me but silent acquiescence,
and in a few minutes we reached the house.

"Where's your mistress?" inquired Freddy of the man-servant who showed
us into the drawing-room.

"Upstairs, sir, I believe; I'll send to let her know that you are
arrived."

"Do so," replied Coleman, making a vigorous attack upon the fire.

"Why, Freddy, I thought you said your cousin was away from home?"
inquired I.

"So she is; and what's more, she won't be back for a fortnight," was the
answer.

"Here's a young lady's bonnet, however," said I.

"Nonsense," replied he; "it must be one of my mother's."

"Does Mrs. Coleman wear such spicy affairs as this?" said I, holding up
for his inspection a most piquant little velvet bonnet lined with pink.

"By Jove, no!" was the reply; "a mysterious young lady! I say, Frank,
this is interesting."

As he spoke the door flew open, and Mrs. Coleman ~254~~ bustled in, in
a great state of maternal affection, and fuss, and confusion, and
agitation.

"Why, Freddy, my dear boy, I'm delighted to see you, only I wish you
hadn't come just now;--and you too, Mr. Fairlegh--and such a small loin
of mutton for dinner; but I'm so glad to see you--looking like a ghost,
so pale and thin," she added, shaking me warmly by the hand; "but what
I am to do about it, or to say to him when he comes back--only I'm not a
prophet to guess things before they happen--and if I did I should always
be wrong, so what use would that be, I should like to know?"

"Why, what's the row, eh, mother? the cat hasn't kittened, has she?"
asked Freddy.

"No, my dear, no, it's not that; but, your father being in town, it has
all come upon me so unexpectedly; poor thing! and she looking so pretty,
too; oh, dear! when I said I was all alone, I never thought I shouldn't
be; and so he left her here."

"And who may her be?" inquired Freddy, setting grammar at defiance, "the
cat or the governor?"

"Why, my love, it's very unlucky--very awkward indeed; but one comfort
is we're told it's all for the best when everything goes wrong--a very
great comfort that is if one could only believe it; but poor Mr. Vernor,
you see he was quite unhappy, I'm sure, he looked so cross, and no
wonder, having to go up to London all in a hurry, and such a cold day
too."

At the mention of this name my attention, which had been gradually
dying a natural death, suddenly revived, and it was with a degree
of impatience, which I could scarcely restrain, that I awa