y rude; but I hate him. Pf! I can smell
him now."

Lady Rea sighed.

"And now, I suppose," said Fin, "we are to be pestered--poor Tiny and
your humble servant; they'll follow us to church, get sittings where
they can watch us, and carry on a regular siege. I wish them joy of
it!"

Lady Rea only sighed, and stroked the glossy head, till Fin suddenly
jumped up, and ran out of the room; but only to come back at the end of
a minute, and stand nodding her head.

"Well, my dear, what is it?" said Lady Rea.

"You'll have to put your foot down, mamma," said Fin, sharply.

Lady Rea glanced at her little member, which, in its delicate kid boot,
looked too gentle to crush a fly; and she sighed.

"A nice state of affairs!" said Fin.

"There's Tiny, up in her bedroom crying herself into a decline, and Aunt
Matty in the study with papa conspiring against our happiness, because
it's for our good. Now, mark my words, mamma--there'll be a regular
plot laid to marry Tiny to that odious Bluebeard of a Captain, and if
you don't stop it I shall."

Lady Rea sat, with wrinkled brow, looking puzzled at the little decisive
figure before her; and then, as Fin went out with a whisk of all her
light skirts, she sat for a few moments thinking, and then went up to
her elder daughter's room.

Volume 3, Chapter VII.

FRANK A VISITOR.

Richard felt very sanguine of success during the first weeks of his stay
in London. He was young, ardent, active, and a good sailor. Some
employment would be easily obtained, he thought, in the merchant
service; and he only stipulated mentally for one thing--no matter how
low was his beginning, he must have something to look forward to in the
future--he must be able to rise. But as the days glided into weeks, and
the weeks into months, he was obliged to own that it was not so easy to
find an opening as he had expected, and night after night he returned to
his solitary lodgings weary and disheartened.

Mrs Fiddison sighed, and said he was very nice--so quiet; her place did
not seem the same. And certainly the young fellow was very quiet,
spending a great deal of his time in writing and thinking; and more than
once he caught himself watching the opposite window, and wondering what
connexion there could be between Vanleigh and his neighbours.

This watching led to his meeting the soft dark eyes of Netta, as she
busied herself at times over her flowers, watering them carefully,
removing dead leaves