nd perversity of the young women of the present day.

"I have heard from Norah. It is a long letter, stating the particulars
in full detail. I am now going to put all the confidence in your honor
and your discretion which I really feel. For your sake, and for Norah's,
I am going to let you know what the scruple really is which has misled
her into the pride and folly of refusing you. I am old enough to speak
out; and I can tell you, if she had only been wise enough to let her own
wishes guide her, she would have said Yes--and gladly, too.

"The original cause of all the mischief is no less a person than your
worthy uncle--Admiral Bartram.

"It seems that the admiral took it into his head (I suppose during your
absence) to go to London by himself and to satisfy some curiosity of his
own about Norah by calling in Portland Place, under pretense of renewing
his old friendship with the Tyrrels. He came at luncheon-time, and saw
Norah; and, from all I can hear, was apparently better pleased with her
than he expected or wished to be when he came into the house.

"So far, this is mere guess-work; but it is unluckily certain that he
and Mrs. Tyrrel had some talk together alone when luncheon was over.
Your name was not mentioned; but when their conversation fell on Norah,
you were in both their minds, of course. The admiral (doing her full
justice personally) declared himself smitten with pity for her hard
lot in life. The scandalous conduct of her sister must always stand (he
feared) in the way of her future advantage. Who could marry her, without
first making it a condition that she and her sister were to be absolute
strangers to each other? And even then, the objection would remain--the
serious objection to the husband's family--of being connected by
marriage with such a woman as Mrs. Noel Vanstone. It was very sad; it
was not the poor girl's fault, but it was none the less true that
her sister was her rock ahead in life. So he ran on, with no real
ill-feeling toward Norah, but with an obstinate belief in his own
prejudices which bore the aspect of ill-feeling, and which people with
more temper than judgment would be but too readily disposed to resent
accordingly.

"Unfortunately, Mrs. Tyrrel is one of those people. She is an excellent,
warm-hearted woman, with a quick temper and very little judgment;
strongly attached to Norah, and heartily interested in Norah's welfare.
From all I can learn, she first resented the express