m. The reality, however, of the misery she felt was too
strongly in her heart to suffer this consoling fiction, painful even
though it was, to remain. The next moment she found Lord Dunroe doing
her homage and obeisance,--an obeisance which she returned with a
lady-like but melancholy grace, that might have told to any other
observer the sufferings she felt, and the sacrifice she was making.

Dunroe, with as much politeness as he could assume, handed her to
the sofa, close to which he drew a chair, and opened the dialogue as
follows:

"I am sorry to hear that you have not been well, Miss Gourlay. Life,
however, is uncertain, and we should always be prepared--at least, so
says Scripture. All flesh is grass, I think is the expression--ahem."

Lucy looked at him with a kind of astonishment; and, indeed, we think
our readers will scarcely feel surprised that she did so; the reflection
being anything but adapted to the opening of a love scene.

"Your observation, my lord," she replied, "is very true--too true, for
we rarely make due preparation for death."

"But I can conceive, readily enough," replied his lordship, "why the
man that wrote the Scripture used the expression. Death, you know Miss
Gourlay, is always represented as a mower, bearing a horrible scythe,
and an hour-glass. Now, a mower, you know, cuts down grass; and there is
the origin of the similitude."

"And a very appropriate one it is, I think," observed Lucy.

"Well, I dare say it is; but somewhat vulgar though. I should be
disposed to say, now, that the man who wrote that must have been a mower
himself originally."

Lucy made no reply to this sapient observation. His lordship, however,
who seemed to feel that he had started upon a wrong principle, if not a
disagreeable one, went on:

"It is not, however, to talk of death, Miss Gourlay, that we have met,
but of a very different and much more agreeable subject--marriage."

"To me, my lord," she replied, "death is the more agreeable of the two."

"I am sorry to hear that, Miss Gourlay; but I think you are in low
spirits, and that accounts for it. Your father tells me, however, that
I have your permission to urge my humble claims. He says you have kindly
and generously consented to look upon me, all unworthy as I feel I am,
as your future husband."

"It is true, my lord, I have consented to this projected union; but I
feel that it is due to your lordship to state that I have done so under
very pain