s. Skewton, thinks of nothing but diamonds, and
settlements, and all the vanities for which your worldly woman sells
her soul. It is a great wonder that, with such an example before her
eyes, Miss Selby is not as bad herself; but she is a wonderfully
sensible girl, and never talks that sort of nonsense; why, she goes to
early service, and looks after some poor people: not that she ever
mentions these facts, for she is not a goody-goody sort at all."

"Oh, no, she has too much go in her," returned Fay, calmly. "I was
quite right when I said that she was an active young person; and now
about the other one, Erle?"

"Well," Erle began again, but this time he utterly broke down; for how
was he to describe this girl with her beautiful frank mouth, and her
soft smiling eyes; he had never found out their color at all; would
Fay understand if he told her of the sprightliness and sweetness that,
in his opinion, made Fern so peculiarly attractive to him. But, to his
astonishment, Fay grasped the whole situation in a moment.

"Oh, you need not tell me, you poor boy," she said, with a knowing nod
of her head; "so it is not the young lady with the go in her, though
she does dance like a bird; it is this other one with the fair hair
and the pretty smile."

"How do you know, you little witch?" returned Erle, staring at her
with an honest boyish blush on his face; "do you know that Miss
Trafford is poor; that she makes her own gowns, and teaches the
vicar's little girls; and that Miss Selby, of whom you speak so
rudely, is niece to a countess?"

"Well, what of that?" responded Fay, scornfully; "if your lady-love be
poor, Erle, you are rich enough for both;" but he interrupted her with
an alarmed air.

"That is the worst of chattering to a woman," he said, in a lofty way.
"If you give them an inch, they take an ell; who said I was in love
with either of them? Do you know my uncle has spoken to me about Miss
Selby: he says she is a fine girl and after his own heart; and he has
given me a strong hint that an engagement with her will be greatly for
my interest." But Fay turned a deaf ear to all this.

"And the fair-haired girl with the pretty smile; if you marry her,
Erle?"

"In that case, my uncle would refuse to have anything more to do with
me. No doubt he would disinherit me as he did his own daughter; and
Percy would be his heir. Ah, it is all very well talking, Fay," and
here Erle looked at her rather gloomily. "I have never