, was of a good height,
light and elegantly formed, and altogether was such as would command the
admiration of the fair sex; while the facile freedom of his speech, the
easy grace of his manners, and his gentlemanly bearing, were sufficient
to insure the respect of his fellows, and to establish, on a lasting
footing, the esteem of his friends.

During their short walk from the house the two young men had naturally
fallen into conversation, and had, even in that limited period, become
mutually attached to each other.

"I overtook your brother on the road," said Tom, in the continuation of
a dialogue, "and, knowing it could be none other than he, I introduced
myself, and we knew one another at once. He is a fine fellow, and just
my style. If you don't favour us much with your company at our place I
promise you you shall have enough of me at yours; for your brother and I
will be sworn friends. He tells me, too, that he expects his sister is
coming to place herself under your bachelor protection: is such the
case? You have said nothing about it up at the Hill, or I think they
would have told me."

"I made no mention of the circumstance," replied John, "to either your
brother or his lady, as, as yet, it is by no means decided upon; for my
own part, I hardly like the idea of bringing the poor girl out to this
remote part of the country. I should prefer seeing it a little more
settled first, though my brother William is madly anxious to get her out
with us; she herself, I think, could be easily influenced either the one
way or the other."

"Then by all means let her join you," cried Tom; "give William his way,
and us the pleasure of knowing her. If there is any hesitation on your
part, I will enlist the services of our women folk; and if they don't
tease you into compliance before a month is over, it is a caution. Why,
they'll be madly hilarious, when they hear the bare mention of such a
scheme; they surely can't be aware of the fact of your possessing such a
treasure as a sister, or I am sure they would be on to you at once to
induce a visit from her."

"Under any circumstances, it will require some delay," replied John; "as
we could not think of getting her to join us, until we had established
some comfortable home to bring her to; and I fear it will be a
considerable time ere that can be accomplished."

"That's easily managed," returned Tom. "Never mind your house; she can
come on a visit to us until you get your pla