dirty, disgusting Esquimaux; also some travels in Italy and Spain; but they were decidedly uninteresting, and I never should have got through them only Aunt Wardlaw insisted; and then on Sundays we read sermons, when we have time."

Lord Derrington was silent; he could not help fancying that the pretty, petite musician was scarcely more intellectual than the instruments over which she possessed such magic power; but, nothing daunted, after a minutes' pause, Miss Newhaven resumed:

"You don't attend church, I think, It is rather dull, cer

Lord Derrington?

tainly, and I often wish I could go to chapel; but it would be awkward, alone."

“And which mode of worship, may I ask, do you conceive it to be your duty to sanction to participate in ?"

Dora hesitated; she was reluctant to utter a deliberate untruth; yet her aunt's warn ing assertion that Lord Derrington would not brook a disagreement in opinion, urged her on.

"I confess that I think it right to go to chapel, though I have been prevented, hitherto, by circumstances."

There was a consciousness, an embarrassment in her manner; the manœuvre was too apparent; and Lord Derrington could scarcely repress the contempt which he felt. He rose, and abruptly quitted the room, leaving Miss Newhaven to

recover at leisure from the disagreeable surprise she experienced at his sudden departure, just when she imagined they were growing exceedingly confidential.

It was drawing towards the end of March, and the party at Deanbar was to break up in a few days, having already missed much of the London season, greatly to Lady Wardlaw's chagrin, when she discovered that her nieces had not the slightest chance of forming the alliances she had designed for them, when Geraldine received a letter from Sir Arthur Loder, informing her, with much circumlocution, many gratulatory phrases and delicate compliments, that he had at length succeeded in inducing the unrightful claimant to abandon his assumptive title to the splendid property which, indubi