e seen them in any one
else. She remembered that at their first acquaintance he had smiled at
them in her. _Now_ how blind he was! All her little defects of
character, so painfully apparent to his sisters were quite invisible to
him. She was very amiable and charming in his eyes. There were times
when one might have supposed that he looked upon her as the wisest and
most sensible of women; and he began to listen to her small views and
assent to her small opinions, in a way, and to an extent that would have
been amusing if it had not been painful and irritating to those looking
on.

Graeme tried to believe that she was glad of all this--that it was
better so. If it was so that these two were to pass their lives
together, it was well that they should be blind to each other's faults.
Somehow married people seemed to get on together, even when their
tastes, and talents, and tempers differed. If they loved one another
that was enough, she supposed; there must be something about it that she
did not understand. At any rate, there was no use vexing herself about
Arthur now. If he was content, why should not she be so? Her brother's
happiness might be safer than she feared, but whether or not, nothing
could be changed now.

But as her fears for her brother were put from her, the thought of what
the future might bring to Rose and her, came oftener, and with a sadder
doubt. She called herself foolish and faithless--selfish even, and
scolded herself vigorously many a time; but she could not drive away her
fears, or make herself cheerful or hopeful in looking forward. When
Arthur should come quite to see with Fanny's eyes, and hear with her
ears, and rely upon her judgment, would they all live as happily
together as they had hitherto done? Fanny, kept to themselves, she
thought she would not fear, but influenced by her stepmother, whose
principles and practice were so different from all they had been taught
to consider right, how might their lives be changed!

And so the wedding-day was drawing nigh. As a part of her
marriage-portion, Mr Grove was to present to his daughter one of the
handsome new houses in the neighbourhood of Columbus Square, and there
the young lady's married-life was to commence. The house was quite a
little fortune in itself, Mrs Grove said, and she could neither
understand nor approve of the manner in which her triumphant
announcement of its destination was received by the Elliotts. It is
j