"But you were going out again?"

'Just to the five o'clock service, close by. There are full ten minutes before I need start. Are, you better? George brought but a poor account of you before Christmas."

"Well, I came up to consult a London physician. Carter urged it, and, at least, Carter will rejoice, for he orders me abroad till Easter,

and to start with as little delay as possible."

"Poor S. Mary's!" was Dulcibella's first thought and speech.

"I could not consent to go but that John Morrison has arranged to stay at Burnt Ash until Easter. I could never leave it so happily." And are you ordered to any particular place ?”

'Only generally 'south;' and as a precaution more than remedy. I was hoping to see George, Mrs. Blackwood mentioned that some companionship rather than tutorship had been offered him to the south which he did not wish to accept, but hardly knew how to get out of. Now if he has declined it, and I could fill the vacant place, it would give a most welcome point and aim to my own wanderings to have a nice cheerful lad as both care and companion."

"Yes; George was most reluctant to accept the offer made through kind George Saville; but I urged him to do so,—I don't want him to settle down for life at Brayscombe a narrow-minded and untravelled man! I half fear he has gone this afternoon in consequence of my urging to tell Mrs. Henry Cowper of his consent."

"Well, perhaps we might at least start together, or, if our times do not suit each other, arrange to meet at some point or another. My doctor wants me to go by sea to Malta, or, in some way, ensure the rest of a sea voyage. Thank you, I will wait and see George if I may. I won't venture out with you, being so strictly forbidden avoidable changes of temperature."

"There is the Times'—yes, and the new 'Guardian.' have a cup of tea at once?—I will light the gas."

Will you

"No thank you! if I may take that armchair, and simply rest."

So Dulcibella left him giving Rosina orders to tell the young ladies when they came in that Mr. Macdonald was there and would stay to tea, but was not, meanwhile, to be disturbed.

"He do look ill, Miss Dulcie! and that thin-"

Ah, I am sorry, but it was too dark to see."

"When the gas fell on his face, miss, I should hardly have known him."

“He is tired; tell the young ladies to go up to their room quietly, -and even Mr. George that Mr. Macdonald might as well be left undisturbed till tea-time," and then Dulcibella passed out into the chill and foggy air.

An hour later they were all assembled a merry party round the dining-room table; a party of eight, for Charlie had come in from spending a night with a friend in the suburbs.

"How like his father!" was Mr. Macdonald's thought on shaking hands with him, and his greeting. "Will you never have done growing, Charlie ?"

"Not till I've well out-topped Miss Dolly, I hope. I believe I have already! she says not,-act umpire,-unbiassed umpire,— will you? Dulcie always lets partiality decide in Dora's favour!" and he went and stood dos-à-dos with Dorothea, the gas and firelight glinting on her chesnut brown locks, and his own Saxon fair

ness.

"I think that age still has it."

"Do you ?" and Charlie looked genuinely disappointed, even discomfited. "Never mind, I'll outstrip you by Easter yet! At any rate, you've stopped growing."

"You are very welcome," answered Dorothea, with perfect content and happiness," and I did stop growing, nearly a year ago. I only wished to be as tall as father, -that was my first ambition,”—and she sighed ; "and that I did attain last Easter."

And your next ?" something in the girl's tone provoked the question.

"To-to build you a clergy-house! At least, a clergy-house for Burnt Ash."

"And that also is nearly attained," he answered kindly, "and a most picturesque Caldecott kind of building it is! And now you have something still more unattainable ?"

"Oh yes, far more! And I know I must wait three years-till I've done with tutors and guardians."

"Ah, tutors," said Mr. Macdonald, turning back to his host; "you have consented to take that part towards young Cowper ?"

'Yes, only this afternoon! It is some satisfaction to see how much relieved the boy's mother is that the point is settled thus, and that I am ready to start any day and hour. The boy himself wants to go by sea, from Liverpool to Gibraltar, if not Genoa! Well, I don't suffer

at sea, but I should like to have seen Calais, Paris, and Marseilles whilst we were about it."

"Give him into my charge the first ten days!" and then explanations followed; and it was pleasant to the lonely man to see how George's face brightened at the prospect of his companionship; the young man's ready determination that if he went by sea so would he, and take the chance of visiting Paris on the way home again.

"And are you thinking of going as far as Genoa,-perhaps further? Young Cowper evidently only thinks the longer voyage the greaterwhat he calls-'lark.'"

"Well; I hardly know what I am thinking of! to be leaving England at all, is the last thing I intended when I left home yesterday morning. When I heard my doom, Colonel Erle's kind invitation to look him up at Gibraltar flashed across me as the one ray of light in what seemed a most lonely, purposeless exile. But with you two young fellows-I feel as if freedom from daily cares and responsibilities will make this enforced holiday what your own friend calls a 'lark !' myself a boy again if I don't take care."

"Oh do stop at Gibraltar," said Dulcibella, "Alured would be pleased, George, to see an Erle face again. And-"

'I know," interrupted Dorothea, "this would be an escort for the frock you have been braiding all the year for Dulcie minor."

