ot into a very good set,
you know, first chop--Lord Southdown, and the Beauchamps, and that lot;
and--well, I suppose we were idle, and that's the truth."

"I see," said Mr. May; "a good deal of smoke and billiards, and so
forth, and very little work."

"That's about it," said the young man, settling himself and his
trousers, which were the objects of a great deal of affectionate care on
his part. He gave them furtive pulls at the knees, and stroked them down
towards the ankle, as he got himself comfortably into his seat.

Mr. May looked at him with scientific observation, and Ursula with
half-affronted curiosity; his self-occupation was an offence to the
girl, but it was only amusing to her father. "An unmitigated cub," Mr.
May pronounced to himself; but there where he sat he represented three
hundred a-year, and that, at least, was not to be despised. Ursula was
not so charitable as her father; she was not amused by him in the
slightest degree. Had he come down to Carlingford in humble worship of
her pretty eyes, and with a romantic intention of making himself
agreeable to her, the captivating flattery would have prepossessed
Ursula, and prepared her to see him in a very pleasant light, and put
the best interpretation upon all he did and said. But this pretty
delusion being dissipated, Ursula was angry with herself for having been
so foolish, and naturally angry with Clarence for having led her into
it, though he was quite without blame in the matter. She looked at him
in his corner--he had taken the best corner, without consulting her
inclinations--and thought him a vulgar coxcomb, which perhaps he was.
But she would not have been so indignant except for that little bit of
injured feeling, for which really, after all, he was not justly to
blame.

CHAPTER XXVII.

A PAIR OF NATURAL ENEMIES.

After the evening at Grange Lane which has been described, Reginald May
met Northcote in the street several times, as was unavoidable,
considering the size of the place, and the concentration of all business
in Carlingford within the restricted length of the High Street. The two
young men bowed stiffly to each other at first; then by dint of seeing
each other frequently, got to inclinations a little more friendly, until
at length one day when Northcote was passing by the College, as Reginald
stood in the old doorway, the young chaplain feeling magnanimous on his
own ground, and somewhat amused by the idea which sudde