d his family Christian. Owen adding, that but for her origin,
she would be very good-looking; not that he cared for that style, and his
manner indicated that such rosy, childish charms as were before him had
his preference. But though this was evident enough to all the rest of
the world, Phoebe did not appear to have the least perception of his
personal meaning, and freely, simply answered, that she admired dark-eyed
people, and should be glad to see Mrs. Charteris.

'You will see her in her glory,' said Owen; 'Tuesday week, the great
concern is to come off, at Castle Blanch, and a rare sight she'll be!
Cilly tells me she is rehearsing her dresses with different sets of
jewels all the morning, and for ever coming in to consult her and Rashe!'

'That must be rather tiresome,' said Honor; 'she cannot be much of a
companion.'

'I don't fancy she gets much satisfaction,' said Owen, laughing; 'Rashe
never uses much "soft sawder." It's an easy-going place, where you may
do just as you choose, and the young ladies appreciate liberty. By the
bye, what do you think of this Irish scheme?'

Honora was so much ashamed of it, that she had never mentioned it even to
Phoebe, and she was the more sorry that it had been thus adverted to, as
she saw Robert intent on what Owen let fall. She answered shortly, that
she could not suppose it serious.

'Serious as a churchyard,' was Owen's answer. 'I dare say they will ask
Phoebe to join the party. For my own part, I never believed in it till I
came up to-day, and found the place full of salmon-flies, and the start
fixed for Wednesday the 24th.'

'Who?' came a voice from the dark mantelshelf.

'Who? Why, that's the best of it. Who but my wise sister and Rashe?
Not a soul besides,' cried Owen, giving way to laughter, which no one was
disposed to echo. 'They vow that they will fish all the best streams,
and do more than any crack fisherman going, and they would like to see
who will venture to warn them off. They've tried that already. Last
summer what did Lucy do, but go and fish Sir Harry Buller's water. You
know he's a very tiger about preserving. Well, she fished coolly on in
the face of all his keepers; they stood aghast, didn't know what manner
of Nixie it was, I suppose; and when Sir Harry came down, foaming at the
mouth, she just shook her curls, and made him wade in up to his knees to
get her fly out of a bramble!'

'That must be exaggerated,' said Robert.

'Exagg