ed Roberts, astonished, "that is Sir Thomas Gourlay
himself."

"Bless me, and so it is," replied the Doctor; "he is getting very
fat--eh? Ay, all right, and will make excellent eating if the cooking be
good."

Roberts saw at once what the worthy Doctor was thinking of, and resolved
Lo suggest some other topic, if it were only to punish him for bestowing
such attention upon a subject so much at variance with thoughts that
ought to occupy the mind of a minister of God.

"I have heard, Doctor, that you are a bachelor," said he. "How did it
happen, pray, that you kept aloof from marriage?"

The Doctor, who had been contemplating his own exploits at the dejuner,
now that Roberts had mentioned marriage, took it for granted that he
wanted him to proceed with his homily, and tried to remember where he
had left off.

"Oh, yes," said he, "about marriage; I stopped at its tribulations.
I think I had got over its rights and duties, but I stopped at its
tribulations--yes, its tribulations. Very well my dear friend," he
proceeded, taking him by the hand, and leading him over to a corner,
"accompany me, and you shall enter them now. Where is the young lady?"

"She will be here by and by," replied Roberts; "I think you had better
wait till she comes."

The Doctor paused for some time, and following up the idea of the
dejuner, said, "I am fond of wild fowl now."

"Oh, fie, Doctor," replied the Ensign; "I did not imagine that so grave
a personage as you are could be fond of anything wild."

"Oh, yes," replied the Doctor, "ever while you live prefer the wild to
the tame; every one, sir," he added, taking the other by the button,
"that knows what's what, in that respect, does it. Well, but about the
tribulations."

As usual the Doctor was doomed to be left in them, for just as he spoke
the doors were thrown more widely open, and Lucy, leaning upon, or
rather supported by, her aunt and Lady Emily, accompanied by Mrs.
Mainwaring, entered the room. Her father had been in close conversation
with Dunroe; but not all his efforts at self-possession and calmness
could prevent his agitation and anxiety from being visible. His eye
was unsettled and blood-shot; his manner uneasy, and the whole bearing
indicative of hope, ecstasy, apprehension, and doubt, all flitting
across each other like clouds in a sky troubled by adverse currents, but
each and all telling a tale of the tumult which was going on within him.

Yes, Lucy was there, but,