om.

"To see me?" said Margaret, thoroughly surprised, and not a little
dismayed.

"Yes, Miss; and there's a gentleman there who asked for you when he
first come."

Now, indeed, she was dismayed. Who could be the gentleman? Was it Mr
Slow, or a myrmidon from Mr Slow's legal abode? Or was it Mr Rubb
with his yellow gloves again? Whoever it was there must be something
very special in his mission, as her aunt had, in consequence,
deferred her drive, and was also apparently about to drop her purpose
of cutting her niece's acquaintance in her own house.

But we will go back to Mr Maguire. He had passed the evening and the
morning in thinking over the method of his attack, and had at last
resolved that he would be very bold. He would go down to the Cedars,
and claim Margaret as his affianced bride. He went, therefore, down
to the Cedars, and in accordance with his plan as arranged, he gave
his card to the servant, and asked if he could see Sir John Ball
alone. Now, Sir John Ball never saw any one on business, or, indeed,
not on business; and, after a while, word was brought out to Mr
Maguire that he could see Lady Ball, but that Sir John was not well
enough to receive any visitors. Lady Ball, Mr Maguire thought, would
suit him better than Sir John. He signified his will accordingly, and
on being shown into the drawing-room, found her ladyship there alone.

It must be acknowledged that he was a brave man, and that he was
doing a bold thing. He knew that he should find himself among
enemies, and that his claim would be ignored and ridiculed by the
persons whom he was about to attack; he knew that everybody, on first
seeing him, was affrighted and somewhat horrified; he knew too,--at
least, we must presume that he knew,--that the lady herself had given
him no promise. But he thought it possible, nay, almost probable,
that she would turn to him if she saw him again; that she might own
him as her own; that her feelings might be strong enough in his
favour to induce her to throw off the thraldom of her relatives, and
that he might make good his ground in her breast, even if he could
not bear her away in triumph out of the hands of his enemies.

When he entered the room Lady Ball looked at him and shuddered.
People always did shudder when they saw him for the first time.

"Lady Ball," said he, "I am the Rev. Mr Maguire, of Littlebath."

She was holding his card in her hand, and having notified to him that
she was aware of