"Exactly," owned Dulcibella.

"And we must buy some toys for the children," said Kathleen, "and they wanted all our likenesses; but I don't know who has a carte to send, mine were all given away long ago. It isn't somehow the fashion to be constantly photographed as it used to be. I wonder how photographers live."

"Let us help them by all being photographed to-morrow," cried Dorothea; "all six of us together. Jolly! I—I mean 'joli,' George," she hastily interpolated, with semi-saucy apology in her tone, "that the idea is pretty, and that the result must be lovely."

When tea was over-and Mr. Macdonald unconsciously ate more at one meal than for many a day, following the example set him by all the happy and healthy young people around him,-the two gentlemen retired into the back room for a more serious talk upon this proposed joining of forces; and the five sisters upstairs began planning all manner of surprises for Effie and the little Dulcie; Charlie only wishing that he could become delicate and be ordered abroad too.

"I should like you to go, Charlie,-but whether you two schoolboys together wouldn't lead poor George a life of it—"

"Oh, I would be very good 1-set Cowper such a good example !" "I'd expect you'd only be very sick," said Kathleen, "and wish yourself home before half down the Irish Channel. Open the piano for us, Charlie, we might try Mozart's eleventh sonata together before the gentlemen come up, Dulcie; I have been waiting all day to catch you at liberty,-I'm longing to hear piano and violin together." The sound of music soon brought Mr. Macdonald up to them, whilst George stayed to write to Mrs. Cowper and give his consent to the sea voyage, and mention the probability of Mr. Macdonald's accompanying them as far as Gibraltar. The two sisters went on uninterruptedly till their duet was finished. Then Kitty drew a long breath. "Sweet Mozart! so innocent, graceful, and gay! I am glad you died young,-never knew real trouble or sorrow,-nor lived to be disappointed."

"I hardly knew, Miss Erle, that you played at all!"

"No?

Oh, I was considered a good musician twenty years ago! In fact till Kathleen and Isa came home playing so well that I shrank back into the cold shade of oblivion !—and time too, for I had a great many more useful things to do than make another to want the drawingroom piano. But now-'

"No one is ever ready to play with me but you," said Kathleen, " and I like no one else's accompaniment half so well. Dorothy has no idea of time."

"You ungrateful creature!" cried Dorothy herself, "but at least that absolves me from any further efforts!"

"And Molly is never at liberty to practise just when I really want her, an hour later,' or 'to-morrow,'-or 'if you would just wait'"Oh, Kitty, am I so tiresome? I never meant it!"

"And I never want any one whilst I've got so good a timist and expressive a player as Dulcie, hers is what I call true drawing-room playing,-finished and delicate, not the violent lights and shades in which young people delight," ended Kathleen from the height of her recently attained majority.

"Well, Mozart is so tiresomely easy! I've always read down to the bottom of both pages before we've got to the end of one! And that piano wants a good deal of banging about to get any tone out of it at all," answered Dorothea, carelessly.

“Sing us something now, Dora, and without any banging about,’’ said Dulcibella.

“I? What shall my song be to-night?'" but Dorothea did move towards the piano, sat down, turned over her music rather impatiently, and then suddenly began “Tired, so tired of living."

Mr. Macdonald was astonished at the pathos of this young girl's voice and grace of execution. "Weary of life ?" Nay, that was impossible as a reality; but how she lost herself in singing the words put into the mouth of one supposed to be so, till hearers had difficulty in believing her but assuming an artistic part. She sat still a minute when she had finished, then turned round and said abruptly, “I beg your pardon, Amy, I forgot you had come in again. I know you don't like that song. What did you call it ? unchristian ?”

“It is plaintive and pretty,—I suppose one must not take the words of any song too literally."

Oh, but one often is very tired!' I know I am!" said Dorothea, "but now do tell me all about the clergy-house. They did get it roofed in before that storm, didn't they? Aunt Mary drove me down to look at it one day,—and I know I only wish some one would build such a house for me."

"Well, George Saville will, any day!" cried Charlie, “he's bent upon Arthur letting him Eversfield Cottage-if you girls really won't go there at Midsummer-on a long lease,—and offers to put up the most charming Queen Anne erection in the place of the present mean little abode. If I were Arthur I'd let him do it!"

So the talk ran on and time ran away. When George came up, finding music really over with Dorothy's one song, the conversation became graver, and the clergy-house, as well as Burnt Ash and its needs generally, talked of with great interest upon all sides. Eight struck, and then nine, and only at the half hour did Mr. Macdonald's various proposals to take leave become a reality, and Charlie was sent out to get a cab.

"I hope we have not tired you," said Dulcibella, as she said goodnight.

"Oh no! done me all the good in the world! I don't think Carter would have ordered me up for further advice could he have known how much better I feel already for a little cheerful society."

must go

"But you to luncheon-”

home to-morrow? If not, and you would come And Dulcibella could press the kindness bravely.