er's office; and poor
dear, dear Louis must get over it, and have the most beautiful wife in
the world. Don't you remember, Jem, the lady with the splendid dark
eyes on the platform at Euston Square, when you so nearly made us miss
the train, with the brow that you said--'

'Hush, Clara, don't talk nonsense.'

CHAPTER XII.

CHILDE ROLAND.

A house there is, and that's enough,
From whence one fatal morning issues
A brace of warriors, not in buff,
But rustling in their silks and tissues.
The heroines undertook the task;
Thro' lanes unknown, o'er stiles they ventured,--
Rapped at the door, nor stayed to ask,
But bounce into the parlour entered.
Gray's Long Story.

'No carmine? Nor scarlet lake in powder?'

'Could procure some, my Lord.'

'Thank you, the actinia would not live. I must take what I can find. A
lump of gamboge--'

'If you stay much longer, he will not retain his senses,' muttered
James Frost, who was leaning backwards against the counter, where the
bewildered bookseller of the little coast-town of Bickleypool was
bustling, in the vain endeavour to understand and fulfil the demands of
that perplexing customer, Lord Fitzjocelyn.

'Some drawing-paper. This is hardly absorbent enough. If you have any
block sketch-books?--'

'Could procure some, my Lord.'

James looked at his watch, while the man dived into his innermost
recesses. 'The tide!' he said.

'Never mind, we shall only stick in the mud.'

'How could you expect to find anything here? A half-crown paint-box is
their wildest dream.'

'Keep quiet, Jem, go and look out some of those library books, like a
wise man.'

'A wise man would be at a loss here,' said James, casting his eye along
the battered purple backs of the circulating-library books.

'Wisdom won't condescend! Ah! thank you, this will do nicely. Those
colours--yes; and the Seaside Book. I'll choose one or two. What is
most popular here?'

James began to whistle; but Louis, taking up a volume, became engrossed
beyond the power of hints, and hardly stepped aside to make way for
some ladies who entered the shop. A peremptory touch of the arm at
length roused him, and holding up the book to the shopman, he put it
into his pocket, seized his ash-stick, put his arm into his cousin's,
and hastened into the street.

'Did you ever see--' began Jem.

'Most striking. I did not know you had met with her. What an
idea