her to
consent, for much as she had always disliked the scheme, she now felt
that death were far preferable to a union with a man she despised; and
she ended by saying, that whenever she felt inclined to give way to
despair, the remembrance of my affection came across her like a sunbeam,
and rendered her happy even in the midst of her distress.--Oh! what
would I not have given, to have possessed the dear privilege of
consoling her, to have told her that she had nothing to fear, that my
love should surround and protect her, and that, under the hallowing
influence of sympathy, happiness for the future would be increased
twofold, while sorrow shared between us would be deprived of half its
bitterness!--in fact, long before I arrived at the cottage, I had worked
myself up into a great state of excitement, and had originated more
romantic nonsense than is promulgated in a "seminary for young ladies,"
in the interval between the time when the French teacher has put out the
candle, and the fair pupils have talked themselves to sleep, which, if
report does not belie them, is not until they have forfeited all chance
of adding to their attractions by getting a little beauty-sleep before
twelve o'clock.

"Ah, Frank! back already! what have you done with Lawless?" exclaimed
Oaklands, raising his eyes from the chessboard as I entered our little
drawing-room.

"He will be here shortly," replied I, "but he positively refused to face
the ladies till he had changed his shooting costume, so I left him up at
the Hall to adonise. But how goes the game? who is winning?"

"As was certain to be the case, I am losing," answered Fanny.

"Well, I won't disturb you," returned I, "and perhaps you will have
finished before Lawless makes his appearance; where is my mother,
by-the-by?"

"She only left the room just as you returned," replied Fanny quickly;
"she has been sitting here ever since Mr. Oaklands came."

"I do not wish to know where she has been, but where she is," rejoined I;
"I want to tell her that Lawless is coming to be introduced to her; is
she upstairs?"

"I believe she is," was the reply, "but you will only worry her if you
disturb her; mamma particularly dislikes being hunted about, you know:
you had better sit still, and she will be down again in a few minutes."

~321~~ "There is no such thing as free-will in this world, I believe,"
exclaimed I, throwing myself back in an easy-chair; "however, as you do
not very often pla