lighted to identify Miss Conway with the Isabel of whom one of
her school friends spoke rapturously, but the last letter had beenfrom
James to his grandmother, declaring that Lord Ormersfield was
destroying the happiness of the most dutiful of sons, who was obedient
even to tameness, and so absurd that there was no bearing him. His
lordship must hear reason, and learn that he was rejecting the most
admirable creature in existence, her superiority of mind exceeding even
her loveliness of person. He had better beware of tyranny; it was
possible to abuse submission, and who could answer for the consequences
of thwarting strong affections? All the ground Fitzjocelyn had gained
in the last six weeks had been lost; and for the future, James would
not predict.

'An uncomfortable matter,' said Mrs. Ponsonby, chiefly for the sake of
reading her daughter's feelings. 'If it were not in poor Louis's mind
already, his father and James would plant it there by their contrary
efforts.'

'Oh! I hope it will come right,' said Mary. 'Louis is too good, and
his father too kind, for it not to end well. And then, mamma, he will
be able to prove, what nobody will believe--that he is constant.'

'You think so, do you?' said her mother, smiling.

Mary blushed, but answered, 'where he really cared, he would be
constant. His fancy might be taken, and he might rave, but he would
never really like what was not good.--If he does think about Miss
Conway, we may trust she is worthy of him. Oh! I should like to see
her!'

Mary's eyes lighted up with an enthusiasm that used to be a stranger to
them. It was not the over-acted indifference nor the tender generosity
of disappointment: it seemed more to partake of the fond, unselfish,
elder-sisterly affection that she had always shown towards Louis, and
it set her mother quite at ease.

Seeing Lord Ormersfield riding into the terrace, Mary set out for a
walk, that he might have his tete-a-tete freely with her mother. On
coming home, she met him on the stairs; and he spoke with a sad
softness and tone of pardon that alarmed her so much, that she hastened
to ask her mother whether Louis had really avowed an attachment.

'Oh no,' said Mrs. Ponsonby; 'he has written a very right-minded
letter, on the whole, poor boy! though he is sure the Conways have only
to be known to be appreciated. Rather too true! It is in his Miss
Fanny hand, stiff and dispirited; and his father has worked himself
in