"And this argument was used by-"

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Clayton," continued Mortimer, "who certainly seems to reason very sensibly about it."

"I am satisfied, my cousin," said Constance, "let us gallop."

CHAPTER XIX.

UNCERTAINTIES.

Lovers cannot see

The pretty follies that themselves commit.

SHAKSPEARE.

LADY ELEANOR now joined the party at Castle Mowbray, much to the pleasure of her son and of Constance, who most entirely loved her; and yet for several days there was much pensiveness on the part of Constance, and more than pensiveness on that of De Vere. He even

seemed almost to avoid his cousin, and was evidently absorbed in mental abstraction. Clayton took advantage of his frequent absence, and put all his insinuating powers in requisition, to please he daughter of his patron.

To his mortification, he did not succeed, nor could he understand any more than feel gratified with a look and manner which seemed to search him through, In particular, he most

extremely disliked, and tasked his skill in vain to detach her from the only subject on which she seemed willing to converse with him, namely, the management of the De Vere interest in the borough. About this, she not only displayed a very disagreeable curiosity, but a very inconvenient portion of information, as it related to the fidelity or wavering of particular voters; and frequently annoyed her humble admirer by asking his opinion whether somebody was not machinating against his single-hearted friend: and whether he would not and ought not to advise him to pass some time on the spot, in order to guard against treachery? Clayton assured her it was not necessary, but was on thorns

to discover the sources of her evident information, in which, however, he was altogether unsuccessful.

Lady Eleanor, meantime, was too much occupied in observing her son, to interfere in the borough politics; which, indeed, were not her forte. At first she thought De Vere so busy with his new object of diplomacy, as to account for the abstraction which had increased upon him. But her penetration, as well as her interest about him, were too keen to be satisfied; and when she viewed the beauty of her niece, and

felt the charm of her mind, from her own admiration, and the knowledge she had of her son, she had little doubt how it was with him. It caused her the most lively uneasiness. "A De Vere and a Mowbray conjoined," said she, "might pretend to any Mowbray alone,—but Talbois and the castle can never be allied." Much, however, as she observed her son, she was little desirous of opening the subject to him. "Poor fellow !" said she, "I see the contest of his mind: but it is a mind I will not affront, by presuming to interfere; for Mortimer is the soul of honour." She naturally, too, observed the demeanour of her niece, and found her also busied; but it was chiefly (and she thought it strange) with the scrutiny of Clayton.

As to De Vere, what was chiefly remarkable, was, that he no longer visited the apiary. For this, the season was an excuse, if he had had no other-though never did sportsman so abuse his opportunities. Reflection and soliloquy seemed the game for him, of which the other game successfully profited, by generally es caping him.

"Were she portionless and untitled," said he to himself one day, in the September stubbles,

which he affected to beat; 66 were she even the daughter of the peasant that follows me, and does my bidding, I might give way. As it is, I admire you, my fair cousin; but as for love, I am in armour of proof." So saying, he looked around him, and snuffed the air with a momentary elevation of defiance, which, considering what was going forward, perfectly astonished the gamekeeper in attendance. For all the dogs were at that moment in the midst of a point, so that the very silence gave "dreadful note of preparation." But nothing of this was even seen by De Vere, who was lost in other thoughts; and at that instant a covey of birds flew up so close to his foot, and he fired as he thought so exactly into the midst of them, covering at least half a dozen, that he expected to see them almost all fall.

"Ye fired too low by a yard, and too soon by half a minute,” cried the gamekeeper.

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Impossible!" said the amazed De Vere.

“But ye did, though," continued the gamekeeper (who had taught him when a boy at Talbois)," and I never seed ye shoot so bad."

"I cannot shoot to-day, Robin,” said De Vere, "I will go home."