beauty of the county, and it seems Mr.
Rutland had danced with her at her first ball, and been violently
smitten with her; he had called more than once at Highmore, and his
attentions were directly encouraged by Mr. Bassett. Now Mr. Rutland was
heir to a peerage, and also to considerable estates in the county.

Compton was sick at heart, and, being young, saw his life about to be
blighted; so now he was pale and woe-begone, and told her the sad news
with such deep sighs, and imploring, tearful eyes, that all the mother
rose in arms. "Ah!" said she, "they say to themselves that I am down,
and cannot fight for my child; but I would fight for him on the edge of
the grave. Let me think all by myself, dear. Come back to me in an
hour. I shall do something. Your mother is a very cunning woman--for
those she loves."

Compton kissed her gown--a favorite action of his, for he worshiped
her--and went away.

The invalid laid her hollow cheek upon her wasted hand, and thought
with all her might. By degrees her extraordinary brain developed a
twofold plan of action; and she proceeded to execute the first part,
being the least difficult, though even that was not easy, and brought a
vivid blush to her wasted cheek.

She wrote to Mrs. Bassett.

"MADAM--I am very ill, and life is uncertain. Something tells me you,
like me, regret the unhappy feud between our houses. If this is so, it
would be a consolation to me to take you by the hand and exchange a few
words, as we already have a few kind looks.

"Yours respectfully,

"BELLA BASSETT."

She showed this letter to Compton, and told him he might send a servant
with it to Highmore at once.

"Oh, mamma!" said he, "I never thought you would do that: how good you
are! You couldn't ask Ruperta, could you? Just in a little postscript,
you know."

Lady Bassett shook her head.

"That would not be wise, my dear. Let me hook that fish for you, not
frighten her away."

Great was the astonishment at Highmore when a blazing footman knocked
at the door and handed Jessie the letter with assumed nonchalance, then
stalked away, concealing with professional art his own astonishment at
what he had done.

It was no business of Jessie's to take letters into the drawing-room;
she would have deposited any other letter on the hall table; but she
brought this one in, and, standing at the door, exclaimed, "Here a
letter fr' Huntercombe!"

Richard Bassett, Mrs. Bassett, and Ruperta, all