sible. I
told Mr. Kennyfeck I should make my obeisances to the ladies to-day."

"Would to-morrow not serve?" said she, smiling.

"I believe it might--but a promise! Besides, I have been sadly deficient
in attentions there."

"Sir Harvey and his brother hussar have made the _amende_ for your
shortcomings, but go, make haste and overtake us. I see 'my Lord' trying
to understand Lady Janet, and I must not delay longer."

"Ride slowly," cried Roland, "and don't get run away with till I 'm of
the party."

She nodded archly in reply to this speech, and joining the group, who
were all awaiting her, rode off, while Cashel entered the house, and
soon was heard ascending the stairs at a hurried pace.

Olivia could only close the window and resume her place, when a tap
was given at the door, and the same instant Cashel entered the room. He
stopped suddenly, and looked around, for at first he did not perceive
Olivia, who, deep in her book, affected not to hear the noise of his
approach.

The rich coronet of brown hair, on which an evening sun was throwing one
brilliant gleam, caught his eye, and he advanced near enough to see
and be struck by that graceful attitude of which we gave our reader a
glimpse at the opening of this chapter.

She was reading some old English ballad; and, as she closed the volume,
murmured, half aloud, the lines of the concluding verse:--

"And ye variete, bounde upon a carte, Was draggede to ye gallows high,
While ye knighte that stole ye ladye's hearte (And was not his ye
gravere parte!) Rode onte to see him die."

"A sad moral indeed," said Cashel, in a low, soft voice.

"Oh, dear! oh, Mr. Cashel!" cried she, starting, and letting fall the
book, "how you have terrified me!"

"Pray forgive me," said he, drawing his chair near, "but when I entered
the room I saw no one. I had come thus far ere I discovered that I was
so fortunate."

"Shall I ring for mamma and Cary? they are dressing, I know, but will be
quite annoyed if you go before they come down."

"You must not inconvenience them on my account," said Roland, eagerly.
"I'm certain," added he, smiling, "you are not afraid to receive me
alone."

She hung down her head, and partly averting it, murmured a scarcely
audible "No."

Cashel, who had evidently never calculated on his careless remark being
taken thus seriously, looked silly and uncomfortable for a few seconds.
There is a terrible perversity sometimes in our natures; we are di