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I could have made much better use of my two thousand five hundred pounds, I can tell you, than squandering them in attempting to keep up, for no purpose, the family interest."

66

Yes, indeed," echoed Lady Helen, as she arose to withdraw.

After the departure of the ladies, the subject of the foregoing discourse was not resumed, but no sooner had Edward Basinstoke entered the drawing-room, than, seating himself at Cécile's side, he whispered to her :

"Well, you allowed me to fight your battle all alone."

"I am not at all sure that it was my battle," replied she.

"None will ever be fought more directly in your cause; or I should rather say, Cécile, for your sake."

She who was thus addressed coloured slightly, and slowly raising her anxious eyes, answered, in a tone of gentle reproach:

"I had hoped that any sacrifices you may have made, Edward, were inspired by your conscience alone."

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Say rather by my feelings, Cécile, and you will be nearer the truth. If a Senate even, and

not a constituency, had been applauding me to day, still would I have seen one pure, one heavenly glance fixed upon me with an expression of calm but thrilling reproach, that would have silenced the voice of Ambition herself. Cécile, do you know whose glance that is the is—the light of my heart-the beacon of my path?"

Saint Cecilia sighed deeply as one grieved and perplexed in the extreme, and then, looking in the direction of Lady Helen, she said, with an attempted smile :

"That one, I suppose, which is so intently scrutinizing you now; but I must go to Conny, and ask her in what colour she wishes me to ground these roses of her's."

CHAPTER XI.

SAINT CECILIA REPRIMANDED AGAIN.

THE ensuing day brought with it no fresh tribulation to the inmates of Redburn Hall, but it was not so with its successor, for the "Lincoln Chronicle," when opened by Sir Charles, after his breakfast, was found to contain, in very prominent type, the following paragraph :

66 IMPORTANT RESPECTING THE BASINSTOKES.

We have adverted somewhat severely, in another part of our impression, to the zealously ultramontane sentiments advocated by our present member at the County Meeting. Some

explanation, and in the eyes of the fairer portion of our readers, some extenuation may be afforded, for this utter dereliction of his duty. towards his constituents, by an announcement which has just reached us. We have very good authority for stating that the preliminaries of his marriage with his Roman Catholic cousin, Miss Cécile Basinstoke, are now finally arranged, the only obstacle having been removed by the all but open abjuration of the future bridegroom himself. We trust that he may find in this union, the result, we are assured, of a long standing attachment, ample compensation for the political sacrifices which it must ultimately entail upon him."

When he had perused these lines, Sir Charles Basinstoke remained as one thunder-stricken; but so soon as the vital powers were in any degree restored, his first impulse was to remove at once with the obnoxious paper to the library, where he was very speedily followed by Lady Helen.

I see that something is going wrong,' anxiously exclaimed she. "For Heaven's sake, what is it ?"

Her husband silently pointed to the paper,

and to the paragraph. On glancing at the latter, Lady Helen turned very pale, but merely said:

“I am not at all surprised."

"God bless my soul!" cried Sir Charles, "you don't mean to say that you think that there is anything going on between them ?"

"I cannot bring myself to believe that Edward would be quite such a fool; but as to her, my opinion has long been, as you well know, that you could not have picked up in all England, nor yet in France, where she comes from, a more astute and designing girl."

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Upon my word, it looks very like it; but what are we to do now?"

"Do! why at once stop the whole thing, if we possibly can. And to think," added she, clasping her hands, "how easily it might have been prevented, if I had been but listened to! It really is a dangerous thing to tempt Providence, as we have done."

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Well, shall we send for her at once? There is no use speaking to Edward, I sup

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