Evan, who had Miss Lavinia in charge, was alert, and rather, it seemed to me, on the defensive; but though Martin asked questions, he was comfortably soothing, and seemed to take in much at a glance.

" Verty gazed at Miss Lavinia with profound astonishment, and was about to reply, when a voice was heard at the door, and all turned round.

He had expected to see Sylvia and Miss Lavinia at Rockcliffe.

"I'm not crying!" said Miss Fanny, shedding floods of tears"I'm not sorryI'm mad with Miss Lavinia for making you cry; I hate her!"

When we had made ourselves smart for dinner and joined Miss Lavinia by the fire in her tiny library, we read by her hair that she was evidently intending to stay at home that evening, for her head has its nodes like the moon.

" "So you wish us to play bachelor girl and man for a few days, and herd Miss Lavinia about, which I suppose is the pith of these heroics of yours," I said, rather astonished, for Evan seldom preaches.

Not that it is an unusual occurrence, but he wished to have a long afternoon to finish reading a certain portion of his manuscript to Miss Lavinia before her flitting in the morning.

He walked along briskly, more to get out of possible range of Miss Lavinia than with any other distinct motive in mind.

He rose with great good humor, and accompanied Miss Lavinia to her carriagehe upon one side, the gallant head clerk on the otherand politely assisted the lady into her chariot, all the time smiling in a manner which was pleasant to behold.

While I was trying to convince Miss Lavinia as to the need of the serviceable, she was equally determined to decoy me toward the frivolous; and I yielded, I may say fell, to the extent of buying a white crêpey sort of pattern gown that had an open work white lilac pattern embroidered on it.