the wedding were less easily drawn from
him. The bride had indeed been perfection, all was charming wherever she
brought her ready grace and sweetness, and she had gratified the Colonel
by her affectionate messages to Ermine, and her evident intention to
make all straight between Lord Keith and his daughter Mary. But the
Clare relations had not made a favourable impression; the favourite
blind uncle had not been present, in spite of Bessie's boast, and it
was suspected that Alick had not chosen to forward his coming. Alick had
devolved the office of giving his sister away upon the Colonel, as her
guardian, and had altogether comported himself with more than his usual
lazy irony, especially towards the Clare cousinhood, who constantly
buzzed round him, and received his rebuffs as delightful jests and
compliments, making the Colonel wonder all the more at the perfect good
taste and good breeding of his new sister-in-law, who had spent among
them all the most critical years of her life.

She had been much amused with the prospectus of the "Journal of Female
Industry," but she sent word to Rachel that she advised her not to
publish any list of subscribers--the vague was far more impressive than
the certain. The first number must be sent to her at Paris, and trust
her for spreading its fame!

The Colonel did not add to his message her recommendation that the
frontispiece should represent the Spinster's Needles, with the rescue of
Don as the type of female heroism. Nor did he tell how carefully he
had questioned both her and Rachel as to the date of that interesting
adventure.

CHAPTER XVII. THE SIEGE.

"The counterfeit presentment."--Hamlet.

Christmas came, and Rachel agreed with Mr. Mauleverer that it was better
not to unsettle the children at the F. U. E. E. by permitting them to
come home for holidays, a decision which produced much discontent in
their respective families. Alison, going to Mrs. Morris with her pupils,
to take her a share of Christmas good cheer, was made the receptacle of
a great lamentation over the child's absence; and, moreover, that the
mother had not been allowed to see her alone, when taken by Miss Rachel
to the F. U. E. E.

"Some one ought to take it up," said Alison, as she came home, in her
indignation. "Who knows what may be done to those poor children? Can't
Mr. Mitchell do something?"

But Mr. Mitchell was not sufficiently at home to interfere. He was
indeed negotiating a