ultra-liberal lass that had ever lived since Mother Eve eat the pippin
without paring. But as he was still on middle-earth, and free to avail
himself of a little polite deceit, he barely answered that he believed
he had the honour of speaking to the niece of Mr. Redgauntlet.

'Surely,' she replied; 'but were it not as easy for you to have said, to
your own only sister?'

Darsie started in his saddle, as if he had received a pistol-shot.

'My sister!' he exclaimed.

'And you did NOT know it, then?' said she. 'I thought your reception of
me was cold and indifferent!'

A kind and cordial embrace took place betwixt the relatives; and so
light was Darsie's spirit, that he really felt himself more relieved, by
getting quit of the embarrassments of the last half-hour, during which
he conceived himself in danger of being persecuted by the attachment of
a forward girl, than disappointed by the vanishing of so many day-dreams
as he had been in the habit of encouraging during the time when the
green-mantled maiden was goddess of his idolatry. He had been already
flung from his romantic Pegasus, and was too happy at length to find
himself with bones unbroken, though with his back on the ground. He was,
besides, with all his whims and follies, a generous, kind-hearted youth,
and was delighted to acknowledge so beautiful and amiable a relative,
and to assure her in the warmest terms of his immediate affection and
future protection, so soon as they should be extricated from their
present situation. Smiles and tears mingled on Lilias's cheeks, like
showers and sunshine in April weather.

'Out on me,' she said, 'that I should be so childish as to cry at what
makes me so sincerely happy! since, God knows, family-love is what my
heart has most longed after, and to which it has been most a stranger.
My uncle says that you and I, Darsie, are but half Redgauntlets, and
that the metal of which our father's family was made, has been softened
to effeminacy in our mother's offspring.'

'Alas!' said Darsie, 'I know so little of our family story, that I
almost doubted that I belonged to the House of Redgauntlet, although the
chief of the family himself intimated so much to me.'

'The chief of the family!' said Lilias. 'You must know little of
your own descent indeed, if you mean my uncle by that expression. You
yourself, my dear Darsie, are the heir and representative of our ancient
House, for our father was the elder brother--that brave a