ment for you. Lady Conway
wishes that you should go to luncheon with her to-morrow. I believe
she wants to consult you about some birth-day celebration.'

Louis was much surprised, and somewhat entertained.

'When will you have the carriage?' pursued the Earl.

'Will not you come?'

'No, I am not wanted. In fact, I do not see how you can be required,
but anything will serve as an excuse. In justice, however, I should
add that our friends at the Terrace are disposed to think well of the
younger part of the family.'

Except for the cold constraint of the tone, Louis could have thought
much ground gained, but he was sure that his holiday would be damped by
knowing that it was conceded at the cost of much distress and
uneasiness.

Going to Northwold early enough for a call at No. 5, he was greeted by
Mrs. Frost with, 'My dear! what have you been about? I never saw your
father so much pleased in his life! He came in on purpose to tell me,
and I thought it exceedingly kind. So you took him in completely.
What an impudent rogue you always were!'

'I never meant it to go beyond the study. I was obliged to write it
down in self-defence, that I might know what he was talking of.'

'I believe he expects you to be even with Sydney Calcott after all. It
is really very clever. Where did you get all those funny stories?'

'What! you have gone and read it!'

'Ah, ha! Mrs. Ponsonby gave us a pretty little literary soiree. Don't
be too proud, it was only ourselves, except that Mary brought in Miss
Conway. Jem tried to read it, but after he had made that Spanish
Society into 'Hammer men dead,' Mary got it away from him, and read
through as if it had been in print.'

'What an infliction!'

'It is very disrespectful to think us so frivolous. We only wished all
reviews were as entertaining.'

'It is too bad, when I only wanted to mystify my father.'

'It serves you right for playing tricks. What have you been doing to
him, Louis? You will turn him into a doting father before long.'

'What have you done with Clara?'

'She goes every day to read Italian with Miss Conway, and the governess
is so kind as to give her drawing lessons. She is learning far more
than at school, and they are so kind! I should hardly know how to
accept it, but Jem does not object, and he is really very useful there,
spends a great deal of time on the boy, and is teaching the young
ladies Latin.'

'They are leaving you lonely in the