ine. I came up from --- College on
Wednesday, having much enjoyed my visit. Oxford is in many respects
a changed place, but as long as our old Head remains to us, I am sure
of a gratifying welcome, and I saw many old friends. I exchanged
cards with Owen Sandbrook, but only saw him as we met in the street,
and a very fine-looking youth he is, a perfect Hercules, and the
champion of his college in all feats of strength; likely, too, to
stand well in the class list. His costume was not what we should
once have considered academical; but his is a daring set,
intellectual as well as bodily, and the clever young men of the
present day are not what they were in my time. It is gratifying to
hear how warmly and affectionately he talks of you. I do not know
how far you have undertaken the supplies, but I give you a hint that
a warning on that subject might not be inappropriate, unless they
have come into some great accession of fortune on their uncle's
death. I ventured to call upon the young lady in Lowndes Square, and
was most graciously received, and asked to dinner by the young Mrs.
Charteris. It was a most _recherche_ dinner in the new Italian
fashion, which does not quite approve itself to me. "Regardless of
expense," seems to be the family motto. Your pupil sings better than
ever, and knew how to keep her hold of my heart, though I suspected
her of patronizing the old parson to pique her more brilliant
admirers, whom she possesses in plenty; and no wonder, for she is
pretty enough to turn any man's head and shows to great advantage
beside her cousin, Miss Charteris. I hope you will be able to
prevent the cousins from really undertaking the wild plan of
travelling alone in Ireland, for the sake, they say, of
salmon-fishing. I should have thought them not in earnest, but girls
are as much altered as boys from the days of my experience, and
brothers, too; for Mr. Charteris seemed to view the scheme very
coolly; but, as I told my friend Lucilla, I hope you will bring her
to reason. I hope your hay-crop promises favourably.

'Yours sincerely, W. SAVILLE.'

No wonder that these letters made loneliness more lonely!

'Oh, that Horatia!' exclaimed she, almost aloud. 'Oh, that Captain
Charteris were available! No one else ever had any real power with L