in to
espouse the cause of pride and self-will; and she never once recollected
that the way to rescue her friend from the vortex of dissipation was not
to follow her into it.

Little was needed to rouse in Arthur the dormant taste so long the
prevalent one. So eager was he when once stirred up, that his sister
almost doubted whether she might not be leading him into temptation,
as she remembered the warning against Mr. Gardner; but she repelled the
notion of his being now liable to be led away, and satisfied herself by
recollecting that whenever he had met his former school-fellow, he had
shown no disposition to renew the acquaintance.

All the notice of Percy that she chose to take, was, that on the Tuesday
evening, she said, as she wished Violet good night, 'If Percy should
call with his aunt to-morrow, which I don't expect, you will explain,
and say I hope to call early next day.'

'Well! I hope you will get into no scrape,' said Arthur; 'but mind,
whatever comes of it, 'tis your doing, not mine.'

Words which she answered with a haughty smile, but which she was never
to forget.

Violet saw the brother and sister depart, and could only hope that
nothing might be heard of the Fotheringham party; but before half the
morning had passed, the knock, for the first time unwelcome, sounded
at the door, and there entered not only Percy, but an elderly lady who
might have been supposed the grandmother, rather than the mother, of the
tall comely youth who bashfully followed her.

Violet strove, by the warmth of her reception, to make up for what was
wanting; but her sentences were broken and confused; she was glad and
she was sorry, and they would be very sorry, and something about not
expecting and calling early, was all mixed together, while she watched
with deprecating looks the effect upon Percy.

'Is she gone?' he asked, in a low stern voice.

'Yes; but she told me to say, in case--we hardly thought it likely--but
in case Lady Fotheringham should be kind enough to call, she told me to
say she will certainly call early to-morrow.'

Violet knew she had made a most tangled speech, and that there was
great danger that her trembling sorrowful voice should convey to Lady
Fotheringham an impression that there was something amiss; but she could
only try to make the intelligence as little mortifying as possible.

The fact was enough. Percy stood in the window in silence, while his
aunt, on learning where Miss Martindale