es them that.'

'But some are nicer than others; for instance, I am sure they are not
all as handsome as Captain Hibbert.'

'Oh! indeed they are,' said Mrs. Barton, laughing; 'wait until we get to
Dublin; you have no idea what charming men we shall meet there. We shall
find a lord or an earl, or perhaps a marquis, who will give a coroneted
carriage to my beautiful girl to drive in.'

Olive tossed her head, and her mother looked at her admiringly, and
there was love in the sweet brown deceit of the melting eyes; a hard,
worldly affection, but a much warmer one than any Mrs. Barton could feel
for Alice, in whom she saw nothing but failure, and in the end spiritual
spinsterhood. After a pause she said:

'What a splendid match Lord Kilcarney would be, and where would he find
a girl like my Olive to do the honours of his house?'

'Oh! mamma, I never could marry him!'

'And why not, my dear girl?'

'I don't know, he's a silly little fool; besides, I like Captain
Hibbert.'

'Yes, you like Captain Hibbert, so do I; but a girl like you could not
throw herself away on a thousand-a-year captain in the army.'

'And why not, mamma?' said Olive, who had already begun to whimper;
'Captain Hibbert loves me, I know, very dearly, and I like him; he is of
very good family, and he has enough to support me.'

The moment was a supreme one, and Mrs. Barton hesitated to strike and
bring the matter to a head. Would it be better, she asked herself, to
let things go by and use her influence for the future in one direction?
After a brief pause she decided on the former course. She said:

'My dear child, neither your father nor myself could ever consent to see
you throw yourself away on Captain Hibbert. I am afraid you have seen
too much of him, and have been led away into caring for him. But take my
word for it, a girl's love is only _a fleur de peau_. When you have been
to a few of the Castle balls you'll soon forget all about him. Remember,
you are not twenty yet; it would be madness.'

'Oh! mamma, I didn't think you were so cruel!' exclaimed Olive, and she
rushed out of the room.

Mrs. Barton made no reply, but her resolve was rapidly gaining strength
in her mind: Olive's flirtation was to be brought at once to a close.
Captain Hibbert she would admit no more, and the girl was in turn to be
wheedled and coerced.

Nor did Mrs. Barton for a moment doubt that she would succeed; she had
never tasted failure; and she stayed only a m