ly from the heart; and from it she argued favourably of the
success of her schemes, and the happiness of her friends. To Eleanor it
was mysterious; whether it was that it was the first time John had
attempted anything in the shape of flattery to her, and that she felt
surprised; or that her vanity was pleased with the flattery, we cannot
say. Bear with us, gentle reader, when we make the allusion, for how
perfect soever a woman may be, she is not completely devoid of vanity;
and chaste and innocent as was our Eleanor, it was possible for her to
receive a thrill of pleasure, at hearing a well-directed compliment from
one whom she respected; believing it to be uttered with an expression
of something more than mere idle coquetry. Or, it may be, a certain
truth flashed across her mind; but certain it is that, when she heard
it, the blush mantled her fair cheek, and she turned away her head. To
Tom it was the source of rejoicing; for he did not consider whether the
speech was expressive of genuine or assumed sentiment, but simply
noticed in it a return of his friend to his former self.

Such, then, were the mutual feelings of the party assembled at the
Rainsfield's table, as they sat down, with all restraint and formality
dissipated from their circle. Mrs. Rainsfield, who was bent upon a _coup
de main_, now proposed to John Ferguson, that he should stop the night
at Strawberry Hill; and she would make up a little pic-nic, for the
following day, to the falls of the Wombi; which she had heard the people
talk a good deal about, and had often desired to see. She said she had
contemplated the party for some time, and wished to have had it
organized while William was at home; but John had kept himself so much
aloof from them, that she had not had the opportunity. She appealed to
her husband to head the party, but he excused himself on the grounds of
employment, and proposed that Tom should act as their guide instead;
while he stated, if they wanted any of the men to carry their things out
in the morning, he would spare them two. This arrangement they all
seemed delighted with; and it was finally settled that Mrs. Rainsfield,
Eleanor, Tom, and John Ferguson, should start about eleven o'clock on
the following morning, and that the ladies should prepare a cold
collation, which was to precede them.

The falls of the Wombi were insignificant, compared with what we are
used to witness in the romantic scenery of Scotland, or the lake
di