lia, laughing.

"No, my Lord, it's useless; quite hopeless. I assure you she 'll not
sing for you of a morning." This speech was addressed to Lord Culduff,
as he was turning over some music-books on the piano.

"Have I your permission to look at these?" said he to Julia, as he
opened a book of drawings in water-colors.

"Of course, my Lord. They are mere sketches taken in the neighorhood
here, and, as you will see, very hurriedly done." \

"And have you such coast scenery as this?" asked he, in some
astonishment, while he held up a rocky headland of several hundred feet,
out of the caves at whose base a tumultuous sea was tumbling.

"I could show you finer and bolder bits than even that."

"Do you hear, my Lord?" said Marion, in a low tone, only audible to
himself. "The fair Julia is offering to be your guide. I 'm afraid it is
growing late. One does forget time at this cottage. It was only the last
day I came here I got scolded for being late at dinner."

And now ensued one of those little bustling scenes of shawling and
embracing with which young ladies separate. They talked together, and
laughed, and kissed, and answered half-uttered sentences, and even
seemed after parting to have something more to say; they were by turns
sad, and playful, and saucy--all of these moods being duly accompanied
by graceful action, and a chance display of a hand or foot, as it might
be, and then they parted.

"Well, my Lord," said Marion, as they ascended the steep path that led
homewards, "what do you say now? Is Julia as cold and impassive as you
pronounced her, or are you ungrateful enough to ignore fascinations all
displayed and developed for your own especial captivation?"

"It was very pretty coquetry, all of it," said he, smiling. "Her
eyelashes are even longer than I thought them."

"I saw that you remarked them, and she was gracious enough to remain
looking at the drawing sufficiently long to allow you full time for the
enjoyment."

The steep and rugged paths were quite as much as Lord Culduff could
manage without talking, and he toiled along after her in silence, till
they gained the beach.

"At last a bit of even ground," exclaimed he, with a sigh.

"You'll think nothing of the hill, my Lord, when you've come it three or
four times," said she, with a malicious twinkle of the eye.

"Which is precisely what I have no intention of doing."

"What! not cultivate the acquaintance so auspiciously opened?"

"Not at